How to Build a DIY Wood Mirror Frame

Everyone has one.  A plain, basic, full-length mirror that’s doing nothing for  your home decor game.  It’s time to step it up buttercup, and give this mirror a makeover.  In this DIY post, I’ll show you how to build a rustic wooden mirror frame.

Materials Needed

•  Full length leaner mirror (Mine measured 60 x 18 inches) –  Here’s a smaller option from Wal-Mart and a larger option from Wal-Mart as well
• ***Three (3) 6ft x 5.5 in. pieces of common board, pine – this may vary depending on how large your mirror is and how thick you would like your frame to be
• Staple gun
• Hammer
• Liquid Nails
• Miter saw would be best, but we used an orbital saw
• Measuring tape
• Sandpaper
• Wood stain – I used Minwax Wood Finish Penetrating Special Walnut 224
• Foam brush
• Rag
• Polycrylic Finish- I used Minwax Polycrylic Clear Stain Spray

*** Tip: Make sure that when you purchase your boards that they are all the exact same width.  Even though all three were labeled the same size, one was slightly smaller which made it more difficult later on for us.  Also, be sure that all the boards lay flat to the ground and they aren’t warped at all. 

Instructions

1. The mirror I started with featured a thick, plastic frame.  First, I removed the paper backing and then started to pull away the supporting pieces that were held in with staples.  Once that was completed, I used the flip side of the hammer to hook on to the frame and carefully pull the frame off of the mirror.  You must go super slow and be patient!  If you break the mirror during this step, there’s no going back!  It might also be a good idea to wear protective eye wear during this step.  The pieces can pop and fly off. 

2.  Each board will need to be cut at a 45 degree angle to line up at all corners.  Start with one of the boards on the longer sides.  Since we didn’t have a miter saw, we measured the width of the board at 5.5 inches.  Then we measured down the board, and marked it at 5.5 inches.  We then used a straight edge to draw a line through the corner of the board.  We had to think way back to good ol’ geometry class and reference a right triangle.  We knew if sides a and b were the same length, it would ensure that angles A and B would be 45 degrees.

 

3.  Next we cut 45 degree angles on the shorter side to line up with with the longer sides while measuring the width of the mirror.  Then we cut the other shorter side with the exact same measurements.  Finally, cut the bottoms off on the longer sides to match the length of their mirror.

4.  Once you’ve got all the boards cut, before attaching them, I found it easiest to sand the wood in this step.  You’ll want to make sure that you get the tops and all sides to make sure they aren’t any sharp edges poking out.

5.  You’re finally ready to build your wooden mirror frame!  You’ll want a friend to help you during this step.  Add a generous strip of Liquid Nails glue to the edge of each side one at a time.  After you glue the side, immediately use the staple gun on the back side of the frame to pop in about 10 staples.  This can get a little messy, so you will want to wipe off the staple gun will you do this so it doesn’t get clogged up.  Once you’ve finished all sides, you will want to add weight to all four corners (we used paint cans) and let it dry for 24 hours.

6.  The next day you’re ready to stain.  Any color stain will do.  I used Minwax Special Walnut 224 which is a darker stain, because I wanted to pull out the knots in the wood.  I applied using a foam brush, then I let the color sit for about a minute.  Then I wiped off the excess stain using a rag.  After that, you’ll want to let it completely dry before the next step.

7.   To seal the wood, use a polycrylic finish.  Personally, I like Minwax in spray form, because it’s just so simple to use.  The good news is that it also dries fairly quickly.

8.  Once the frame is completely dry, you’ll be ready to attach it to the mirror.  Flip the frame over on the reverse side and using the Liquid Nails, place glue on the outer edge of the wooden frame.  You’ll want to be generous with the glue, yet very careful not to get too close to the edge.  Keep in mind, once you place the mirror down, it could come out the sides, and you’ll want to avoid that. Once you place the mirror on top of the wooden frame, use your weights to place on top once again.  This will hold down the mirror to the frame to make sure it dries securely.  Let dry for 24 hours, and then you’re done!

I’m so excited with the end result of this DIY Rustic Wooden Mirror Frame.  Rather than a plain old mirror, I now feel like our bedroom has a statement piece which totally transforms the look of the entire room.   While this DIY project took a few days to complete, the overall process was pretty simple.

If you have any questions about the process, please ask.  I’d love to see your mirror transformations.

xo,

lauren

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