5 Fun Mirror Makeovers

 

 

Mirrors are one of my favorite d?cor items to play with, mostly because you can refurbish old mirrors to get a whole myriad of effects using light, texture and virtual space. I firmly believe that there is no space that couldn?t be improved with some reflective surfaces, though you have to be careful not to overdo it. If you have some old mirrors lying around, you should definitely find some way to make use of them. A few of these ideas I?ve done already, but several are still on my DIY to-do list.

Smash it Up

I?ve done this with a smaller mirror, but I would love this large, smashed mirror panel for my hall/entryway. It?s a pretty simple concept: Smash up a mirror into pieces of varying sizes, and then use some Liquid Nails to apply them to a panel of painted plywood. The shattered glass pattern is really stunning, especially if you?re placing it among the clean, straight lines of more contemporary d?cor pieces. It?s a little controlled chaos, and I love it.

The only problem I have with this mirror makeover is that it?s a nightmare to clean every little piece, though my small one tends not to get many smudges.

Framed Mirror Collage

This project is perfect if, like me, you?re addicted to hoarding picture frames and mirrors from discount and thrift stores. Collect a collage of smaller mirrors, varying from medium to small, probably nothing larger than an 8 x 10-inch. I love making collages with picture frames, and with different mirror frames, you?ll get a good selection of textures and shapes. If they don?t quite match, you can tie the whole group together by painting the frames the same color.

Arranging these all perfectly on the wall can be a real pain, so this is where some more Liquid Nails can come in handy. Glue them all to a painted piece of plywood, probably the same color as your frames. Then you can simply hang the entire collection together.

Poetry of Self-Reflection

I saw this on Pinterest, and I absolutely love it. I?ll be trying this as soon as I can find a suitable mirror to do it with. I?ve tried (and failed) to find a good how-to for this mirror writing. I think you can do it with some paint and some stamp letters, but stencils might be a better way to go. Also, you could scrape the silvering off the back of the mirror using some stenciling, which could give you the same effect. Now, I just need to hunt down some song lyrics or poetry to use for the mirror.

Simulated Windows

For those of us apartment-dwellers who have a painful lack of windows, transforming some mirrors as a substitute is the next best thing. This design just uses some painted lengths of poplar to outline the panes, which can be a single, large mirror or four smaller ones. You?re not even limited to four-paned windows. This is a really cheap project, too depending on the cost of your mirrors. The creator of this particular project came in under $30!

A Tiled Border

Frameless mirrors just seem so bare to me. I don?t like them. So this project was perfect for updating the original bathroom mirror that I have over our vanity. The brilliant part about this is that you can make even a small mirror have a big presence. Of course, you can do a simple, thin border depending on the size of the tiles, but the easiest way is applying tile sheets to the mirror, or to a wooden base with the mirror in the center. Don?t be intimidated by applying the mortar and grout; it?s really easy.

Have you seen any incredible DIY mirror projects that you?ve yet to try?

Author bio: Vanessa Lee is constantly combing Pinterest for DIY remodeling and craft ideas, the best of which she steals to try at home, and then writes about it on HomeFashionCentral.com.

Image via StyleAtHome.com