DIY MODERN FLOOR MIRROR

You guys, I had so much fun making this DIY Modern Floor Mirror. I partnered with Desirae Barnett that day. She also had a DIY Floor Mirror she was doing and it was the best time! Love that woman! You asked for a blog post- here it is! This is how you can make your own DIY Modern Floor Mirror. You can bookmark this post for when you have an old mirror you want to repurpose! All links provided at the end of the post 🙂

REPURPOSE YOUR OLD MIRROR

When I updated our bathroom, we very carefully removed our giant builder grade wall mirror since I knew I wanted to re-use it. I had seen a beautiful oversized floor mirror with clean lines that I really loved – I just didn’t want to pay $700 dollars for it. That was my inspiration. 

FRAME INSPIRATION

Prior to this project, I made artwork for my bedroom based on a DIY I had seen Angela Rose do. I knew that I wanted to use the same sort of technique for my mirror.  Below is the artwork – I painted some quick art on watercolor paper and glued them onto plywood. I used thin trim to frame it, fastening it to the plywood with my nail gun. 

Because I didn’t want the artwork to be too heavy, I chose a piece of plywood that was thin.  That ended up being a mistake because when I went to nail the trim on, the margin of error was so small – I needed to nail right in the center of the thickness of the board and I missed a few times, so the nails came through the front of the art. 

CHOOSE THE RIGHT MATERIALS

I knew not to make the same mistake with the mirror, so I chose a really nice 3/4 thick piece of hard plywood. This would not only be thick enough to give me a larger margin of error when nailing, but because the mirror was so heavy, it also held the mirror securely without allowing it to curve. For the project I brought two widths of board home- 2 1/2″ and 1 1/8 ” I ended up going with the wider trim, but either would look great!

I think it turned out beautifully, although iI accidentally glued and nailed the mirror to the floor in my living room!  The moral of the story is: put your project on a work bench IN THE GARAGE and not on the floor of your living room, even if it is 10 degrees outside! 😂 Better yet, wait for mild weather so your glue will cure properly!

Anyway, here are the steps I took to make this DIY modern floor mirror!

1. REMOVE THE MIRROR

When removing a mirror, you want to be extra careful in case it shatters.  So tape it multiple times with painters tape in all directions so that if it shatters, the pieces won’t fly everywhere.  Our mirror was not glued to the wall, so you may not be able to do this if yours is.  We removed the clips and lifted the mirror.  Be careful- it is heavy!

2. TRACE YOUR PLYWOOD

I used a nice piece of 3/4 pine plywood for the backing of the mirror.  This is to prevent warping.  Choose the nicest piece of hardwood pine plywood you can find.  I laid the mirror on top and slid it into one corner of the plywood and traced the two edges that we not flush with the board.  

3. CUT YOUR PLYWOOD

You will then cut along your traced line with a saw.  I used a circular saw.

4. GLUE THE MIRROR

I streamed the liquid nails in a W and criss cross pattern across the entire board. BEWARE OF EXTREME WEATHER.  You don’t want to glue the mirror if it is too cold or too hot, or the glue will not set properly.  This was my conundrum.  I needed to do it inside because it was cold, but I also needed to do it outside because… wood floor lol!  I used one tube of liquid nails, but if your mirror is large like mine, I suggest you have an extra tube on hand. Also use something to weigh down the mirror so it adheres. I used weights and pillows LOL

5. MEASURE AND CUT YOUR TRIM

I measured the short sides first and measured the long sides taking into account the new length with the short sides added.  Mark and make your cuts, then test to ensure accuracy.  Sand your boards with 220 grit sandpaper.

6. STAIN

I did not stain my project because I wanted the matte raw wood look.  This is where you would stain yours if you want! First use wood conditioner, then stain.

7. GLUE AND NAIL THE TRIM

Spread glue on to the sides of the thick plywood backing and let it get tacky for a minute.  Now take your trim, and making sure it is flush with the back of the plywood, hold it tightly against the glue and nail it in.  This is where I nailed mine into the floor.  Because the project was on the floor, I could not hold the nail gun parallel,  and at the slight angle, those nails went right into the floor 😬.  WHOOPS!

8. FILL IN WITH WOOD FILLER + SAND

Fill in any gaps in the wood and nail holes with wood filler.  Let dry completely and then sand.  You can also sand to correct any uneven areas.  Make sure you don’t accidentally scrape up your mirror!

9. REMOVE THE PAINTERS TAPE

Now that the mirror is secure and trim is finished, you can remove your painters tape, clean it up and lean your project on the wall!

LINKS TO MATERIALS

LINKS TO DECOR

And there it is! An actual modern DIY Floor Mirror! Be sure to subscribe below so you never miss a thing, and follow me on instagram and liketoknow.it!