February 4, 2015

DIY Mirror

Happy Wednesday everyone! Today I'm going to be sharing how I turned a backless frame that I used at our wedding for the seating chart into a mirror for my office. I did this little project over two months ago but we didn't get around to hanging it until yesterday.  It's safe to say Paul and I are huge procrastinators when it comes to hanging things on the walls! I'm excited to share this project though because stores like Hobby Lobby sell many beautiful open frames but they can be hard to utilize because they have no backing and I have a solution to fix that! Although I created a mirror with this open frame,  this little tutorial is more about how to create a backing for backless frames in general so you could easily use these steps to create a backing for some artwork as well! 

Like I already mentioned, the frame that I used for the mirror was bought for the seating chart that I made for our wedding as seen in the picture below. (Side comment: I can't believe we have already been married 7 months!!). The frame I used was from Hobby Lobby and I got it for 50% off. I then created and printed the sign on foam board and then just taped the sign to the back of the frame. Using tape was a horrible choice though, because when the rain and wind started rolling in at my outdoor tent reception the foam board flew out of the frame and hit my mother-in-law. Luckily she was okay! 


 Here is the frame without the foam board in it.  At Hobby Lobby it says that the shade is silver vintage, but it has a more gold look to it. The other supplies I used to make the mirror included:
-A standard  24 x 30 inch. mirror from Home Depot
- Foam Board (I used the seating chart since it was already the right size but you can find foam board at stores like Hobby Lobby)
- Brad Nails
-Nail Set Tool 
- Hammer
- D ring hanger
- Hanging wire

The first thing that I did was put the mirror in the frame, with the mirrored side facing down. I then put the foam board behind it. I didn't include an image of it because I think it's pretty self explanatory. To secure the back, I used brad nails and hammered them into the side of the frame.  I left about 5 inches between each brad nail.  

The way that I hammered the brad nails into the frame is buy using a nail set tool. I tried using just a hammer but it created too many divots into the foam board because the foam board isn't very solid.  I only hammered the brad nail about half way into the frame so that there would be plenty of brad nail still exposed to secure the mirror and foam board.


Here is a closer image of what the brad nail looks like.  The foam board and frame do not sit flush so hammer the brad nail just above the foam board so that the foam board is tightly secured and can't move.

Here is what the back looks like with all of the brad nails secured into the frame. I could of probably used a few less brad nails, but I didn't want to risk anything falling out and hitting someone again:) After the back was secured we then attached the D ring hanger using a drill and nail (we put the hangers 1/3 down from the top). We then secured the hanging wire around the hangers. 

 I also added these little pads at the bottom of the frame to keep the frame from scratching the walls.

And voila, here is the mirror after it's hung. I love how I was able to incorporate something from our wedding into my home office. 
Also, speaking of Hobby Lobby, they sell some of the most realistic looking faux flowers I've seen and I would definitely check out their selection if you've been on the hunt for some! 



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7 comments :

  1. Perfect!!! I love making something I already own into something new and more useful! Great tutorial and so smart to use nails to secure it!

    Also - I recently have been joking that hanging things on the wall may lead to divorce...but I only half joke because it's THE WORST!! haha so I understand procrastinating!

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  2. Megan! it's Lindsay (frills_and_drills) and I'm over here stalking this post because I've had this exact HobLob frame for over a year and love it! You know my broken mirror chest I recently bought...well I got it all fixed and now I'm trying to figure out how to style above it! I'm trying REALLY hard to use stuff I already have just to keep my already bad spending habits under control. It's currently empty and I'm debating between hanging something else inside of it, or doing what you did and putting the mirror inside it. Thing is - I already have a large rectangular mirror in a gold-ish frame pretty close by so I'm worried about it being too many mirrors. But I know we all love mirrors as opposed to art so maybe it will be ok? This tutorial looks pretty easy and since I already have the frame, inexpensive as well! Hmmm.... :)

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    Replies
    1. Hey girl! First off, im so glad you spent the extra money to get that chest fixed! Definitely a worthwhile investment. Second off, I think it's absolutely fine to have similar mirrors by each other. I think a mirror above the chest would be beautiful and would be a great way to use what you already own! To make them appear different, just place different things in front of them (lamps, vases decorative accents, etc.) so that the reflections are different.

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  3. PS - where did you get the blue vase? Blue is obviously the color throughout my home and I'm loving this one!

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    Replies
    1. I got this from homegoods! I see similar ones like this there a lot! Hope this helps:)

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  4. They made it appearance so clean via their skills and experience! mirror repair boca raton

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