Have you been intrigued by federal mirrors like I have recently? They are classic round mirrors that originally date back to the regency period – but I wanted a way to make a knock off version for my home decor!

I spotted quite a few beautiful federal mirrors when I was at the Brimfield Antique show with the gals from my Bespoke Design Retreat.

They inspired me in a similar way as when I saw this beautiful patriotic bunting – it made me want to have one of my own!

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Names & History of the Federal Mirror

I researched them a bit, and found that they have a lot of different names! Here are all of the variations of names I saw them referred to as:

Federal Mirrors | Port Hole Mirrors | American Eagle Mirrors | Giltwood Convex Mirrors | Bullseye Mirrors | Regency Style Mirror | Girandole Mirror

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Their names have great variety, but the history seems to remain that they were first popular among the regency period, and then had a resurgence in the 1950s during Mid-Century-Modern Design Style.

True antiques range in price from $1,400-$2,000 and up. They are made with wood and often have gold or brass plating. The vintage 1950’s versions can be found on Etsy for around the $100 range, and are usually made with plastic.

I wanted to create one for even less than the MCM reproductions.

Creating your Own Knock Off Federal Mirror

Gather Your Supplies

• A Small-Medium Round Mirror – This would be great to thrift, or you could get one off Amazon, like I did.
• Decorative Eagle – I found a cast iron towel ring that was easy to disassemble.
• Fillagree or Applique for additional detailing (You can find these on Etsy & Amazon)
• JB Weld Epoxy
• Gilding Size
• Gilding Sheets

The Process…

I chose to gild my eagle and fillagree to turn them gold to match the mirror.

The other way I would suggest changing the color on pieces like these would be to spray paint them. My favorite gold spray paint is Champagne Gold by Rust Oleum.

I have a more robust tutorial about using gold leaf /gilding HERE, but the general idea is that you apply a thin even coat of the gilding size (glue) on your piece, and then carefully lay down the gold gilding sheets (they’re very thin and delicate) and use a dry brush to gently push it down onto your object – especially into the nooks and crannies to retain all of the details of your item.

I repeated that process with both the eagle and the applique.

You may notice that the frame and the gilded pieces are not the same color…yet! The gilded golden items will age and darken over time, so I am going to leave them to let that process happen naturally.

Then it came time to attach them to the mirror. For the eagle on top, I used a two-part epoxy from JB Weld. I like that this version with the dual syringes allows you to create portions just the exact size for the specific project you are working on, without fear of mixing and wasting too much of the epoxy.

For the floral applique, I chose a less permanent option for the time being – command strips.

I have a feeling that I might want to move or change out this applique, or add additional applique pieces in the future; so I did not want an overly secure hold between this specific piece and the frame.

And viola – I now have a beautiful federal mirror to use in my home decor! I am especially excited to have it out during this summer as we celebrate America’s 250th Birthday!

If you would like some additional DIY projects for your 4th of July decor – I have a FREE Patriotic Printable Packet that you can get below:

Related Posts

• Get your FREE Printable Patriotic Packet for 4th of July Holiday Decor
• How to Decorate for America’s 250th Birthday
• DIY Patriotic Bunting – Save $200 on this Dupe!
• Shopping the Brimfield Antique Show

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