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Instructions
 Step 1 – The Stencil
Before we can get started, you should decide which motive you want to do for your decorative element. In my case, I’ve decided to go with the Door of Moria. So, I choose a stencil from the internet. Thankfully, I’ve got a friend with a plotter, she could precut the stencil for me. Otherwise you must do it yourself: Print your motive, transfer onto the stencil paper by using a blueprint and then carefully cut it out with help of a scalpel.
Attention! The more detailed or smaller your motive is, the cut outs will be more difficult! I’ve chosen a mirror in size A3, so it was a bigger version of the door, but it was still super detailed. Before you can transfer your stencil to get the outlines of your motive, you firstly must peel off the cut out pieces. Therefore, you should use a sharp pair of tweezers to get them off precisely. When you’ve finished the outlines of your stencil, you’re ready for step two..
 Step 2 – Stencil onto the Mirror
For our next step, take the transfer ribbon and place it on the top of the stencil. Before you carefully peel off the paper on the back from the stencil, make sure the whole stencil sticks to the transfer ribbon.
Now the stencil is ready to be transferred, so now make sure your mirror (or glass, it is up to you to decide) is clean and dry. Then you can carefully position and transfer your stencil to the underground. Since we want the motive to be in the middle of our mirror, take your time before you place it on your mirror. Try to avoid folds and little bubbles, otherwise the etching paste will float under it and ruin your motive. Press the transfer ribbon and the stencil once again onto the mirror, then you can start to remove the ribbon. Be careful not to rip or peel off the stencil, especially the detailed pieces.
Step 3 – Etching or Colouring
  This step now depends on you or what you like. I decided to work with etching paste, to bring my motive onto the mirror. That works on glass, too and makes wonderful effects, but if you want to, you of course can use colour. Acrylic paint is a very multifunktional material and would work there as well.
For the etching paste you should use an older bristle brush, which cannot be ruined. Generously apply the paste onto the motive and try to avoid skin contact with the paste.When you’re done, wait 30 minutes. When the time is up, rinse the mirror or glass until every rest of the paste is washed away. Then you can peel off the stencil.
If you want to use paint, use a softer brush and try not to water your colour too much, otherwise it will run elsewhere. Try to be as accurate as you can and apply the colour evenly. You can let it dry for some minutes, but you should start to peel off your stencil before it’s totally dry because otherwise the dry colour on the stencil will rip the colour from your motive.
 Step 4 – Enlighten and frame your Mirror
This step is additionally of course, if you want to, you just can frame your motive and hang it up in the room you like or put it onto a small scaffold to present it, just like I did it myself and something similar you see here as an example.
To become an enlightened Door of Moria, you need some light strips or any kind of electric light. Those you can either apply on the back of your mirror and put it on a scaffold, place it at a wall or use a wooden piece, which has a groove, wide and deep enough for your masterpiece. You can also put it inside of a 3D-Frame. If you use glass, you can use the glass as the front glass of the frame or in case of a mirror as background in your frame, both get enlightened. Don’t forget to connect the strips! No connection, no light. And when you’re finished, you’ve got your very own Door of Moria! Say friend and enter!
Possible Variations
Of course, you are able to do variations in size or material anytime. Feel free to be as creative as you can! For example you can also rebuild the silhouette on glass and light it, so you become the real Door of Moria, but something like this I'll show you another time!
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Advanced
1 hour
15 €