Frosted Mirrors

One of my favorite memories about growing up in the Midwest is when old Jack Frost would visit in the winter and leave behind his beautiful handiwork. The decorative etchings created by the frost highlighted most of the windows in our home. I could spend hours looking at the intricate designs. Like snowflakes, each one was unique.

Recently, while taping a Room by Room episode in a small bath, Matt Fox, my co-host and partner, brought up the idea of creating a frosted effect on the mirror, as a temporary effect. Well, after I wiped the tears from my eyes, Matt and I got to work doing our best Jack Frost impersonation.

We started by purchasing the frost. I know this takes some of the romance out of it, but the frost is actually a spray that you can find at your local paint store or home center. Just look for glass frosting.

Next, it was on to the design. For the design in our bathroom, I purchased a ready cut stencil. And, just like real frost on the window, there are hundreds of designs to choose from. If you feel adventurous, you can even purchase a stencil kit and make your own.

For our project I used a holiday design that really got us in the spirit. Once I determined the placement of the stencil on the mirror, I taped the stencil down with painters' blue tape. Make sure that after you lay the tape, you run your thumbnail over the edges to make sure that it is really stuck down. This will help prevent the frost from creeping under the tape.

As with any spray or, for that matter, any paint, you want to make sure that you work in a well-ventilated area. When using spray, I also like to use a particle mask. If you have any respiratory problems, you may want to consider wearing a respirator. I also protect the area I'm working on from overspray by laying down a paint tarp.

Next, shake the can to make sure the spray is mixed thoroughly. When you hear the little ball in the can rattling around, shake it about one more minute. You also want to shake often while you are working.

Now, start spraying. The secret to any spray-painting job is to coat the area with light, even coats. The thicker you spray, the more drips and the messier the job.

Instead of one thick coat, give the surface several light coats. Make sure to hold the can about 12 inches from the surface and spray in a steady back and forth motion, overlapping the spray as you go.

It will take about five to 10 minutes for the frost effect to start showing. In the meantime, you can clear the spray valve by holding the can upside down and pushing the spray button for about 5 seconds. This prevents the tip from getting clogged, and it will be ready the next time you spray.

After the frost has dried, remove the paper and the tape. If you do have a little overspray, you can clean it up by using a razor blade.

If for some reason the effect doesn't turn out as you had planned or, after having the stencil in your home for the holidays, you decide you want to remove it, you can clean the surface easily with a little window cleaner.

If you are really brave and want to keep the design a lot longer, there are clear acrylic sealers that can be applied over the top of the frosting to keep it in place and unharmed.

If you then decide to remove the design once it has been sealed, you will have to scrape it clean with a safety edge razor blade.

This is a fun and easy project that can be added for a particular season of the year or for parties and holidays - or if you want to take a plain mirror surface and give it a little panache. So grab a little Jack Frost in a can and get spraying.

(Shari Hiller writes this column with Matt Fox. They also co-host the Home & Garden Television show Room by Room. Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service.)