Our house came with builder grade mirrors in all our bathrooms. While we love our house, those mirrors just downgraded the entire feel of our bathrooms. Well 6 years after buying our house, I decided enough was enough, that I was going to try to add a little style into our bathroom. Well my initial attempt was to add some nice light grey paint and while it helped, it still didn’t feel right. Can you blame me? Look at how boring that mirror is!
Well, that’s how this mirror project was born. This simple project transformed our space into something with our style and character. The mirrors being framed in dark stained wood, then given heavy metal corner brackets was definitely the facelift the room needed. The best part? This project can be completed over a weekend with minimal supplies. Check out how to complete this project below:
Materials
- 36″ x 24″ Plain Mirror (avoid beveled edges)
- 1″ x 7″ x 4′ Alder Board (you can substitute cherry, birch, or maple)
- Rags
- Wood Glue
- Painter’s Tape
- Rust-Oleum Spray Lacquer
- Minwax Coffee Gel Stain
- Super 77 Spray Adhesive
- Kraft Paper (30″ or wider)
- Dust Cover Trimmer or Utility knife
- 1/2″ Self Stick Bumper
- (2) Heavy Duty Large D-Ring Picture Hangers
- 1″ Finishing Nails
- 1 1/2″ 18g Brad Nails
- Toothpicks or Small Brush
- 120 Grit Sand Paper
- Tack Cloth
- Black L Shape Joint Plate Bracket Kit
- Wood Filler
- Shims
Tools:
- Router
- Table Saw
- 1/2″ Rabbet Router Bit
- Miter Saw
- Nail Gun
- Sander
- Drill
- Drill Bits
- Hex Wrench
- Measuring Tape
- Applicable Safety Equipment
Let’s Get Building!
The first step to building this amazing frame is to cut the alder into the following pieces:
- (2) 2″ x 2′ 3 1/8″ (inner frame)
- (2) 2″ x 3′ 3 1/8″ (inner frame)
- (2) 1 1/4″ x 3′ 3 1/8″ (outer frame)
- (2) 1 1/4″ x 2′ 4 5/8″ (outer frame)
For now, we are just going to focus on the inner frame, so set aside those outer frame pieces. With the inner frame pieces, you want to cut a rabbet that is 1/2″ x 1/2″ into the edge the wood. This is where the mirror is going to sit in the frame, making it secure. I like to use my router with a 1/2″ router bit to do this since it can be done in a short amount of time, but it can also be done on a table saw.
Once the rabbet is cut, you want to make sure to cut a 45° into each corner with a miter saw, with the rabbet facing inside. This is very important to pay attention to this because if you cut the angle wrong, you will have to start a new piece of wood (see picture below).
Once the wood is cut, check the frame by piecing it together. This will help ensure that the cuts were in fact 45° and that the mirror will fit inside the frame. You want to make sure there is about 1/8″ space between the frame and the mirror.
Now it’s time to glue the frame together. Normally I use a corner clamp for my frames, but I don’t have one that is big enough for this project. So instead, I used painter’s tape on the corners to keep it secure. Simply lay frame on a piece of painter’s tape, add glue, then secure corners with tape that goes across each corner (both front and back). Repeat this process for all the corners and let dry.
Once the corners are dry, it’s time to grab those pieces of the outer frame. What you want to do is line up the outer frame so the 3/4″ side is facing up, lining the frame. This will give you a nice frame profile without being too bulky. Secure with wood glue and 1 1/2″ 18g brad nails.
Wipe any excess glue and let dry.
Once the glue has dried, fill nail holes with wood filler. I like using the Elmer’s color changing wood filler because you know exactly when you can start sanding it down. When your filler is dry, sand down whole frame with 120 grit sand paper, making sure to get all wood filler and excess glue.
Once that’s done, wipe down with a tack cloth to clean any loose saw dust and stain. I used Minwax Coffee Gel Stain then finished the frame with Rust-Oleum Spray Lacquer. When staining make sure to stain the inside of the rabbet since you will be able to see the reflection in the mirror. Be careful if you are making more than one mirror to stain them at the same time. I made the mistake of building two mirrors and staining them on separate days, then when I lined them up to hang them you could very noticeably see a color difference. Let me tell you, it is a pain to try to fix it once you have already installed the mirror.
Now it’s time to add the brackets. For this I lined up the brackets in the corners. Once they were lined up, I marked the holes. Using a drill bit, I drilled just enough at each marking so that the screws would fit securely in the frame but be careful not to drill all the way through. Once all the holes were drilled for the bracket, I used a toothpick to neatly get glue in each hole, then put the bracket in place and secured the screws. Let this dry for a few hours before moving on to the next step.
Once you have the brackets installed, it’s time to secure the mirror to the frame. For this make sure to clean your mirror well before placing in the frame. For securing the frame, I like using 1″ finishing nails. I use a shim and mark a 1/2″ line so I know when to stop hammering. This is the easiest and quickest way I’ve found to keep the mirror secure without risking damaging the mirror while hammering the nails in. I start at the corners, putting nails about 1″ away from the corner, then place them 4″ apart all the way around.
All done! Just make sure you lightly tap the nail towards the mirror while the shim is still in place so you don’t have nails sticking out.
The next step is to add a dust jacket to the back of the frame. Now this step is completely optional but I like it because it makes the piece look finished. I use 3M Super 77 Spray Adhesive and I love it. Just lightly spray the back of the frame and lay a piece of Kraft paper over the top, smoothing it out as you go. I use a ruler to make sure there are no air bubbles in the paper and that all parts of the paper are secure, but remember you have to move quick because the spray adhesive dries pretty quickly. Wait 5-10 minutes then trip the excess paper off with either a dust cover trimmer or utility knife.
Add 2 D-Ring Hangers to the back of the piece, making sure they are equally spaced. This is worth double or triple checking before securing because if they are uneven you will see it when you hang it on the wall. I would also recommend adding 2 small 13mm self stick bumpers to the bottom corners of the piece so it sits flush to the wall.
That’s it! You now have an amazing mirror you made yourself that you get to enjoy for years to come.
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| Disclaimer: Please make sure with all your projects that you have read your equipment’s safety manual and are following the recommended safety precautions. We are not responsible for the results of your DIY projects as results can vary based on your skill level, quality of materials, and age of your equipment. |
