A modern person can hardly imagine his life without a mirror. Someone in the apartment has it only in the bathroom, others in the hallway, someone needs to see their reflection in every room. If you don't want to buy a factory mirror frame, your soul requires something unusual, you can make it yourself. It is not difficult: you can weave a frame out of rope, cover it with a bright fabric with a print, or decorate with pasta. A mirror in a hand-made frame will add coziness and uniqueness to the room in which it will be located.
Features of the
Having decided to create a mirror frame yourself, it is important to imagine what it will be like. Often, it is the lack of original and beautiful mirrors on sale for reasonable money that makes creative people think of making it with their own hands. And the abundance of interesting ideas in this thought strengthens. The result of labor can look professional. A mirror in an industrial frame can become invisible in the space of a room, an unusual framing can fix this. Almost any mirror is suitable for decor: in a wide frame like posters and photographs, in a factory unremarkable frame, and even without it at all.
There are several rules to follow when decorating your interior with mirrors. Only mirrors of the correct shape should be placed in the frame.: round, oval or square.
Fancy shapes are best hung without frames.
The shape of the frame should be in harmony with the decor of the room as a whole. For example, in a room made in the style of a classic, a mirror with molding stucco will look good. Modern trends in room design will be well complemented by a geometric frame, possibly with drawings. To expand the space, it is ideal to take several mirrors in narrow frames.
A product decorated voluminously and richly should be the only one in the room (unless, of course, the room is furnished in a non-Art Deco style, or its area is not so large that several mirrors can be arranged without the risk of overloading the design with details). This kind of work requires from the performer not so much professionalism and special skills in some area, but a developed artistic taste and creativity.
The main thing for the master is to realize his idea as realistically as possible, while correctly entering the result into the general atmosphere of the room.
Style and design
The style of the DIY mirror frame should match the style of the room. The design also depends on the style: for example, a mirror in a wooden frame with carvings will perfectly fit into a room decorated in a rustic direction, a minimalist bath will be decorated with a decor on a mosaic frame.
In order not to overdo it with an abundance of details, it is better to work in one technique, using one type of material. There are no restrictions - you can work in a technique that is well known. You can try yourself in something completely atypical. Decoupage, paper lace, rope weaving - in each of these techniques you can create a real masterpiece. Of course, a forged frame or mahogany model is unlikely to work if the performer has not previously worked in such a technique. However, there are many available and relatively inexpensive materials, from which you can make an unusual element of mirror decor.
Not everyone is satisfied with the simplicity of the decor. In this case, you can turn to non-standard solutions in the design of mirrors. Decoupage will help maintain the vintage style in the room, the decor with crisscross planks will create a Provence style element. If you have the skill, you can create a baroque frame from gold-painted ceiling plinths or wooden battens. If you try, you can give it an antique look, covering, for example, with a patina.
If you stick beans, pumpkin seeds, rice or buttons of different color and size on a base made of plastic or wood, you get a frame in the shabby chic style that remains relevant for several years. To keep these items firmly on the frame, you need to work using a reliable adhesive base: double-sided tape or paint primer.
If you have the skills to work with polymer clay for small mirrors, you can make frames with an openwork pattern. To obtain an openwork, it is enough to make an imprint of a special texture sheet or an ordinary napkin with a texture on the clay until it is baked.
How to do it yourself?
There are a huge number of master classes on decorating mirrors. If we take general principles, then production of any frame for a mirror consists of 4 stages:
- preparation of tools and materials;
- taking measurements;
- assemblies;
- decorating.
At the initial stage, you need to immediately decide on which room you plan to hang the mirror in. If this is a kitchen or bathroom, some materials will have to be abandoned. Not all of them are compatible with high humidity. For example, a wooden plinth damp quickly, metal elements are subject to corrosion. Cereals with pasta will not work either: it will not work to protect them from mold or mildew. It is better in this case to use expanded polystyrene, which is distinguished by high moisture resistance.
On the other hand, near the central heating radiators, frames should be placed made of materials that are resistant to heat and not subject to drying out. Plastic will not work in this case. When heated, it can release harmful toxins into the air, which can affect health over time.
If the mirror is opposite the window, the frame must be resistant to sunlight.
Before starting work, you need to calculate the required amount of materials, as well as purchase consumables (for example, glue, putty, sealant, varnish, brushes). It is important not to damage or stain the mirror during decorating activities. Therefore, before starting the creative process, it is better to paste over the joints of the frame and the mirror with masking tape. This will keep it intact and not get dirty.
If you intend to work with a tree, you need to take into account that it itself needs minimal decoration: it already has a shade, texture, pattern. To decorate the frame, it is enough to assemble it and varnish the wood. When working with this material, it is important not to spoil its structure by decorating. However, some techniques, such as aging, can work well on a wooden frame.
At the same time, there is no difficulty in doing it yourself. Moreover, wood is one of the most convenient materials to work with. You can use ready-made slats and chipboards, transverse and longitudinal cuts, branches, twigs, even large chips. If all the materials are available, it is a wooden frame that is a thing from the “take and do” category (no preparatory work is required, and no special post-processing is required either).
If you plan to work with improvised materials (buttons, cereals, shells, stones), it is extremely important to stick them well and firmly on the frame. Scrapbooking lovers will be interested in making a frame using this technique (using ribbons, beads, beads, dried flowers, lace). An interesting technique is mosaic. For her, you will need to purchase a tile grout. In this technique, you can create modern frames, chic objects in the Byzantine style (it all depends on which tile to take for work). Mosaic tiles are resistant to moisture and heat, a mirror in such a frame can be placed in any corner of the house.
View
For the design of a large mirror, large, massive frames, possibly carved or patterned, are better suited. As for the frame for a table or hand-held mirror, it is better if it is decorative and elegant. Perhaps it will be inlaid with sparkling stones or a pattern on polymer clay, shells or buttons. You can decorate a small round mirror with an openwork cake napkin.
When decorating a floor mirror, the frame can be made of molding - a ceiling plinth covered with gold or silver paint, artificially aged with craquelure. If you have the skills, you can decorate it with plaster stucco elements. A frame for a mirror located on the floor can withstand heavy loads, so it is allowed to decorate it with more massive details.
Metal molding and forged parts work well with a mirror finish, but this technique is suitable for those with appropriate forging and welding skills. As for wood or ceiling foam moldings, their use will not be difficult and will not require special skills.
For a thick mirror, the frame should be appropriate so as not to introduce dissonance into the decor. If the product is thin, the decor should be airy.
Material
As for the choice of material for work, there are no restrictions, except for the imagination of the performer. Anything around can be used (from improvised means in the form of disposable plastic spoons, lace cake paper to specially purchased plywood or wooden slats for this purpose). You can take into work the materials left over after the repair (for example, facing tiles, plinths, drywall). You can create a frame from arithmetic rulers or old clothespins - if you wish.
For the first experience of finishing work, it is better not to take expensive materials, for example, wenge wood or copper. Those activities that require special equipment and knowledge, for example, making a forged frame, are best left to specialists. It is not true that a novice designer will not make a good frame out of ordinary wood. This is not true. Branches, twigs, bark elements and trunk cuts can serve as material for a real art object. All you need is good glue and varnish to process the finished frame.
Unused aluminum cutlery can be an original frame for a kitchen mirror. Wire or gold leaf will turn a regular mirror into a chic decor item. You can decorate a mirror in a factory frame made of MDF with anything, for example, stucco molding from a ceiling plinth, using gold, black and white paint (this is how you can make an object in an unbroken and contemporary art deco style).
In 2017, a large mirror came into fashion. An old window or even a door frame will perfectly decorate it, making it a truly unique example of a shabby chic or Provence style. You can take textiles (fabric, leatherette, burlap) and fit small frames, playing with the texture or print of the material. Even cuts of polyurethane pipes allow you to create an unusual and original decorative element. The mirror, decorated with small mirrors in the form of a mosaic or a flower, looks interesting.
The form
The shape of the mirror determines the types of frames suitable for decorating it. Wooden slats or skirting boards are only suitable for rectangular mirrors, because they cannot be bent. As for the round and oval mirrors, here the performer's fantasies have a place to roam. All the most original and interesting frame ideas available on the Internet are framed by round mirrors.
The most common type of decor for a round mirror is the sun, there are many ways for this: rulers and thin branches, newspaper tubes and knitting needles. Fancy-shaped mirrors (in the form of feathers, stars, animals, hearts) are best left without framesas they are quite decorated on their own.
Tips & Tricks
An obligatory detail that needs to be carefully considered is the frame attachment. This is especially important if the material for the decor was used heavy, and the frame turned out to be massive. To prevent the mirror from unexpectedly falling off the wall, the mount must be made secure. You may need to use additional backing. You will definitely need high-quality glue, for example, for a glue gun, liquid nails.
You can attach the mirror to the wall using a pendant or cord. You can make holes in the substrate behind the mirror, then the fastening is done on the self-tapping screws pre-screwed into the wall. A pendant or cord can be made part of the decor, for example, if the frame is made of braided rope. There are a lot of options, it all depends on the features of the mirror sheet.
You will learn more about how to make a frame for a mirror with your own hands in the following video.
Beautiful examples and options
Below are interesting and unusual options for self-decor of frames for mirrors.
