DIY Shim Mirror

Hey Friends!  Today we're going back to Heather's bar area and I am going to show you how I created a striking mirror to enhance the space and provide a fun drawing board for her kids!





Buying cool, large mirrors from design stores can be super expensive and you don't always find exactly what you're looking for.  I wanted something pretty unique for this space, so I felt like a custom piece was certainly needed.

Here's what I used to create the look:
- frameless 16in X 60in mirror from Home Depot (you can use any size mirror- you'll just cut your frame to size)
- (3) 6 ft 1X4 pine boards
- wood shims
- Rit Dye
- gold, silver, and white spray paint
- construction adhesive
- wood glue
- finish nailer or drill
- brad nailer (optional)
- chop saw

First, I cut my pine boards to size with a chop saw.  I knew that I was working with a 16in x 60in mirror so I cut the boards based on that. I mitered the edges (cut them at 45 degree angles).



Then I used wood glue and the finish nailer to put the frame together. If you don't have a finish nailer you can use flat brackets, a drill, and screws to construct the frame instead (like I did here).



Next it was time to paint the frame.  I knew there may be spots that would be visible since I was going to use shims (an imperfect cut of wood) over the top of the frame, so I opted to paint it gold.  I love gold!!



Next I took batches of shims and painted some gold, some silver, and some white.  I also dyed some blue and others green.

Once my shims were dry I started to lay them out on the frame.  When I got a look I was happy with I began gluing and nailing the shims onto the frame.  I used construction adhesive rather than wood glue here because 1. the paint on the frame (wood glue works best when it's bare wood to bare wood).  2. Construction adhesive fills gaps better than wood glue.  Since the surface of the shims was not perfectly smooth, the thicker construction adhesive would be able to bond the imperfect surfaces.



Once the shims were glued in place, I came back with a brad nailer to add extra holding power.  If you don't have a brad nailer, the construction adhesive should work. Just make sure you put something heavy on top of the piece while it dries and allow it to dry fully before handeling.

Once all your shims are in place and the glue has dried, it's time to attach your mirror the back.  Use mirror clips and screw to put the mirror in place on the back of your frame.





And there you have it!  A unique, custom, and colorful mirror that will liven up any space!





I love the how the dye on the shims still allows the wood grain to show through while providing that pop of color!  I also like how the shims give the mirror a fun texture.  Due to their shape and how I placed them on the frame, it almost looks like they go in waves (this is much more visible in person), which is perfect for our sea inspired space! :)