How to Make a Vanity Mirror
Freshen up for spring at a vanity mirror you've made yourself. A vanity mirror should reflect both your image and your personal style. Decide if your taste is ultra modern, shabby chic or French country and start making a vanity mirror of your own. It's important to choose a mirror that suits your bedroom decor. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Whether your mirror frame is ready made or you make one of your own, equipment may vary.
- Mirror
- Molding or strips of metal or wood frame stock
- Glue
- Mirror adhesive
- Mitering box
- Measuring tape
Instructions
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Decide what you want your vanity mirror to do for you. Is it the spot where you'll be checking your lipstick or will you be standing back to review your ensemble before leaving the house for the night? A full-length mirror would work best for this. Read below for ideas with full-length vanity mirrors. For quick touch-ups and for putting your hair up at the end of the day, a smaller mirror will do just fine.
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Try a simple square or rectangular mirror if you prefer the clean lines of modern decor. Go with a longish rectangular shape and attach a metal frame to it. Choose brass, chrome or pewter and add a pink lamp to your vanity top to break up the coolness of the metal.
Go to a home improvement store and choose a plain wood border and paint it a bright color, such as purple, lavender, yellow or red. The main idea with modern decor is that the lines are clean, never fussy. Inexpensive painted metal frames are available online and at frame shops. See the link in Resources for information on how to frame a mirror. -
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Choose a shabby chic-style vanity mirror if you prefer the comfortable look of lived-in, old-English style. Oval or round mirrors are ideal, but rectangular shapes work fine. Find all types of mirrors at home improvement stores, garage sales and antique shops.
If the frame lacks the shabby chic worn-in look, remove the frame and pound a few dents in it with a hammer. Sand it down to remove sharp edges and paint with a pale (very pale) shade of yellow, green or pink. Do this twice and when the paint dries, sand over the edges in random spots to reveal wood and paint layers. This gives it the aged look of shabby chic. -
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Look for a round or oval frame for a French country-style vanity mirror. If you're not finding one in your price range, choose a rectangular mirror but frame it with giltwood. Authentic giltwood is best, but plastic look alikes are available for much less. If you find giltwood too heavy for your taste, choose a filigree molding and paint it a pale shade of periwinkle and paint the border a robust yellow.
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Shop around for a full-length mirror, and mount it on the wall between two small bedside tables to create a vanity. A full-length mirror is large and heavy and makes a significant statement on its own. However, if you want to frame it, use a simple picture frame molding and decorate it with paint (or stain) that matches the mood and color theme of your bedroom.
Frame It Yourself
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Measure your mirror. Order enough molding to accommodate the mirror dimensions. It should be at least enough for the mirror to be exactly centered beneath the molding.
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Saw the wood frame material into four pieces, according to mirror size. Be sure that the length of each piece is at least the full length of each side plus the molding width, to allow for mitering corners.
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Miter the frame pieces, or take them to a hardware store where they will miter them for a small fee.
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Arrange and glue corners together. Clamp. Staple gun the seams, or use other fastening devices to hold pieces together.
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Remove the clamps and clean any spillover glue with a damp cloth. Attach the molding to your mirror with an adhesive that doesn't destroy mirror silvering, and follow all manufacturer's instructions. See the link in Resources for more information about mirror adhesives.
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Tips & Warnings
Purchase a ready-made frame for your vanity mirror (see link in Resources).
Resources
- Photo Credit Pinkman
