This DIY Skeleton Mirror is a fun and spooky homemade Halloween decoration idea to add to your everyday space. Save this to Pinterest so it is easy to find when you want to make it!
Each year I decide if I am going to go more fall and autumn like with fall decor or if I am going to go spooky. This year it was spooky. I love homemade Halloween decoration ideas that are unique, but also pieces that will last and look high end too. I have been wanting to make this DIY Skeleton Mirror for awhile now and I’m so thrilled I was finally able to do it. It will certainly be part of our Halloween decor for years to come.
Supplies for the DIY Skeleton Mirror
Let’s start with he supplies you will need for making the DIY Skeleton Mirror for your homemade Halloween decoration. I’ll talk a little bit about each of the after listing them. Most of these items can be found on my Amazon project list {HERE} or local craft stores.
- A mirror – whatever size you need to fit the skeleton parts
- Skeleton head and face
- Gloves
- Orange stripper
- Plastic scrappers
- Rags/Paper towels/Glass cleaner (Not on the Amazon list.)
- Spray bottle (I used a glass one.)
- Bleach (This is not included on my Amazon list.)
- Sponges for crafting
- Spray paint – Metallic gold, metallic bronze and (optional) black
- Black foam brush for the stripper
- Paint brushes (I used wax brushes.)
- Craftsmart Antique Wax in Cire Antique (There is another brand on the Amazon list. This exact brand is at Michael’s.)
- Deco Art Americana Decor Texture paint in Rose Gold
- Screw driver (possibly)
- Hack saw (or some kind of saw. Not on the Amazon list.)
- Cardboard
- 600 glue
Finding a mirror
The first thing you need to do for this project is to find a mirror to use for the DIY Skeleton Mirror. I have an issue with going to an antique store and using actual antique items for things like this. I just hate the idea of ruining the craftsmanship behind an object like that for Halloween. So, I knew I was just going to buy a new mirror. You do not have to buy a new mirror. You can use any mirror you want. You can find a thrift store mirror or use an antique mirror if that is really what you want. This is the one I bought {HERE}. Just make sure whatever mirror you decided to use is large enough to fit your skeleton.
Skeleton pieces
Making any homemade Halloween decoration ideas is sometimes about making things work for you. The skeleton pieces, no matter where you buy them will more than likely need to have the arms trimmed and the back of the head cut some os it sits on the mirror correctly. I bought my skeleton head and hands from Joann’s early in the season. However, you can use any Skeleton head and hands you can find that are a light plastic. Go for something that is hollow and not too heavy. This one on Amazon {HERE} looks similar (although the arms are longer) if you want to try ordering one.
Well ventilated area and safe gear
Please make sure when you are doing this you are working in a well ventilated area like a garage with the door open or something like that. That is good advice for all homemade Halloween decoration ideas. They seems to be not the safest projects. Also, please make sure you have paper towels on hand and that you are wearing safety gloves.
Steps to create the DIY Skeleton Mirror
Step 1: Remove the backing
When you find the mirror you want to use for the DIY Skeleton Mirror, remove the back of the mirror. In my case, there was a black boarded that was glued to the back. This part honestly took the longest out all the steps. It must have taken me a half hour to get that thing off. I used a screw driver to dig into the glue around the sides and then used the plastic scrapers to help pull it off. Please be careful doing this part if your backing is also glued on. You do not want to break the mirror while doing this and/or cut yourself.
If you can remove the mirror from the frame, you might want to do that too. I think it would help. In my case, the mirror that I bought was also separately glued into the frame. I left it because I didn’t want to break the mirror trying to get it out.
Step 2: Using the stripper to remove the backing
I love the orange stripper because it is the least smelly out of them all and one of the safer ones. However, please make sure to use your safety gloves for this part. I also think it would be a good idea to use a black foam brush for this that you can throw away when you are done. They are on the list above.
Most mirrors will have a grey kind of paint over the actual mirror itself and this needs to be removed. Brush the stripper onto the back of the mirror thickly. Wait 30 minutes to 1 hour. The stripper will start to kind of bubble and ripple when it is ready. Ideally, put the stripper on thicker than my photo below. Those places where I had globs of it took the backing off the best. I had to do it twice because I didn’t add a thick enough layer.
Step 3: Scraping the grey layer
***Please use your gloves for this part because lord only knows what kind of chemicals are in this grey backing. I think it is a paint layer but who knows. Anytime you are making Homemade Halloween decoration ideas this is good advice.
Use the plastic scrapers to scrap off the stripper and the grey backing material. Using a plastic scraper is important because metal ones tend to scratch the surface of the mirror more. The plastic one will still scratch the surface some, but it is not as prevalent and looks more natural. You might have to add more stripper in spots and repeat Step 2 if you have some areas that are stuck. I had to do this with all the spots that had the glue on them from the backing. Make sure to go around the edges and get as much of it off there as you can too. In the photo above you can see the midway process for scrapping off the backing and the mirror under it. It is not gold, that is just the reflection of the ceiling in my space.
When you think you have most of the grey layer off, wipe down the back of the mirror and clean it with any glass cleaner. Give the mirror a few minutes to dry.
Step 4: Bleaching the mirror
This step is actually going to remove the mirror surface to create the age spots on the DIY Skeleton Mirror. This part moves really fast so be ready for it. I barely had time to turn the camera for the video (up on Sunday) before I needed to get the bleach off the mirror. Please make sure you have your gloves on and the sponges and paper towels right next to you.
Fill up the water bottle with 1 part bleach and 3 parts water. Put the water bottle on mist and begin misting the mirror. Start on the outer edges where you might want to remove more of the mirror and lighten the spray moving towards the center. The bleach will start to immediately eat away at the mirror so I recommend doing a test spot first so you can see how quickly the process will go. You can use a sponge to soak up extra bleach and/or remove it or use paper towels. Do not wipe in a downward motion. Instead, blot to remove the watered down bleach.
If you know there is no leftover bleach on the mirror, you can pick it up, look at it through light and examine the blotches the watered down bleach has created. This will allow you to see if you want to add more in some spots. Just make sure there is not any bleach still sitting on the surface when you do this or you will end up with mirror drips on the DIY Skeleton Mirror. I have 1 that is pretty well hidden.
When you are done and the bleach is removed, clean the back of the mirror again. Below is a photo screen shot from the video I took during this process.
Step 5: Adding dimension with spray paint
The spray paint for the DIY Skeleton Mirror helps to further create the aged effect and using two colors adds dimension to the mirror. I used used the aged copper metallic spray paint and a gold spray paint to create the background for the mirror. I sprayed them in blotches all over the mirror, using more of the aged copper than the gold, until the mirror was covered. When they dried, I gave the back of the mirror a final coat of black spray paint and then let it dry. The left photo below shows just the gold layers of the spray paint, but I did add a black layer. The right photo shows what the front looked like when I was done. (By the way, I love how this turned out so I think I am going to do it again just to have one that looks like this.)
Step 6: Adding a new backing
Because I completely destroyed my backing on the DIY Skeleton Mirror in step 1 (and you might too), I knew I needed to add something back to help hold it in place. Yes, the mirror is glued in but I wanted to make sure it was completely safe, covered and that there was no wiggle room between the back of the mirror surface and the tabs holding the mirror in place. I cut out a piece of cardboard the size of the mirror from leftover boxes and used that as my backing.
Step 7: Painting the frame
Because my mirror was brand new and I knew I wanted it to look old, I knew I needed to paint it in some way. For step 7, I used AmericanaDecor Texture paint in rose gold and a wax brush to create the effect. I honestly wasn’t sure what this was when I bought this and didn’t mean to completely change the whole color of the mirror, but I’m really happy with the outcome. This paint especially allowed me to make the frame of the mirror look a little chunky and raised. I want to say it made mirror look rusted, but that is not completely accurate. It game em the texture of the rust without the color.
Once that was dry, I went in with my Cire Antique Craftsmart Antique Wax was and painted that onto the surface of the frame. Then I immediately began rubbing it off with a paper towel to create the final aged look. The photo below on the left shows what the mirror was looking like as I used the texture paint. The photo below on the right shows what it looked like after the Cire Antique Craftsmart Wax paint was put on.
Also, this is not just a straight finishing wax. This was almost like a wax paint so I recommend buying it from Michael’s or ordering the alternative one I found on Amazon above that looks like the same thing.
Step : Trim and age the skeleton
Before adding the skeleton to my DIY Skeleton Mirror, Kevin used a saw (I think he said hack saw) to remove a portion of the back of the skull for me. I wanted the skull to look like it was emerging from the mirror versus just sitting on tip of it. He took off just a portion and made sure to leave the jaw in place. He also cut the hands for me because they were uneven on the ends. I knew that they would stick better if they were even.
I also thought my skeleton was now too new looking for my DIY Skeleton Mirror. I wanted this to be creepy and I did not want to attach a bright white skeleton to the mirror. It really stood out with the mirror aged. So, I used the same Antique Wax and aged the skeleton. I followed the same process that I did with the mirror frame. I brushed on the wax, heavily. I made sure to get it in all the cracks and crevices of the skeleton head and hands. Then I wiped it off, leaving the smooth spaces more splotchy in color and leaving it in the cracks and crevices. Then I let it dry for about two hours.
Step 9: Adding the skeleton
I placed the skeleton head on the mirror and checked the placement from above. Then, using a crayon marker from the kids’ art supplies, I traced around where the head met the glass. Next, I placed a line of 600 glue inside that line. Due to the roundness from the head, the marker line wasn’t in the complete right spot for the skeleton head to touch the mirror. I knew that. The marker just gave me a nice guideline to use to place the glue in the correct spot. (I hope that makes sense.)
Once the glue was down, I placed the head on top of it. Then I added the hands in places that I thought would make sense below the head. I used random objects to help the hands stand up while the glue was drying and adhering them to the mirror. Give it all at least 24 hours to dry and then you can hang it.
Questions?
When coming up with your own homemade Halloween decoration ideas, I know it can be a process. Please let me know if you have any questions about all of this in the comments below! I will help in whatever way I can.
Looking for more Halloween projects?
If you love a good homemade Halloween decoration ideas, try these posts too!
- Pressed Leaf Candles {HERE}
- DIY Pumpkin Fairy Houses {HERE}
- Samhain Halloween Tablescape {HERE}
- DIY Halloween Witchy Decorations {HERE}
- Harry Potter Potion Bottles {HERE}
- Faux Rusty Vintage Pumpkin {HERE}
- Halloween Buffett Table Ideas {HERE}
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Thank you so much for visiting today, friends! I hope that you love the DIY Snake Wreath. Happy crafting!
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