A few months ago I posted about these frames that I picked up at a garage sale for $2.50 each, and today I’m finally sharing what they turned into! #abouttime
They were a bit tired looking and had a few bumps and bruises, but frames of this size (20″ x 24″) are not cheap anywhere else! I decided right away to turn them into mirrored windows because A. I love mirrors and clearly (M totally agrees with this, not) don’t have enough of them and B. because I knew I could make them for way cheaper than I’ve seen in stores!
First things first I grabbed my supplies…
- Paint
- Thin Paint Brush
- Mirrors
- Trim
- 4 Corner Brackets per Mirror
I picked up the mirrors from Lowes for around $11 each, and had them cut to size in the store. I heard about this secret from a post on Centsational Girl, but our old Lowes did not offer the service. Now that we’ve moved, our new one does and I was excited to take advantage of it! It’s the most amazing thing since sliced bread if you ask me : )
Next it was time to paint! I painted both the trim and the frames in Gliddens untinted white eggshell paint, but while I wanted full coverage on the trim, I wanted a bit of the metallic in the frames to peak through. Think shabby-chic style.
So, I used a dry brush method, which basically involves using very little paint and light pressure, making sure the paint does not seep into each and every crack. If I thought a little too much paint was happening in a certain place, I used a dry paper towel and buffed it out. This is a great method on a piece that has existing dings and dents (like this one) because it hides any imperfections by creating a ton more : )
Once I got the coverage I wanted and everything was dry, I cut the trim to size. One long piece with 4 short pieces (to make 2 horizontal lines) per mirror ended up being the winner, but I tried a few different variations before deciding on this one!
To attach the mirror, the corner brackets were screwed in and because my mirror was thinner than the frame, a few pieces of cardboard and tape were added to make sure the mirror was nice and snug. I’m sure this picture will do amazingly on Pinterest : P It was a “use what you’ve got” moment and so far it’s worked perfectly!
The trim was added using super glue and everything was left to dry overnight.
These frames already came with D brackets on the back (could add some easily if you find some without!), so using some drywall screws and a good level, M helped me hang them up in our living room, and here’s how they turned out!
Our living room is far from done, but there’s just something about adding some frames on the walls that makes a space feel more like home.
So far I’m loving them and how they make the space feel more open. And bonus, you can see whats going on behind you. Can you find the cat photobomb?
What do you think? Working on any art yourself? Have you created any window mirrors for your home? We’ve seen some pretty amazing ones out there lately!
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I love the new mirrors and the whole living room is looking great! You are totally motivating me to get moving on decorating our living room. The walls have been blank for way too long.
Thanks Melissa! Hanging artwork is my favorite part, and the only thing I’ve made a decision on so far! You should see the daily swaps happening with pillows, decor, lamps, and basically everything haha. Hoping to narrow it down soon and make more progress : )
These look amazing! I am so making one for my house. I’ve got a big frame I’ve been wanting to do something with. Thanks for the great idea!
Thanks Katie! I’m so happy with how they turned out… can’t wait to see yours! : )
Love, LOVE this idea!! And I didn’t know Lowe’s offered that service! Hot diggety… my mind is brainstorming right now!
Thank you so much Sondra! I totally know what you mean- they cut glass as well as mirrors! Already planning out next project as well 🙂 thanks so much for stopping by!