DIY mirror frame

The mirror performs not only practical functions, but also sets the style for the whole room. If you have been searching for the very mirror of your dreams for a long time, but the store doesn’t like the options from the store, it's time to take matters into your own hands and make the frame yourself.Do-it-yourself mirror frame in the hallway is not as complicated as it may seem.

Product Features

• Your imagination is unlimited. You can make a laconic frame made of light wood in the Scandinavian style, be inspired by the ideas seen in the movie, or succumb to the child's requests and hang in a children's mirror, decorated with pink sequins, as in Barbie's house.
• You don’t have to worry about the safety of the product, as the material and decor you choose. From the very beginning, control the manufacturing process and you will be sure that no toxic substances or, for example, small sharp parts that could fall off and injure children / pets were used.
• Pay only for the material, saving a tangible amount on the services of a designer and workers.
• Your mirror will be original and unique, and not a conveyor belt from the factory.

Determined with the material

You can use any materials and add decor from everything that is at hand, but it is better to choose one as the basis. Different textures may strangely combine with each other, and during the manufacture they will add work to you, not wanting to be held together and held together. Consider the features of materials:

• Tree. It is easy to get it, it is convenient to work with it, and with the help of the coating you can completely change the style of the finished product. A frame of rough wood will fit the loft-style apartment, covered with white paint will fit into the Scandinavian-style room, and if you add plant elements, you will get a mirror in the style of a fairy forest for a children's room. A baguette is a great solution.
• Plastic is a lightweight and durable material. Baguette frame made of polyurethane easily bends, it can be decorated with a round or oval mirror. The material is not afraid of water and is suitable for placement in the bathroom.
• Metal baguettes. Metal requires certain skills to work with it, but the finished product also looks solid. Such a frame will definitely not look like cheap crafts and add chic to the room.
• Mirror glass. Glass details not only allow you to design a mirror, but, if used correctly, can visually expand the space of the room. Use a special glass with a coating for a whole frame or assemble it from small glasses.
• Leather or leatherette. The original version, which is more suitable for a small desktop mirror. The frame can be covered with leather, but can be made soft and voluminous.
• Rope and straw. These materials look good in a bright room, but have a number of drawbacks: they are afraid of moisture and they are not so easy to clean from clogged dust.
• Mosaic is a real find for creative nature. Using it, you can create a whole work of art by experimenting with colors, shapes and textures. Pieces of mosaics are attached to the base - for example, from plywood.
• Polyurethane foam. At first glance, it is a strange choice, but it is foam that is very convenient to use - as a base material, or auxiliary. It is easy to plant various small details on it, and no one will guess at the sight of the finished product that is hidden under the decor.
• From gypsum, you can make the whole frame or decorate it with another canvas. Such a mirror is suitable for a room in a retro or baroque style. But be careful: gypsum is very fragile.

Choose the color of the future design

There are no clear rules “it is possible, but absolutely impossible!”, The main thing is that you like the frame and fit into the interior of the room. Black and white colors are universal and will be combined with almost everything. Use them if you do not want to focus on the mirror. Bright colors are appropriate in the design of any room, just consider the location: if the mirror hangs in front of the window, the colors may fade in the sun over time. Painting in bronze or gold is suitable for a room in the appropriate style. Try not to overdo it with such details that the room as a result does not look like a hall in the Hermitage.Experiment not only with color, but also with textures - glossy, matte or volumetric coating. Your frame will certainly turn out to be very beautiful.

DIY mirror frame - production

The manufacturing process of any frame, whether it is a simple square of wooden bars, or a round floral pattern, fits into this scheme:

• Preparation of tools and materials.
• Take measurements.
• Assembly of the main structure.
• Dressing the base - painting, adding details.

To get started, think about practical points:

1. Materials that suffer from water - untreated wood, straws, paper - are not suitable for the bathroom. Also consider that in conditions of high humidity glue and paint deteriorate - choose waterproof.
2. If there are small children in the house, you will have to abandon small sharp details that may accidentally fall off the frame, or the curious child will decide to check the structure for strength.
3. Heavy massive frames are also dangerous for babies or pets, you must be 100% sure of the reliability of the fasteners.

Prepare all the necessary details and tools, because afterwards, it will be inconvenient for yourself to look for them. You will need a tape measure and a corner for measuring and marking, and then, depending on the material, glue or screws, a drill, a screwdriver or a hammer, a construction stapler, and do not forget about the fasteners for which you will hang the finished mirror on the wall.

Take measurements

Before starting work, measure the sides of the mirror and record the result.

IMPORTANT. It is better to double-check the numbers again than to make a mistake and get a frame in which the mirror will hang, or even worse - it will not fit. To make the corners come out even, use a special ruler or building corners.

If you want to connect the parts at an angle of 45 degrees, the length of the inner edge of the frame or the part into which the mirror will be inserted must exactly match the adjacent side.

If you want to connect the parts at an angle of 90 degrees, cut two strips along the length of the side and two - length of the side + width of the strips.

Manufacturing process

REFERENCE. Before starting any work, cover the mirror with a film so that you do not accidentally scratch or stain it in the process.

Consider three simple options for a framework for a framework:

• From the baseboard. Measure and outline using the tape measure and the corner the four sides of the future frame. On the inner edge, they should correspond to the length of the mirror and fasten together at an angle of 45 degrees.

NOTE. If there is decor on the skirting board, make up the details so that the pattern seamlessly blends into each other at the joints.

Connect the parts with glue and tighten with a rope so that they are pressed more tightly against each other. When everything is completely dry, you can slightly treat the joints with putty. This will not only give them a more accurate look, but also make the whole structure more reliable. Insert the mirror into the finished frame, also smearing its edges with a thin layer of glue. Place the mount for hanging on the glass itself, and not on the frame - in case the mirror does slip out of it.

• From the rails. Such a frame will consist of two parts: the frame is decorated on the outside, and from the side of the wall the glass will hold a tightly fitted frame.

Make both frames: the back is exactly the size of the glass, and measure the front so that it protrudes from the inner edge by about a centimeter. Insert the mirror into the wooden frame, restricting it from the plywood corners to the back and now connect it to the front. The glass fixed on all sides will not fall out.

• On a flat base. This option is suitable for a round small mirror. Take a sheet of paper, plywood or other material larger than the glass itself. Trim it so that there is room for decor at the edges. In the center, fix the mirror with hot glue. Now decorate the surface to your liking.

Registration

It is simpler to say that it is not suitable for decoration - toxic and hazardous materials. Otherwise, you are limited only by your imagination, budget and free time.

Here are some ideas for designing the framework:

• Seashells remind us of a vacation on the sea. You can combine them with a simple frame made of white rope, or tightly lay on the base, interspersing with colorful pebbles, beads and pieces of mother of pearl.
• For the kitchen, you can arrange a mirror with the help of food products - coffee, pasta, bean grains or dried and varnished pieces of fruit.
• Decoupage is a way of decorating objects using special napkins. They already have a drawing, so you don’t have to worry about the artist’s abilities. Choose the ones suitable for design, transfer them to the frame and varnish.
• Textiles offer simply unlimited possibilities for creativity. You can surround the mirror with lace, going slightly on a reflective surface - such a mirror will look nice in the bedroom next to the dressing table. Or use bright ribbons and threads to braid a figured structure from other materials.
• Nature is the best designer, borrow ideas from her. The corkboard itself looks pretty, and additional details are very easy to attach to it. You can beat the unusual bend and texture of the tree for the frame of the original form. Or use branches, acorns and chestnuts to decorate. Bright frame in oriental style will turn out from green bamboo branches.
• A large frame decorated with beads and sequins will immediately attract attention. You can hem them to a textile base or pour in a creative mess on plywood greased with glue.
• You can draw a floral ornament with a brush on a smooth material, lay out with beads or bend plastic or wire details as necessary.
• You can decorate a mirror without using a frame at all! You will need scotch tape or adhesive film and a spray can of paint. Cut a stencil with patterns, glue it to the center of the mirror, and then apply paint to the edges. After drying, remove the protective film - and the original mirror is ready.

If you are not confident in your abilities, start with simpler options, and eventually tackle more interesting tasks. Do not be afraid to experiment, and your home will delight you with every little thing.