textured canvas mirror art tutorial {birthday bash guest post}

We're super excited to have Selina from Creative Juices Decor back with another very creative tutorial! Remember her canvas map wall art a few months back? I wish I had the creative vision she has! Thanks for helping us celebrate our 3rd birthday, Selina!

Hello Little Birdie Secret Readers!  I come to you from CreativeJuicesDecor as one of those crazy bloggers who buy odd things from the thrift store (while I continually have my husband  shake his head at me) and turn them into something fun and exciting.  Below is my latest adventure, hope you enjoy and your creative juices are stirred!

I found this old 60's picture for $20.00 at the thrift store - it was HUGE and I knew I could do something with him if I stared at it long enough ;-)

On  a separate thrift store adventure I found this LONG seashell hanging piece.  It was all ratted and tangled so i cut off half the shells and just kept the top (what you see below.)  I had a TON of shells leftover so what better to try the extras on my huge canvas!!!

At first I just started laying them out on the canvas…..

I was worried that I wouldn’t have enough seashells to cover the entire canvas (but alas, I had PLENTY) so I put a frame in the center that I picked up for $1.00.


I liked the look but could NOT figure out what I wanted to do in the middle. I thought about a monogram, maybe a moss covered letter? I also thought I could paint something just in that spot….



I couldn’t think what to do until I took the picture above and I thought huh, what about a mirror! I LOVED all the texture that was going on so I thought, what if I did a MOSAIC mirror (that and the fact that I was never going to find a mirror in the size of 13”x16!!!!).

Now that I had seashells and a glass mosaic I wanted the frame to go from a traditional brown wood to something more pearlescent or soft. I found the spray paint color by Krylon called Carmel Latte (the name sold me ) and loved it’s soft, slightly shiny latte color. I also added some distressing by sanding the edge and adding some brown paint in spots. Really I just fooled around with the trim until I got the look I wanted.

And the BIG REVEAL is…….

BEFORE: (sorry Mr. Kinkade, you just weren’t doing it for me anymore)

AFTER! Ah, looooove.



Another angle:

What do you think?? Doing this piece was an adventure, I had no idea if it would turn out BIZARRE or great?


Cost Breakdown:

$20.00 canvas/frame piece

$1.00 smaller frame

$18.00 1” mirror tiles (I needed 208!!!!)

$3.50 paint

Free – leftover seashells

TOTAL – $42..50


Not too bad for a VERY large piece of art. It was a fun (but tedious) project! 

I'd LOVE it if you readers would stop by and say hi!  I have a few fun pottery barn knockoffs and before and after home pictures I know will get your creative juices flowing!


Thank you LittleBirtieSecret for hosting me!