Easy DIY wood framed mirror - how to build a mirror frame

This DIY wood framed mirror is another upcycling project in the modern industrial style! It's also the second project that I did for my son's student room makeover. This would be a perfect way to upgrade a builder grade bathroom vanity mirror on a tiny budget. You don't need to use a mitre saw either, so this DIY wood framed mirror is even easier to make.

Looking for ready-made wood framed mirrors?

If you're looking for ready-made wood framed mirrors then check out my ideas at the end of this post.

How the mirror looked before

This large DIY wood framed mirror started as a square of MDF with a plain square mirror stuck on top of it. There was a border around the mirror of about 2cms to the end of the MDF. Just enough space for me to add a wooden frame! It had four round fastening holes on the back which had been used to hook the mirror onto the wall of a bathroom in an office space.

When I was offered the mirror, I had no idea how I was going to upcycle it or whether I even could. I just knew that I did want it to end up on the tip!

As with most of my projects, this mirror had been sitting in our basement for ages, patiently waiting for its transformation. That day came when one of my sons decided that a mirror would be just what was needed to brighten up his basement student digs!

I had already upcycled an old trunk for my son in the modern industrial style and I had a great idea for a DIY wood framed mirror which would complement that style too.

I'm sorry that I forgot to take a photo of the mirror before I started this DIY. You can see the back of it in the photo below.

GET THE FREE FURNITURE FLIP CHECKLIST

By the way, if you are new to furniture upcycling, I have a handy checklist that you can take with you when you are looking for second-hand furniture. It's full of tips on what to check for so that you don't bring home a dud!

Find out more about the Furniture Flip Checklist.

DIY wood framed mirror tutorial

Here is the tutorial for upcycling a large builder grade bathroom vanity mirror in a modern industrial style.

DIY SAFETY

A QUICK REMINDER: When attempting any DIY project, please take care to undertake the necessary safety precautions. You should always follow the manufacturer’s safety recommendations when using any product or tool. When following my instructions for a DIY project, you are doing so at your own risk.

DIY Wood framed mirror - Prepping

The first thing I always do is to clean the furniture thoroughly. You can read more about this in the post, Easy wooden trunk makeover, or my Annie Sloan bookcase makeover post.

DIY wood framed mirror – Supplies

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• Saw (or get the wood pre-cut at your hardware store)
• Staple gun (optional)
• Wood for the frame (As straight as possible. Width = basic 1x3. Length – see below).
• Wood stain
• Paintbrushes
• Metal L-shaped brackets x 4
• Black paint for metal
• Screws (size depends on thickness of wood)
• Drill
• Countersinking tool
• Screwdriver
• Pencil
• Wall hooks
• Protective goggles

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Cutting wood for the DIY wood framed mirror

This DIY wood framed mirror is intended to look rustic so the frame is really easy to make.

TIP: Try to get wood that is as straight as possible. It took me a while to find the straightest pieces. Some of the pieces I picked out were twisted and warped. I would have had a really hard time getting my frame to lay flat if I had used those.

Cut two pieces of wood the same length as the top and bottom of the mirror. Don't forget to wear protective goggles to protect your eyes from stray bits of sawdust and splinters.

Then cut two more pieces for the sides which are the size of the mirror plus the width of the top and bottom pieces of the wood frame.

Staining the wood

Use a wood stain that suits your home. I already have some leftover from upcycling the wooden trunk so I'm using that. Now the mirror and the wooden trunk will have the same wood tones.

Paint the wood stain onto the wood with a brush. I brushed on around three coats of wood stain. Just keep applying until the wood is as dark as you want it. Leave each coat to dry before applying the next. (See manufacturer’s instructions for how long you need to wait).

Paint the metal corner brackets

Adding L-shaped corner brackets not only gives the mirror frame a more industrial look but also makes the wooden frame a solid piece. If like me, you can only get galvanised corner brackets, you can paint or spray them with black paint for metal. I already have some black metal paint so that's what I'm using.

TIP: For painting screw heads. Push the screws into a cardboard box. Now you can paint them without getting paint all over your hands and without smudging the paint.

Assemble the DIY wood framed mirror

Turn the pieces of the frame over so that the stained side is facing downwards. Place the wooden pieces together to make a frame.

Use a staple gun to staple all four corner joints together. This is just to stabilize the frame until we add the corner brackets.

Carefully turn the frame over so that the wood stained side is facing upwards.

Position the corner brackets into the corners. Screw the brackets onto the DIY wood framed mirror.

TIP: Start by attaching the corner screw. Don't screw it in too tight at this stage. Make sure the bracket is straight and then attach the screws at the outer ends. Attach the inner screws and then tighten all the screws on the bracket so that they are tight but not overly tight.

Attaching the wood frame to the mirror

Turn the wooden mirror frame over again, so that the stained side is facing downwards.

Place the mirror on top of the frame. Now we are going to screw the mirror to the frame.

Remember I had an overlap of 2cms around the mirror to the end of the MDF surround. That's where I'm going to attach the wooden frame to the mirror.

Use a pencil to make marks around the mirror frame where you want to attach screws. I'm making marks at around every ten centimetres.

Countersink the screws

Next, use a drill to pre-drill the holes following your pencil markers.

If you want the screws to sit flush with the back of the mirror you will need to countersink the screws. Use a countersink attachment on your drill to pre-drill the holes for this. Again, wear protective goggles for this job.

Use a screwdriver to drive the screws into the wooden frame. My screws were the depth of the MDF base plus half the depth of the wooden frame.

The DIY wood framed mirror is finished!

Now, all that is left is to hang the DIY wood framed mirror. As you can see from the photo above, my mirror already has attachment holes on the back of the frame from when it was hanging on a bathroom wall.

The mirror is very heavy so we've bought some heavy-duty wall hooks to attach this mirror to the brick wall in my son's room. If you don't have brick walls, you would definitely need to attach a mirror of this size and weight to a stud.

I'm not allowed to photograph the mirror in situ so I've styled it in my craft room (before the craft room makeover) and am taking a few photos before passing it on to its new owner!

Considering, I had no idea what I was going to do with this mirror when I brought it home, I think it turned out pretty good.

Most importantly, my son loves it and that's what counts!

It goes to show that furnishing a student room, or any room for that matter, doesn't need to break the bank. All you need is vision and a few tools.

Save it for later!

The time needed to make a DIY wood framed mirror

The DIY wood framed mirror was completed in one weekend. You could do it in one day if you didn't need to wait for the wood stain to dry in between coats, that's what took the longest.

The cost of making a DIY wood framed mirror

The mirror had been ripped out of an office bathroom during a renovation project. It was free to collect.

Brackets approx. €4 for four.

I had everything else on hand so this was an extremely budget-friendly DIY.

That's the great part about DIYing. Although, when you start, the initial cost may seem high because of the tools you have to collect, each project thereafter becomes more and more cost-effective.

If you liked this project, please leave a comment, it will really help me out.

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WOOD FRAMED MIRROR - READY-MADE OPTIONS

If you love this DIY wood framed mirror project but don't want to DIY it, here are some gorgeous ready-made pieces you can buy online.

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