Artist Renee Sparks shows Cindy Piccoli, host of HGTV's Decorating With Style , tips for grouping mirrors in uncommon ways to add design interest., using trim molding to create a windowpane frame and adding southwestern motifs to each square. She painted western brands on imitation suede for the side squares of the frame and filled the corner squares with color copies of western scenes. Materials:
Mirror
3/4" stock molding to build frame
Wood glue
Hammer and nails
Paint or stain and necessary tools for application
Design patterns--branding-iron motifs and western scenes
Tracing paper
Heat-transfer ink pen
Imitation suede
Canvas board
Utility knife
Iron
HeatnBondB. iron-on adhesive
Acrylic craft paint in black
Artist's detail brush
Pencil
Scissors
Gloss medium
Flat paintbrush about 1/2" wide
- Create a frame to fit your mirror, using 3/4" molding assembled with nails and glue. Build an inside and an outside frame, and connect the two with short strips of molding to give the frame a windowpane effect (figure A). Paint or stain the frame as desired and let dry.
- Use a utility knife to cut squares of canvas board to fit the openings of the frame.
- Cut pieces of imitation suede large enough to cover and fold to the back of each canvas square.
- Select motifs for the frame; if necessary, have them photocopied and enlarged at a copy center. Renee found the branding-iron patterns for her frame in a library book.
- Trace the motifs on tracing paper, then flip the traced image over, and trace over the pattern with a heat-transfer ink pen (figure B).
- Center a traced pattern right side up on each piece of imitation suede, and transfer the design by pressing with a hot iron.
- After transferring the designs, use an iron to apply HeatnBond to the back of each square of suede.
- Remove the paper backing from the HeatnBond, center each piece of suede on a square of canvas board, and iron it on. Fold the fabric around to the back of the canvas square, and bond it to the back (figure C).
- Paint over each design with black acrylic paint, applying pressure to press the paint into the fibers (figure D). Let the paint dry for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Tip: When using acrylic paints, keep the brush wet until you're ready to clean it. Acrylic paint washes out easily unless it has been allowed to dry.
- Make color photocopies for the corners of the frame, enlarging or reducing as necessary. Place a picture under each corner, trace the outline of the frame with a pencil, and cut out each picture along the outline.
- Brush a coat of gloss medium onto the back of each picture, and press it onto its corresponding piece of canvas board. Smooth out any bubbles, then apply another layer of gloss medium to the top, brushing back and forth to simulate the brushstrokes of a painting. Let dry.
- Complete the frame by popping each piece of embellished canvas board in place.
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