How to Make a Wood Frame Mirror

Shopping for new mirrors, but don’t like the expensive price tag? Large mirrors can cost well over $100, so instead of buying a new one, make your own wood mirror frame.

We share all of the details needed to make a wood frame mirror with scrap wood. A framed mirror is easy to install and is inexpensive, but it dramatically changes the look of a bathroom.

How do you frame a mirror with wood?

Framing a mirror is much easier and cheaper than you think. You might even have most of the supplies on hand already, so you don’t have to spend money to make this project.

A mirror can be framed with any type of thin wood then adhered with glue and painters tape.

Adding a mirror frame is an easy way to take a bathroom up a notch with minimal cost and work.

It doesn’t always have to be a massive reno project to add value to your home! It’s the simple detail that can make the difference sometimes.

We had scrap wood taking up space in our garage and an old mirror, so we didn’t have to spend any money to make this rustic wood frame mirror.

Mirror Frame Shopping Checklist:

• Loctite
• Caulk Gun
• Painter’s tape
• Baseboard or other wood for frame

How to Cut the Wood Bathroom Mirror Frame

I used a decorative mirror for the half bathroom that I had laying in my basement because the original mirror was oval.

The frame on the decorative mirror did not go with my half bathroom, so I removed the plastic frame.

Then I measured the mirror and cut the pieces of wood to length instead of cutting the wood at a 45 degree angle.

I was going for a rustic look in this half bathroom, so I did not want it to look perfect

Once I made all the cuts for the frame, I stained this wood with 2 different stains.

Notching the Wood Frame

After your wood pieces are cut, you might run into the issue of the mounts holding the mirror up.

There will probably be 4 of them – 2 on the top and 2 on the bottom.

The first step is to hold the long frame pieces up to the mirror then draw an outline on the wood where the clips will align on the frame.

Definitely make the outline bigger because, it gives you some play so the frame actually aligns.

Cutting Around Mirror Clips

Now you’ll want to chisel out a gap in the frame where you traced your clips.

I used a multi tool to carefully make small etches in the wood, then made etches in the other direction so it was like a tiny checker board.

After that, I just “dug it out” with a chisel and hammer, again careful to not puncture the front side.

Then I had to make sure it was deep enough that the frame was flush against the mirror.

Make sure you dry fit your frame to make sure everything aligns before adhering it.

How to Paint or Stain the Wood Framed Mirror

After the frame has been cut to size, give the frame a light sanding then wipe down to begin painting.

I recommend painting or staining the mirror frame after all of the cuts have been made.

After sanding the wood and wiping it down, I stained the frame with a grey wood stain.

Followed by a 2nd stain to give the mirror a rustic wood finish.

Staining the Wood

I stained the mirror frame a with one coat of weathered gray stain then let it dry before staining again with a dark stain.

The nice thing about doing multiple stains is that you don’t have to go to the store and buy another can of stain.

If you don’t love how the first coat of stain came out, either add another coat of the same stain or use a different stain directly over top.

Attaching the Wood Mirror Frame

I used Loctite – Mirror, Marble, and Granite Adhesive to attach the scrap wood mirror over the existing bathroom mirror.

Simply Loctite to back of each wood frame piece in a wave pattern then firmly press the frame in place.

After the wood mirror frame has been correctly lined up, use painter’s tape to hold the mirror in place for about 48 hours.

I love how to mirror frame came out and it didn’t even cost me anything because everything use was scrap.

If you are looking for other affordable ways to update your bathroom, here are some ideas!

We also made the matching floating shelves above the toilet. These shelves are super easy and can be made from scrap wood too!

For additional tips and tricks on how to make a wood mirror frame, you might find Ashley’s mirror guide helpful on her Joyfully Growing Blog.