Making your own mirror frames are easy and very inexpensive. I love wide-framed mirrors and I wanted some that would match the grey nightstands I made for our bedroom.
Here's what they ended up looking like:
I used the mirrors I made and put them with 3 other mirrors I found at thrift stores to make a collage on my bedroom wall (it's been neglected since we moved in)!
I got the big oval one for $10, the plain rectangle for $2.50 and the rustic white metal one for $10 (all at different thrift shops). The ones I made ended up costing about $5 each (pretty good, right!?).
MIRROR FRAME BUILDING PLAN
Dimensions: mine are 18" square but you can do yours any size! See * for more information about different size.
Materials and Tools Shopping List:
1 - 1"x4"x8' pine board (you may need more depending on what size you want yours to be)
1/4" or 5mm utility plywood (you just need small scraps)
3/4" wire nails
8 - 1" pocket hole screws
2 d-hooks with screws + picture hanging wire
Mirror
Glass cutter & straight edge (if you need to cut your mirror)
Drill bits
Sand paper
Wood stain or paint
Foam brush
Tools:
Kreg Jig
Wood Clamps
Measuring Tape
Pencil
Safety Glasses
Hammer
Drill
Table or Miter Saw
Cut List:
2 - 1x4 @ 11"
2 - 1x4 @ 18"
4 triangles from utility plywood with at least 4-inch sides and a 90-degree corner
*If you're doing a different size frame, your 2 smaller sides should be cut 1" smaller than your mirror. For your 2 longer sides, add 6" to your mirror size (your board width x2 minus 1"). Also, if your mirror frame/mirror is going to be really heavy you'll want heavy-duty d-rings and wire and add more than just your corners on the back holding your mirror.
I bought a $5 mirror from Wal-Mart, peeled off the paper on the back, pulled off the frame and cut out all the glue holding it in. It was A LOT of work! If you can, try and find a cheap mirror at a thrift store either the size you want or something that doesn't have a bunch of glue you have to take off.
I used my glass cutter tool and a ruler to score the glass and break it along the score line. I've broken so many mirrors (in the wrong place) doing this! It takes practice!! Check out YouTube videos on how to do it, it helps! TIPS: cut ONE clean line from end to end, tap under glass on score mark (with ball end) and place score mark right over edge of a table and SNAP - break the end off.
Make 2 pocket holes in both ends of your 2 short boards. At this point I like to sand my boards, especially the ends and corners. If you wait to sand once your frame is all screwed together you have a sharp-rough edge on the ends of your short boards where they screw on - make sense?
Clamp your corners together and use your pocket hole screws to screw the sides together.
Stain or paint your wood frame and those little triangle corners.
Now you have your frame, corners and mirror... time to put it all together!
Center your mirror on the back side of your frame and lay your corners over the mirror. Have your corners extending past your frame edge about 3/4-inch. Nail each of your corners on with just 1 nail in the very corner to begin with, then nail each of them with a 2nd nail (see picture) and then finish off with the last nail.
Drill 2 holes for your d-ring screws... 3" from the top edge and 1" from each side.
I used a washer underneath my d-ring to act as a spacer (my screws were a little long and I was afraid they'd come out the other side).
Cut a piece of wire so you have at least 4" tails on each end to go through d-rings and wrap around itself to hold. If your mirror is really heavy make sure you have heavy-duty d-rings and wire and you'll want a longer overhang on your wire to wrap around more.
DONE!
Labels: decoration, DIY, tutorial, woodworking
