Recently we refreshed our dining room in preparation for Megan’s wedding. One of the purchases we made was a large panel mirror to replace the hutch over my buffet cabinet.
So many of you, that follow me on Instagram, fell in love with the mirror and I knew I had to find a way to make it less expensive for all of you. And so I did!
Would you believe me when I tell you that the finished mirror on the left, cost less than $10? It sure does and I got the mirrors to make it from Dollar Tree! Now I kinda wish I figured this out BEFORE I bought my mirror 😉
DIY Dollar Store Mirror –
What You Need:
- 8 Mirrors from the Dollar Store (that’s how many I used for this project but the beauty of it is, you can make it any size you like)
- thin piece of luan plywood – Cut to fit the amount of mirrors you want to use)
- Paint of your choice (or just leave the mirror silver if you like that look)
- Wood Glue
Step by Step Instructions
1. Cut and Paint Luan Plywood
First we had to cut the plywood to the finished size of the mirrors. You can determine that size by laying out your mirrors on the floor or table and measuring the finished width and length.
We painted the plywood brown because I was giving the mirrors an antique look. The brown color is to hide the backing in case there is any separation in the mirrors. You’ll also need to paint the sides as those will be showing.
If you leave the mirrors silver, I’d suggest to paint the plywood silver. Or, if you are going for all black mirrors, than paint the plywood black. You get the idea.
2. Paint Frames (you can omit this step if you are keeping the mirrors silver)
I than removed the mirrors from the frames and painted the frames. I choose a green/gray color but you can paint them any color you want. I did use a chalk paint as it allows you not to have the rough up the original finish. Honestly, you can just spray paint them as well, if that is easier for you.
I make my own chalk paint which is so much cheaper than buying pre-made chalk paint. Here is my recipe:
- 1 part plaster of paris
- 1 part water
- 3 parts paint
I than used an antique glaze on top of the chalk paint. I like using the Rustoleum Chalked Antique Glaze. Again, this is totally optional. It all depends on the look you are going for.
3. Glue Mirrors to Wood
Then I simply glued the mirrors to the wood using liquid nails.
This was really that easy and cost me $8 for the mirrors plus the cost of wood. I had the paint and glue already so this project came in at under $10.
