This week, during our fall tour, I was so excited to share a simple mirror I made for our mantel to give it a little more of those fun, cooler weather vibes. I usually have a painting here that feels a bit warm weather / springy, and then I switch to something else. But this time, I thought this mirror would feel so fun for fall + winter. So today I thought I’d share how to make a custom mirrorball mirror! {I honestly wasn’t sure what else to call it.} But I love the great vibes it brought into the space.
So this one actually comes from the book we wrote once upon a time. I remembered the mirror the other day, and I was all, whatever happened to that thing? It’s funny how we forget. It was originally called the ‘Imogen Mirror’ in our book, and it was beyond massive. I even referred to it as a “Multifaceted Looking Glass” because it sounds fancy. Though I hated to part with it, we ended up changing it over to a dry-erase board for our homeschool setup. It just made more sense at the time. Kind of a tragedy, but the space worked. Good times.
So, I was thrilled to re-create it for the space in our back room in a slightly smaller form… and though the process for both is basically the same, I thought it would be fun to share it today.
I loved the way this one turned out… isn’t she a beaut? This one has antique frame vibes, and I adore the colors, too. You can definitely pull the look off in a couple of rainy afternoons, and it will be ready to go in a new piece for your home! We use real art to cover our TV alcoves over our fireplaces. See more of it here.
Here’s what you’ll need to make your own:
• Thin MDF: You can purchase this at any home improvement store. Depending on the mirrors and frame size you pick, you’ll want to do a little math. The beauty is that they can cut that piece for you, so it’s one less step. This finished size was 52″ x 40″. The book version was 60″ x 48″. We recommend MDF so that there is substantial backing for the weight of the mirrors. Please note there’s always the stick-on option, but I wanted real. And real = weight.
• Frame: Of your choice. Just make sure it’s thick enough to cover your borders.
• Adhesive: I used Gorilla Glue Clear Construction Adhesive + Caulk gun.
• Mirrors: In two sizes here but for both projects, they were 4″ squared. I purchased three boxes of mirrors for this one, so that I had extras.
{The original version called for roughly 125 mirrors, total.}
• Paint of choice: For this one I used acrylic paint I had lying around the house + gold leaf paint. I also topped it in places with stain to give it an aged look.
• Access to a saw: that can cut 45 degree angles
• Wood filler
Note: As you can see, we leaned both of these finished pieces in large areas. If you wish to hang, we recommend attaching the hanging kit first, before you add the mirrors, since it will reduce the chances of cracking anything. Basically, pre-drill and hang accordingly. Otherwise, it makes a great leaning mirror.
• First things first, I wiped down everything.
• Next up, painting: I put my first coat of paint on the frame. I chose this pattern for its vintage vibe but quickly realized that it needed more “Umph” because it was really feeling like an old VBS Egypt prop. Or something. Did I just ruin it for you? Because it ruined it for me. I immediately knew it needed more.
• When the MDF was dry, I laid out all my mirrors, so I could be sure of my pattern. At first, I wanted to try for a super modern look, but I quickly realized I wanted them staggered again. I think that’s part of what makes this design so fun. As you can see in the first mirror, my pattern was vertical. For this one, the pattern is horizontal. Of course, you can always rotate said mirrors as well. Just plan accordingly.
Take them as far as you can to each edge, and then make sure that your frame will cover the borders when you’re finished. Some of the mirrors might have tiny blemishes on them, as this happens from time to time. Or, heaven forbid, breakage. This way you have extras and you can plan ahead.
• On the painting process: You can see here where I’d already hit it with a pass of the stain at this point to deepen the gold. It was a simple wipe-on, wipe-off technique, but it wasn’t working for me. Because I’m neurotic, I mixed up a pretty blue to add a little contrast and accentuate the trim.
Then I rubbed it off as I went for a little bit of that “aged” look.
• I then added the green to the edges in subtle areas, so it really had that vintage effect I was going for. I’m also a glutton for punishment, but it’s all in the details. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but I was happier with this look.
When I was finished with this, I went back in a few subtle areas with the stain to get in those grooves and make it look even older. And while that dried, it was on to the mirrors.
• Simply spread your construction adhesive like this: This is where pre-laying your mirrors helps so that you know where everything will go. It takes about 24 hours to dry solidly, but it takes a few minutes to become unworkable, so move quickly at this juncture.
• When that was finished: it was time to cut the frames. This part is a two-person job since it requires making sure that the frame is flush on the edges. I gave the mirrors 24 hours to dry before adding the frame. Simply make sure your pieces will work, then lay them out on top and mark accordingly. That will be where you make your 45-degree cut. With one person at one end and one at the other, line them up and place them with your adhesive. Note: Your local home improvement store can cut them roughly at the size you need, if you allow for overages. Then make those 45-degree cuts on your own, after the fact.
• Finally, we let them dry with books, weighing them down for another 24 hours. When it was finished drying, I took a pass with a wood filler. I found one with more of a golden tone so that it wasn’t obvious where those imperfect cracks were, but these were pretty close. I didn’t even have to touch up the wood filler.
Once it’s dry, it may take a couple of passes with the Windex or even a bit of GooGone to remove fingerprints + glue. But when you’re done cleaning, you’re ready to go!
We love this piece for the space!
It really makes such a fun accent for any area. But it definitely dresses it up!
As always, let us know if you try this little design. We’d love to hear. It’s so fun to create for that instantly vintage vibe with a lot of character. Happy creating and have an inspired day!
