[…] We replaced the builder grade light with one that I think looks more modern farmhouse style. We also used this super easy tutorial to frame in the existing mirror! All that is left is to add some crown molding & possibly, maybe, most likely, in a future far […]

DIY Bathroom Mirror Frame
During our half bathroom makeover, I debated & debated whether or not to take down the builder grade mirror & replace it with a new one or to frame it in. In the end, the idea of taking it down scared me… I’m not great at wall repair & did I mention I started the whole bathroom project 4 days before we were hosting a 4th of July BBQ?! Yeah maybe that wasn’t my smartest decision, but I felt inspired & I thought the deadline would give me the push I needed to complete the project in a timely fashion. Good news is the project was finished at 1:00 a.m the morning of the party. So our guests got to enjoy full use of our brand new bathroom!
I decided that I wanted the frame to have a farmhouse vibe & be as easy as possible to accomplish. I stumbled upon Christina’s awesome Bathroom Mirror Post and decided this was the way to go! The only difference is that she bought her mirrors and framed them in & I had to frame in a mirror that was already hanging up.
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Supplies:
- Pine Boards (1x2s & 1x3s)
- Stain (Minwax Classic Gray&Pickled Oak)
- L Brackets 3in (I used these)
- Black Spray Paint (if your brackets are not already black)
- Adhesive
Now Let’s Get To Work:
- First, measure your mirror & decide whether for not you want the frame to sit on or around the outside of your existing mirror. I originally wanted mine to sit around the mirror. Due to some very very very silly measurement mistakes (I call this blonde moment #1) I had to go with framing on top of the mirror.
- After I bought the length I needed I came home & cut the 1x2s & 1x3s with my miter saw. The 1x2s will lay on their side on top of the 1x3s. My mistake came from how I measured, for some reason, I only measured the length & width of the exact size of the mirror, I don’t know why I didn’t add in extra length & width so the frame could sit outside of the mirror. I blame the deadline pressure & working with only one cup of coffee in my system. Some of you are probably thinking, why didn’t I just go buy more wood & start over, which I would have done but again, the deadline & I really hate wasting good wood.
- Once the cuts were made, I started staining. I started with of the pickled oak, brushing it on & letting it sit a few minutes. Then wipe it off with a cotton rag (I dropped the ball on the picture portion for this project, whoops). I probably did two coats with the pickled oak, letting the wood fully dry in between each one. Then, I started staining with the classic gray, same process as above, probably three coats total. My advice is to just mess around with the stain until you are happy it with!
- I started assembling the pieces once the stain was dry.
Place the wood like this:
Because I don’t have a Kreg Jig yet, (but it is on my birthday list, someone please remind my husband in case my daily hints aren’t enough) I had to attach the frame together with glue & nails….. I will be a professional someday I swear it! Start by piecing the 1×3 frame together. I glued the short 1×3 edges to the inside of the long 1×3 side pieces. Then, I assembled the 1×2 frame separately by gluing the short pieces to the inside of the longer side 1×2 pieces (don’t forget the 1×2 pieces are flipped onto their sides, not lying flat, 1in side facing up towards you). Once it set a little, I used the nail gun to reinforce the 1×2 frame together.
5. After both frames were assembled separately, I placed the 1×2 frame on top of the 1×3 frame & used the nail gun to attach the two frames together.
6. Next, I spray painted my L brackets with my satin black spray paint. I let them dry and then attached them to the inside corners of the 1x3s. This gave the frame a nice rustic look, plus provided extra support since they are only glued together. This is where I made my second whoops or blonde moment #2. Even though Christina mentioned in her post spray painting the screw tops I still forgot. So I just followed her lead & used a black sharpie to color them in!
7. Now it was time to hang the frame to the mirror. This is the part I dreaded, If you made your frame to sit outside the mirror then you can just nail the frame up, make sure you hit some studs, & you are done! If you are like me & need to glue the frame to the mirror itself, then here we go: I used an adhesive that is a little unconventional because in the past I have tried to use liquid nails & the frame was falling off within the week (sigh). I did not want to deal with that drama twice, so I used THIS multi-purpose floor adhesive. Use whatever you trust to hold, this has been holding up perfectly for a while now & still going strong! After you apply your adhesive to the edges of the frame, have someone hold the frame in place while you make sure its level. I held it tight for about 5 minutes, while Justin worked on bracing the mirror with tape and long 1x4s.
I let the bracing sit overnight and included it staying in place in my prayers. In the morning I removed the bracing, tape, & held my breath in order to make the frame stay in place (if you’re not breathing, the frame won’t fall, solid logic folks). After 30 seconds I couldn’t hold it any longer, ( I’m not Michael Phelps) I exhaled & the frame remained in place! Cue the happy dance! I am so in love with this mirror, it turned out even better than I thought it “wood”!
If you have any questions, comments, or your own DIY mirror pictures you want to share, drop them in the comments! I love hearing from you guys!

I love this! I’ve been looking for a a nice diy mirror for my vanity and this might be the one!
That’s great Hailey! Check back in & post a picture of what you come up with!