How To Make Gold Mercury Glass Wine Bottles

Create gold mercury glass by spraying the inside of a clear wine bottle or other clear glass container with a 50/50 mixture of water and vinegar, then apply coats of deep gold, Mirror Glass, and bright metallic gold spray paints in that order.

This is a great way to recycle wine bottles and other glass containers into personalized home decor. I have a video tutorial for you too!

Today is Trashy Treasures Tuesday, and I know you love this series as much as I do. The tour links are at the end of my tutorial. 

How To Make Gold Mercury Glass

Supplies

Clear glass wine bottle, vase, jar, or ornaments
Two gold spray paint colors, deep gold and bright metallic gold
Krylon Looking Glass Spray Paint
White vinegar and water (50/50 mix in a spray bottle)
Paper towels or rags

Project piece

Select a clear glass container. You probably have a few glass food jars you saved from the garbage bin, or maybe an inexpensive vase that could use a makeover. If not, the thrift stores are full of cheap glass pieces.

I chose a wine bottle for this project since I just happened to have a couple of empties on hand. 

Mix Your Vinegar Solution

Fill a spray bottle with a 50/50 mixture of vinegar and water.

I’ve seen mercury glass tutorials that use just plain water or 100% vinegar for this process, but I stick to my 50/50.

Prep the Glass

Thoroughly clean and dry the glass surface. Keep paper towels on hand to wipe down the glass or remove spray paint that may drip onto the outside.

You only want the spray paint on the inside of your project.

Mist your Project

Lightly spray the inside of the glass container with the 50/50 water-vinegar solution. It is important not to overdo the mist.

Apply First Gold Paint Color

Spray a light coat of paint into your container. I have to admit I sprayed too much vinegar/water into the bottle the first time. If the container has too much liquid, the metallic paint will not adhere to the inside. I just poured out the excess and resprayed my bottle with the gold paint.

Swirl

Turn the container to swirl the paint until it completely covers the inside of the glass. Roll it on its side, then turn it upside down and right side up, and repeat.

Wait

Let it sit for 20-30 seconds before spraying with more paint.

Spray with Mirror Paint

Spray a layer of Looking Glass paint inside, over the gold. This looking glass paint is the best silver paint I’ve found for making mercury glass. (metallic spray paints on Amazon) If the inside of the container seems too dry, then mist lightly again with the water-vinegar mixture.

 

Repeat Swirl

Turn the container to swirl the paint until it completely covers the inside of the glass. If the paint layer looks too light, then spray another coat of the silver paint or whatever color you are using in that step.

I had to respray several times for this project. The small opening of the wine bottle caused a few issues with getting the spray paint into the bottle.

Apply Bright Metallic Gold Paint

Spray a light coat of the third paint color into the glass container and swirl again. You can use any color or combination of colors to make mercury glass, but be sure to use metallic paint.

Keep spraying with your spray paints until you like the look. As I mentioned earlier, you may need to re-mist the container if the liquid inside begins to dry out. 

A mercury glass project is not cut-and-dried. You have to use your judgment when applying the paint and misting the container. 

For an earlier project, I created mercury glass with silver, gold, and bronze paint…..heavy on the silver….that was just gorgeous.

Find the popular mercury glass project here… DIY Multi-Colored Mercury Glass With Silver, Gold, And Bronze Spray Paints

 

The Jeannette marigold carnival glass poodle powder jar/trinket box is a piece my mom owned. I’m not sure if it was passed down from my grandmother or if Mom bought it. My grandparents were antique dealers, and a lot of the older things I have were passed down to me. 

I spray-painted the glass container on the left and the wicker-framed mirror in metallic copper. If you look closely, you can see a crack in the mirror.

I removed the glass to spray-paint the frame, then screwed the mirror back onto it. I didn’t notice the crack until taking these photos. I guess I overtightened the screws and cracked the mirror. Duh.

Well, what do you think of the gold mercury glass? Gold decor has made a comeback! Leave a note if you have a little extra time before heading out on the tour. I always love hearing from you.

 

As always, thanks for being here, Kathy