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If you have a mirror in your home that is starting to look a little tired or doesn’t go with the new design you have in mind, why not simply replace its frame and change its whole look?

Simple and cheap to make, framing your own wall mirror breathes life into tired mirrors and gives you the freedom to overhaul the room as you can match it with other items or new paint colour and design. So if you’re keen to frame a mirror, take a look at our step-by-step guide which should make it effortless for you.

Measure the mirror

All you need to get started are the measurements of your current mirror minus a frame plus the style of frame you want to add. Then you can buy the pieces of wood you need, either getting the shop to cut the wood down to size or buying the wood in larger proportions than you need and cutting it down when you get back home. Don’t forget to choose wood that is an inch or two bigger than the mirror, depending on the size of wall mirror, as you’ll want the frame to overlap it.

Paint the frame

Before you construct the frame from the measured pieces of wood, you should paint them in the colour and design you want the frame to be in. It may be you want to paint the new frame cream or another block colour, which should be straightforward to do, however you may want to paint a special pattern, which will demand more care and attention to ensure the four sides match up correctly. For inspiration, look at the other items in the room and try to visualise what colour/style will work best with these. Once done, it’s important to allow sufficient time for the paint to dry.

Piece it together

Once dry, glue together the pieces of the frame – remember that the frame needs to sit close to the mirror and will need a raised edge that runs alongside the edges of the mirror, to ensure the wood is flush against the mirror and the wall.

Tidy up

Check the joints of each piece of wood and if necessary add a bit of caulk to the seams to smooth them over. You can then apply a bit of paint over the caulk, once it’s dried, and add a second coat to the whole frame.

Apply

When the frame is how you want it and the four pieces are glued together, you can start putting the frame together. Begin with the top piece, pressing it once positioned into adhesive along the top of the mirror – use strong masking tape to keep the wood in place until the glue dries. Repeat the process for the two sides and bottom part of the frame.

Check

Make sure the frame is straight and the paint has dried well. Do any touching up as needed, including readjusting the positioning the wood, before standing back and admiring your handiwork.

Featured images:

• License: Creative Commons image source

Caroline Dalzell is a writer of many topics, home improvement being one of them. She currently writes for home decor companies such as the Mirror Shop.

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