I’m excited to share with you a pretty cool DIY project today. I was contacted by our local Habitat Greater Orlando ReStore to create something “new” in honor of Earth Day coming up. Make sure you scroll down because there are 3 other projects to check out from my fellow Central Florida DIY bloggers. Jon and I are always transforming old items and making them new again. We’ve shared how to upcycle and upholster a chair, a bench, and a media stand to name a few. We love giving items a fresh new look and boy did I do that with my DIY Rustic Decorative Mirror.
In case you aren’t familiar with the Habitat for Humanity ReStores… The Habitat Greater Orlando ReStore offers a variety of products for DIY projects – from household goods to home décor and furniture. The store also accepts donations of these gently used goods. All proceeds support Habitat’s mission of providing affordable homes for families in need. In 2013, more than 1,396, 800 pounds – or 28 fully loaded dump trucks – of usable household items were diverted from Central Florida landfills because of donated goods.
I had my fierce little helper with me the day I visited my local ReStore. Not only did we pick up supplies for today’s project, but we also found some children’s books and a helmet for Ryder! They have a wide variety of items at the ReStore, not just DIY supplies. Think food, diapers, some clothing. The sky is the limit as to what they have!
Now, let’s get on to the project. I worked on this project over the course of a day. However, had I had uninterrupted time (huh, what’s that) I would have had this start to finish completed in less than 2 hours tops.
Supplies:
- Mirror
- 1 package of wood shims
- sand paper
- paint brush
- Martha Stewart Crafts Acrylic Paints (Beetle Black, Arrowhead Chalkboard Paint, Gray Wolf, Chestnut Brown)
- pencil
- table saw
- Hot Glue and Glue Gun
- Wire and Needle Nose Pliers
First up, I took sand paper to each shim and lightly sanded so that the surface would be a little bit smoother when I went to paint.
Next up, time to paint. I did the dry brush method streaking on a tiny bit of paint as I went… mixing and coming up with my own color combos.
Once the shims were dry (which take maybe 15 minutes tops) it was time to make the cuts. Jon helped me figure out measurements and cut the wood.
Ryder sat outside the garage in his new wagon he got for his birthday and watched Elmo while we worked! *Please don’t leave comments about babies and screen time. We rarely ever let him watch tv let alone use the phone, but in a pinch we whip it out as a “treat”.
Jon cut each individual shim with the table saw.
We continued to fit the pieces of wood shims around the mirror like a puzzle.
We brought the cut shims and mirror back into the house. I painted half the backs of the inside shims. I did this so when it hangs over the mirror you’ll see a color and not the blond wood.
Next up, hot glue each shim on to the existing mirror frame.
Carefully, set each shim in place.
The mirror didn’t come with picture frame wire, so Jon added some on to the back of the frame.
There you have it in all it’s rustic decorative glory!
Jon was super impressed with my mirror project. He had no clue what I was talking about when I was trying to explain to him what I wanted to do. But after he saw it come together he was sold.
This is currently in our guest bathroom; however, we think we might move it into Ryder’s room because we love it so much!
And here I am… photographing the mirror. One thing that I hate photographing is mirrors! All together this project cost a little over $10 to remake! I know if you were shopping at a store you would find a mirror like this for well over $100!
If you liked my project make sure you check out the rest of the amazing project from today’s Habitat for Humanity ReStore Blog Hop:
Spring Jello Mold Wreath from Shaken Together
Rustic Lift Top Coffee Table Top from HypeOrlando
DIY Tripod Floor Lamp from While They Snooze
The Habitat for Humanity ReStore has a deal just for our readers! For every reader that donates to the ReStore and mentions that you read the blog post on Sew Woodsy during your visit, the store will provide $5 off their purchase of $20 or more.
Disclaimer: I received a store credit to purchase the bulk of my supplies. I did not receive any other compensation. As always all opinions are my own.