How to Build a Large Wood Framed Mirror

Large mirrors provide entertainment for young children.

A mirror adds dimension to a room without doing any work or taking up any space. Large mirrors, though heavy and often bulky, give a room the benefit of visual expansion and provide the utility of a looking glass for dressing and grooming. Designing the wood frame of a large mirror yourself allows for connecting the decor of the room with the mirror.

Things You'll Need

• 3-by-4-foot mirror
• 2 pine boards, 1 by 4-inches, 40 inches long
• 2 pine boards, 1 by 4 inches, 50 inches long
• 1/2-by-40-by-50-inch birch plywood sheet
• Router
• 3/8-inch diameter over round router bit
• Table saw
• Dado blade
• Wood glue
• Silicone
• Long clamps
• 1-inch brad nails
• Hammer

Instructions

1. Route one length-wise edge of two 40-inch-long, 1-by-4-inch pine boards and two 50-inch-long, 1-by-4-inch pine boards using a 3/8-inch diameter over round router bit and router.

2. Cut a dado groove into the edges opposite the routed edges on the pine boards using a table saw and dado blade.

3. Cut a tongue in each end of the 50-inch-long pine boards using the dado blade on the table saw.

4. Apply wood glue to the tongues on the ends of one 50-inch pine board.

5. Insert the tongues of the 50-inch pine board into the grooves at one end of the two 40-inch pine boards. The grooves in the three boards must touch.

6. Clamp the 40-inch boards to the 50-inch board using a long clamp. Allow the glue to cure for two hours.

7. Apply silicone to the grooves of the partial frame.

8. Insert the 3-by-4-foot mirror into the grooves of the partial frame.

9. Apply glue to the tongues and silicone to the groove in the second 50-inch board.

10. Attach the final board of the frame to the edge of the mirror and the grooves in the two 40-inch boards

11. Clamp the 50-inch board to the two 40-inch boards with a long clamp. Allow the glue to cure for two hours.

12. Attach a 1/2-by-40-by-50-inch birch plywood sheet to the back of the mirror frame. Carefully hammer 1-inch brad nails along the edges of the plywood at 2-inch intervals.

Tips & Warnings

• Stain or paint the mirror frame to match your decor.

• Hammer the brads gently to avoid causing vibrations which will crack the mirror.

References

• Elle Decor; Decorating with Mirrors
• Sunset; Mirrors: 9 New Ways to Decorate with Mirrors