Making a frame for a mirror with your own hands: the choice of material and design examples

Modern man can hardly imagine his life without a mirror. Someone in the apartment has it only in the bathroom, others in the hallway, someone needs to see their reflection in each room. If you do not want to buy a factory frame for a mirror, the soul requires something unusual, you can make it yourself. This is easy: you can weave a frame of rope, wrapped in a bright cloth with a print, decorate with pasta. A mirror in a frame made by hand will add comfort and uniqueness to the room in which it will be located.

Deciding to create a frame for the mirror yourself, it is important to imagine what it will be. Often it is the lack of selling original and beautiful mirrors for sane money that leads creative people to the idea of ​​making it with their own hands.And the abundance of interesting ideas in this thought strengthens. The result of labor can look professional. The mirror in the industrial frame may become imperceptible in the space of the room, an unusual framing can fix this. Virtually any mirror is suitable for decoration: in a wide frame like posters and photographs, in a factory unremarkable frame and even without it.

There are several rules that must be followed when decorating an interior with mirrors. Only mirrors of the correct shape should be placed in the frame.: round, oval or square.

The shape of the frame should be in harmony with the decor of the room as a whole. For example, in a room designed in the style of a classic, a mirror with moldings from molding will look good. Modern trends in room design will complement the frame of a geometric shape, with pictures. To expand the space is ideal to take a few mirrors in narrow frames.

The product, decorated in volume and rich, should be the only one in the room. (if, of course, the room is not furnished in the art deco style, or its area is not so large that it allows you to arrange several mirrors without the risk of overloading the design with details).This kind of work requires from the performer not so much professionalism and special skills in a certain area, but rather a developed artistic taste and creativity.

The frame style for the hand-made mirror should match the style of the room. The design also depends on the style: for example, a mirror in a wooden frame with carvings will fit perfectly into a room decorated in a rustic direction; the decor on the frame in the form of a mosaic will decorate a minimalist bath.

In order not to overdo it with an abundance of parts, it is better to work in one technique, using one type of material. There are no restrictions - you can work in a technique that is well known. You can try yourself in something completely atypical. Decoupage, paper lace, rope weaving - in each of these techniques you can create a real masterpiece. Of course, a forged frame or mahogany model is unlikely to succeed if the performer had not previously worked in such a technique. However, there are many affordable and relatively inexpensive materials, of which you can make an unusual element of the decor of the mirror.

The simplicity of the decor does not suit everyone.In this case, you can refer to non-standard solutions in the design of mirrors. Decoupage will help support the vintage style indoors, the decor with crossed slats will create an element in the style of Provence. If you have the skills, you can create a baroque-style frame of gold-painted ceiling plinth or wooden slats. If you try, you can give it a vintage look, covering, for example, with a patina.

If you stick beans, pumpkin seeds, rice, or buttons of different color and size to the base made of plastic or wood, you get a chebbi-chic frame that remains relevant for several years. To keep these items firmly on the frame, you need to work using a reliable adhesive base: double-sided tape or painting primer.

There is a huge number of master classes on decorating mirrors. If you take the general principles, production of any frame for a mirror consists of 4 stages:

• preparation of tools and materials;
• taking measurements;
• assembly;
• decorating.

At the initial stage, you need to immediately determine the room in which you plan to hang the mirror. If it is a kitchen or bathroom, some materials will have to be abandoned. Not all of them are compatible with high humidity. For example, a wooden plinth quickly dampens, metal elements are susceptible to corrosion. Cereals with pasta will not work either: it will not work to protect them from mold or fungus. It is better in this case to use polystyrene foam, which is distinguished by high moisture resistance.

Near the central heating radiators, on the contrary, it is necessary to place frames made of materials resistant to heat and not subject to drying. Plastic in this case will not work. When heated, it is able to release harmful toxins into the air, which can affect health over time.

Before you begin, you need to calculate the required amount of materials, as well as purchase consumables (for example, glue, putty, sealant, varnish, brushes). It is important not to damage or stain the mirror during decorating events.Therefore, before embarking on the creative process, it is better to paste over the joints of the frame and mirror with masking tape. So it will remain whole and not get dirty.

If you intend to work with a tree, you need to consider that it in itself needs a minimum of decoration: it already has shade, texture, drawing. To decorate the frame, it is enough to assemble it and varnish the tree. In working with this material, it is important not to spoil its structure by decorating. Nevertheless, some techniques, such as aging, can look advantageous on a wooden frame.

And there is no difficulty in doing it yourself. Moreover, wood is one of the most convenient materials to use. You can use ready rails and chipboard, transverse and longitudinal cuts, branches, branches, even large chips. In the presence of all the materials, it is the wooden frame that is the thing from the “take and do” category (no preparatory work is required, and special subsequent processing, too).

If you plan to work with improvised materials (buttons, cereals, shells, stones) it is extremely important to glue them well and firmly onto the frame.Fans of scrapbooking will be interested in making a frame in this technique (using ribbons, beads, beads, dried flowers, lace). An interesting technique is a mosaic. For her need to purchase tiled grout. In this technique, you can create modern frames, elegant objects in the Byzantine style (it all depends on what tile to take to work). Mosaic tiles are resistant to moisture and heat, a mirror in such a frame can be placed in any corner of the house.

Large, massive frames, possibly carved or patterned, are better suited to decorate a large mirror. As for the frame for a tabletop or a hand-held mirror, it is better if it is decorative, elegant. Perhaps it will be inlaid with sparkling stones or a pattern on polymer clay, shells or buttons. It is possible to decorate a round mirror of a small size with the help of an openwork napkin for a cake.

Decorating the floor mirror, the frame can be made from molding - ceiling plinth, covered with gold or silver paint, artificially aged with craquelure. If you have skills, you can decorate it with elements of plaster stucco.The frame for the mirror, located on the floor, can withstand heavy loads, therefore it is allowed to decorate it with more massive details.

Metal baguette and forged parts go well with the mirror surface, but this technique is suitable for those who have the appropriate skills of forging and welding. As for wooden or ceiling foam baguettes, their use will not cause difficulties and will not require special skills.

With regard to the choice of material for work, there are no restrictions, except for the artist's imagination. Everything around can go (from improvised means in the form of disposable plastic spoons, lace paper for cake to plywood or wooden slats, which are specially purchased for this purpose). You can take to work the materials remaining after the repair (for example, tiles, plinth, drywall). You can create a frame of arithmetic lines or old clothespins - there would be a desire.

For the first experience of finishing work it is better not to take expensive materials, for example, wenge wood or copper. Those activities that require special equipment and knowledge, such as making forged frames, should be left to specialists. It is not true that a beginner designer will not get a good frame out of ordinary wood. This is not true. Branches, branches, elements of the bark and sections of the trunk can serve as a material for a real art object. We need only good glue and varnish for processing the finished frame.

Aluminum cutlery, which has not been used for a long time, can become an original frame for a kitchen mirror. Wire or gold leaf will turn an ordinary mirror into a chic element of decor. You can decorate a mirror in a factory frame made of MDF with anything, for example, with stucco from a ceiling plinth, using gold, black and white paint (this way you can make an object in a non-curved and actual art deco style).

In 2017, a large mirror came into fashion. The old window or even the door frame perfectly decorates it, making it a truly unique example of the chebbi-chic or Provence style.You can take textiles (fabric, leatherette, burlap) and wrap around a small frame, beating the texture or print of the material. Even sections of polyurethane pipes allow you to create an unusual and original element of the decor. It looks interesting mirror, decorated with small mirrors in the form of a mosaic or a flower.

The shape of the mirror sets the types of frames suitable for decorating it. Wooden slats or ceiling plinths are suitable only for rectangular mirrors, because they will not bend. As for the mirrors of a round and oval shape, here the performer’s fantasies are where to roam. All the most original and interesting ideas of frames available on the Internet are framed by round mirrors.

The most common type of decor for a round mirror is the sun, there are many ways for this: rulers and thin branches, newspaper tubes and knitting needles. It is better to leave mirrors of the fantasy form (in the form of feathers, stars, animals, hearts) without frames, as they are sufficiently decorated by themselves.

Mandatory detail that must be carefully thought out - mounting frame. This is especially important if the material for the decoration was used heavy, and the frame turned out to be massive. In order for the mirror to not suddenly fall from the wall, the mount must be made reliable.You may have to use an additional substrate. Be sure to need high-quality glue, for example, under the glue gun, liquid nails.

You can attach the mirror to the wall with the help of a suspension, a cord. You can make holes in the substrate behind the mirror, then the mount is made on the screws that were previously screwed into the wall. Suspension or cord can be made part of the decor, for example, if the frame is made of braided rope. Options mass, it all depends on the characteristics of the mirror canvas.

Learn more about how to make a frame for a mirror with your own hands, you will learn from the following video.

Below are interesting and unusual options for self-decor frames for mirrors.