Achieve a beautiful faux mercury glass finish with this easy to follow DIY Mercury Glass Tutorial. NO spray paint, spray water/vinegar, or scratching-off involved! This DIY mercury glass technique is easy to replicate and only requires a few items from the craft store.
This post was originally posted in 2016 and I still own and use these same votives! You will see them frequently pop up on my fall and winter tablescapes. Please note that the paint (I used) conducts heat and seems to make the votives hotter to the touch. Therefore for safety reasons, I recommend using flameless LED candles.
Step 1: Gather your supplies.
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You will need gilding paint, silver craft paint, and an application sponge to paint your glass votives. If you’re unable to find foam pouncers, a makeup sponge can be used instead. Simply cut an inexpensive makeup sponge into a circle and glue it onto the end of a chapstick to make your own paint pouncer.
Step 2: Apply your liquid gilding paint to the exterior of the votives.
A little liquid gilding goes a long way! Dab your sponge into the paint, remove excess on paper towel if needed, and use a gentle, rapid tapping motion to apply the paint to the exterior of the votive.
Step 3: Using the same paint technique, apply silver craft paint to the interior of the votive.
Gently tap your silver craft paint so that it is peppered on the interior of the votive and allow to dry.
When ready to use, place metal lined votive candles into the holders and watch them glow with a gorgeous silver and gold finish.
NOTE: The paint may conduct extra heat from the flame making the glass votives hot to the touch. For safety, use battery operated votive candles instead.
Bonus Tip: Fill two of the votives with quinoa to hold taper candles in place.
Granted, this is a tad unconventional but I loved the look of it! I used quinoa in two of my votives in order to hold a few taper candles in place. If you love this idea but don’t happen to have quinoa on hand, then rice, chia seeds, flax seeds, etc. would also work.