It is no secret that I am a huge Edgar Allan Poe fan. There is just something about the words he wrote that I find so hauntingly beautiful. Every time I have a chance to use a quote in one of my projects, I always seem to turn to him. While Annabel Lee tends to be my obvious go to (with both the Serving Tray as well as the Framed Chalkboard Art), I am excited to have a chance to change it up a bit and use another well known poem to create some Edgar Allan Poe Wall Art, and transform a thrifted find into The Raven Nevermore Mirror.
Yes, I found this mirror at a thrift store. I know… some of you may be aware that these Federal mirrors are actually worth quite a bit. I was very surprised to find it! As much as I like to upcycle my finds, I typically try to steer clear from pieces who’s value can be severely compromised by my craftiness. This was an exception. Sorry (not sorry!) to anyone out there who is a fan of original federal mirrors….. this one is about to be gothed up!
I am certainly not suggesting that you go out and spend hundreds of dollars on a federal mirror just to recreate this project, and I know the likelihood of finding another one in a thrift store is slim, but since picking this one up, I actually have come across a few others at some antique markets for pretty reasonable prices. It seems to me that there are so many out there… maybe you even have one, and just never knew what to do with it. Maybe dad or grandpa will pass one down to you. However you may come upon it, now you have a reason to keep it!
The truth is…. a Federal Mirror in it’s original state is simply just not my style, but there was a ton of potential. I’ve seen people in the past paint these mirrors black, and of course I instantly liked them better. The more I pondered how I would finalize the project, I noticed that even though the bird that tops these mirrors is always an Eagle, my particular Eagle resembled a Raven when painted all black. I said “resembled”. While I know that it is not an obvious Raven sitting atop the mirror, there is something to the power of suggestion…. so I set out to find a quote from the poem The Raven to ensure I got my point across. Covering the mirror with the quote was a no brainer…. the mirror is convex, and it feels like you’re looking in a funhouse mirror, so you’re really not losing anything by covering it up… it’s not like it was ever functional to begin with! Besides, now it’s a cool piece of art paying homage to the great Poe!
As for the quote I chose… While The Raven is certainly one of Poe’s more well known poems, I intentionally chose a lesser of the popular verses. It would have just been too easy to slap a huge Nevermore across the mirror, and get my point across, but that is sort of done to death. I wanted to chose something that would make someone walk by and want to stop to read it. That poem is so amazingly fascinating that any verse would work!
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Here’s what you’ll need to recreate this project:
- Federal Mirror
- Black Paint
- Silver Leaf Rub n Buff
- Cricut Machine
(I used the original Cricut Explore, but there are new & improved versions out since I purchased mine years ago)
- Cricut Tools
and 12×12 Cutting Mat
or 12×24 Cutting Mat
- Black Craft Vinyl
- Transfer Tape
(I used the original Cricut Explore, but there are new & improved versions out since I purchased mine years ago)
and 
or 
1. Remove the mirror from the frame
2. Clean, Sand, or Prime the mirror frame as needed.
3. Paint the frame (I used a flat black paint)
4. Once the paint is dry, Apply the Rub n Buff. To do this, add a SMALL amount to your finger or a cloth, and gently rub the wax across the raised edges of the carved design. A little goes a long way, so be careful with the application
5. Now on to the mirror… Choose the quote you want to use, and type the text into Cricut Design Space. Choose your font carefully. While I am forever impressed with the Cricut’s skill at cutting vinyl…. the blade will make mistakes if your font is too small, too thin, or too detailed. I highly recommend selecting Bold under the Text Style attributes.
6. Center the alignment and resize the font to fit in the diameter of the mirror. To be sure mine would fit, I used a the Circle Shape Tool to draw a circle the exact dimension of my mirror, and adjusted the font inside the circle shape. You can hide or delete the circle when it’s time to cut.
7. Ensure your text is set to cut.
8. Send your image to cut. Design Space will walk you thru each step as soon as you click Go.
9. Separate the cut image from the vinyl.
10. Use Transfer Tape to adhere the image to the mirror. There are easy to follow instructions that come with the transfer tape for attaching the vinyl to it.
11. A word of warning… the transfer tape works well, and does not tend to offer second chances so take your time to apply carefully. Working on a curved surface can be a little tricky. If you chose a long quote like me…. Here’s a tip: before pealing the transfer tape away from the vinyl backing, trim fairly close to the letters, and then cut 2″ or so in towards the center from each side, between each line of the quote. Do not cut all the way through! Yes, the transfer tape may be a bit difficult to manage with all of the cuts, but it is WAY easier to work with one piece instead of trying to apply each line of the quote individually!
12. VERY CAREFULLY secure the center of the quote to the center of the mirror. Then start pressing down the entire vertical center line of the quote (all the while not allowing the ends of each quote line to touch – I know – you need five hands for this!). Once the center is secure, starting with the center most line of your quote, start smoothing your vinyl onto the mirror. Work your way out from the center. The transfer tape may overlap a bit as the vinyl adheres to the curved surface.
13. Use the Burnishing tool to ensure the vinyl is secured to the mirror, and remove the transfer tape.
14. Reattach the mirror to the frame.
Now your piece of art is ready to hang!
Very beautiful!
Thank you Candace!!