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Home » DIY Projects » DIY Antique Mirror Makeover

DIY Antique Mirror Makeover

July 24, 2014 | By Jenna Sue DIY Projects

Want to learn how to turn a plain Ikea mirror into a DIY ‘antique’ mirror?

transforming a plain ikea mirror into a vintage mirror tutorial

We’ve had this Ikea Mongstad mirror for as long as I can remember. There’s nothing wrong with it, it’s just a little too plain and modern for my ever-evolving taste. I’m trying to incorporate more vintage/farmhouse style pieces into our home, and only keep things I really love. This mirror wasn’t special—it was just taking up space.

I’ve been drooling over these beautiful mirrors everywhere on Pinterest…

Source
Source
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Such lovely detail…

Source

So the other day as I was browsing the trim aisle at Lowe’s (my second home), an idea popped into my head when I spotted this fancy molding…

I could simply attach it to the mirror by framing it out and I’d have my own vintage-esque shabby chic mirror. Easy.

Table of Contents

  • Materials list
  • Measure and cut your molding along the outside edge
  • Attach outside molding to mirror with a nail gun
  • Repeat for the next row
  • Repeat for the last row(s)
  • Spackle and caulk
  • Sand + wipe clean
  • Paint
  • Apply a dark stain
  • DIY Antique mirror dresser reveal

Materials list

  • Plain mirror with a flat frame
  • Variety of molding

I ended up selecting three pieces of the expensive molding (at $19/peice) and cut costs using primed MDF baseboard for the second row (I already had some at home so I only needed two pieces), and then two pieces of skinny detailed molding which were just $5 each. The total came to around $75.

After laying out my pattern, it was time to start cutting.

Measure and cut your molding along the outside edge

The fancy molding was actually crown, which meant the edges were angled and not straight (to avoid this, make sure to choose wall molding!) I wanted the trim to line up flush with the edge of the mirror, so I ripped it down with my table saw.

Here you can see the uncut molding on the top, and the ripped piece below it.

Once those pieces were all ripped, it was time to make my cuts. Simple stuff—45° for every cut.

The mirror already had a seam on each angle so it was easy to see where the molding should line up.

adding detailed molding to a flat mirror

Attach outside molding to mirror with a nail gun

I worked my way around the mirror, piece by piece, and used my nail gun to secure them in place.

how to diy a vintage floor mirror

Repeat for the next row

Then it was time for the next row—the baseboards. In order to get the third row to fit without overlapping, the baseboards also had to be ripped down 3/8″ or so. After trimming those to size, I attached them to the mirror, the same way I attached the first section.

Repeat for the last row(s)

Finally, I finished off with the inside pieces.

diy vintage mirror closeup detail

Spackle and caulk

After everything was secure, it was time to fill the nail holes and caulk all of the seams.

how to make a diy vintage floor mirror

Sand + wipe clean

Once dry, I used my Mouse sander to get everything nice and smooth:

diy vintage mirror closeup detail

Paint

After vacuuming up all the dust, it was time to paint! I applied a couple coats of Kelly Moore’s Swiss Coffee in satin using my angled brush and let it dry:

diy vintage mirror closeup detail

Apply a dark stain

To give the mirror more of an authentic vintage look, I had to distress it. I wanted little peeks of black showing through (like my detail inspiration photo earlier) but the wood underneath wasn’t black, so sanding it wouldn’t give me that result. So I grabbed a q-tip, a can of Minwax’s ebony stain, and dabbed it on randomly:

Even though it was applied on top of paint, it still stuck surprisingly well. Once dry, I went back over it with my brush, letting hints of the stain show through in certain areas.

diy vintage mirror closeup detail

I wanted the distressing to be subtle and this method worked quite well.

DIY Antique mirror dresser reveal

I don’t think $75 is a bad investment to get this type of detail… big floor mirrors in a similar style are sold for a whole lot more.

diy white vintage floor mirror closeup
white vintage floor mirror makeover

And it makes me happy. So that’s definitely worth it.

Related posts:

How to Make a Sink Drip Rail
DIY Kitchen Cabinets Reveal with Nieu Cabinet Doors
How to Add Decorative Toe Kicks to your Kitchen Cabinets
Previous Post: « Master Makeover: Trim, Rug, Dresser & More…
Next Post: Master Makeover: DIY Plain to Paneled Door »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Michelle Morgan-Gillen says

    July 29, 2014 at 6:26 pm

    Awesome!!!

  2. Lily Brodzinski says

    July 26, 2014 at 6:57 pm

    AHH love love love the transformation! I also totally love how your post photos have little, fluffy photo-bombers in them 🙂 your kitties are the sweetest!

  3. Jackie says

    July 26, 2014 at 6:06 pm

    Wow wow wow… great tutorial Jenna! Love this soo much.

  4. Rucha says

    July 25, 2014 at 12:03 am

    Love it! It complements the chandelier beautifully.

  5. Kristi Mercer says

    July 24, 2014 at 10:16 pm

    What an AMAZING transformation Jenna!!! SO excited to share it with my favorite posts of the week tomorrow at http://www.makingitinthemountains.com! Wishing you SUCH a fabulous weekend!

  6. Deana Fruth says

    July 24, 2014 at 6:18 pm

    You and the mirror idea – Brillant! Love the idea of using what you have and making it what you want!!

  7. The Hartland says

    July 24, 2014 at 6:17 pm

    WOW! That looks awesome!!! Now I want to go redo mine!

  8. Jenna Sue says

    July 24, 2014 at 5:39 pm

    Yep, it did! We bought it years ago though. It could easily work in expresso though—I ended up sanding and painting the sides that were exposed and there were no issues.

  9. Kristel says

    July 24, 2014 at 5:35 pm

    Love it, turned out beautiful, and so very unique. Did the mirror come in white? I have only seen the espresso color.

  10. Anonymous says

    July 24, 2014 at 3:45 pm

    You are a MARVEL.

  11. Lisa @ Fern Creek Cottage says

    July 24, 2014 at 3:04 pm

    What a wonderful transformation!

  12. Jenna Sue says

    July 24, 2014 at 2:52 pm

    $100—great deal for a huge mirror 🙂 https://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/00081591/

  13. tramnelson says

    July 24, 2014 at 2:41 pm

    Simple project, but what an impact. Great job!

  14. Dara says

    July 24, 2014 at 2:41 pm

    How much did the plain mirror originally cost? Just curious what the total cost would be if you had to get the mirror too.

  15. Aimee Rose says

    July 24, 2014 at 2:23 pm

    Looks great, love the character that it added, much more interesting than the before!

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Hi, I’m Jenna and I’ve been designing and DIY’ing my way through homes since 2008. Join me as I learn, share my experience, and hopefully encourage/inspire you along the way!

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