Looking for something easy and inexpensive to add a little something extra to your bathroom? This DIY bathroom mirror revamp is the perfect solution. It may be inexpensive but will look like you spent more much than you really did.
The mirror I used was actually part of our living room mantle when we moved into our home. They had built it in horizontally across the top above our fireplace. Well the mirror was one of the first things to go when we moved in. My husband would not have it any other way. He really did despise it. But being the crafter that I am and always trying to find a way to repurpose things, I had him keep it and not trash it. I just knew I could find a good use for a mirror. I had placed it in our master bathroom for a full-length mirror to use when getting dressed.
But something had always been missing. I did not like the color of the wood frame around it the entire time but just dealt with it. I finally decided enough was enough!
I thought I could always stain the wood frame around it or paint it but the frame around it was just blah. So why not get rid of the frame and add something completely different? That’s exactly what I did. I have some marble accessories on my bathroom counter for holding toothbrushes, cotton balls, q-tips, etc. My inspiration came from these to add a matching touch to the style I already had going and loved. I added “marble” look-a-like tiles around the frame and what a difference it made.
The mirror now looked so expensive and not homemade. I was also grateful to find my tiles on clearance at Lowes bringing the cost down even more. I am all about some clearance deals.
You will need:
Mirror
Tiles
Adhesive sealant
Scissors- if needed
You can use any mirror that you would like. As I said before my mirror had a wooden frame around it that was very easy to remove. There were a couple of thick “poster board type” boards on the back that were stapled down.
My husband used a knife to just cut down each side and remove them. Just be careful if using a knife.
Then I popped the mirror right out being careful of course to not break it.
If your mirror does not have any frame, then that is even better. You can just skip all of the above steps.
Now depending on what tiles you choose to use, the backing on them will be different. I had planned to cut down the middle of the tiles between each one to separate them. The tiles easily peeled off of the backing.
As you can see below, there was some backing that was left on each tile. Do not worry. The tiles still stuck to the mirror without any problems.
Because my mirror was not hanging, I layed it down in the bathroom floor before moving on. If your mirror is hanging then you may need to modify the below steps a little bit.
Now before gluing down your tiles, be sure to lay out your tiles around the mirror. If you do not have a lay out first, you may find once you are already gluing that you will not have enough room to finish outlining one side. If your mirror is hanging or attached to the wall and cannot be removed, then measure your tiles and then measure your mirror to figure out where to glue your tiles.
For example, I made the mistake of just immediately gluing tiles to the top border of the mirror without first measuring and laying out all my tiles. I did not notice it being a problem until I got down one side to the bottom and noticed that my last tile would not have enough room to be glued on and would fall off. It was only a small mistake and, I was able to space the rest of the tiles on that side the tiniest bit so it is not noticeable. Plus it is at the bottom and no one would probably even notice it if I did not pick it out. I started stressing so take my advice and be sure to take that extra step. It is worth it. I would hate to have to try to peel off the tiles once the glue is starting to set. What a gooey mess!
Using whatever adhesive sealant you choose, place about a dime size of glue on the back of your tile.
Immediately lay the tile down in the correct position and press it down holding it for several seconds to help the glue adhere. If your mirror is attached to the wall, then you may need to hold the tile in place a little longer to be sure it does not start slipping off and falling.
Continue gluing your tiles on the mirror until the borders are completely covered. If your mirror is hanging or attached to the wall, you may also want to use a strong type of tape such as painters tape or duct tape to place across the tile and onto the wall. This will also help the tiles to stay adhered to the mirror and not slip off especially on the top border.
Let your adhesive sealant or glue completely dry before trying to hang. I let my mirror sit for at least 24 hours before hanging or even standing up. At first I thought my sealant was not going to be strong enough because they wanted to wiggle a little bit when I would press on them. But with some patience, they sealed to the mirror perfectly and weren’t wiggling.
The last part is to just simply hang your mirror if not already hanging. Step back and enjoy a new addition to your bathroom that was simple to make and totally inexpensive. I love the idea of being able to revamp something in my house for very little money but making it look as though it was very expensive.
I use my full-length mirror in the bathroom all the time and love the new look of the marble. You could never buy a mirror like this in the store for as cheap as it was for me to make it. Plus I was able to recycle that old mirror we found when we moved into our house which makes me even happier.
Enjoy your new revamped mirror whether it is in your bathroom or anywhere else in your home, but also don’t forget to enjoy the little things in life!
Also if you have not already, please join me on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter. I would love to hear from you with any comments, suggestions, or ideas you may have.
