DIY Sunburst Mirror

Andrea
by Andrea
I've been looking for a round mirror for the stenciled wall in the dining room but have had no such luck. We tried a larger piece of art on that wall but the colors and patterns didn't mesh well with the stencil already there. I needed something dark and pretty solid to stand out against the stencil. I decided a sunburst mirror would fit this space nicely.
I made one for my daughter's room with skewers but knew that one would be too small for this spot. I wanted it to be thick and dark. After seeing several versions, I decided to use paint sticks. They are free and thick enough to make an impact on the wall. I had some extra in the garage at home since we had started painting other rooms in the house already. I would always grab a couple extra on each paint trip to Home Depot. I also bought a 12 inch round beveled mirror from Hobby Lobby. It was half off candles sale so it came to $4.00.
I stained the front and sides of each stick.
After they were dry, I laid my sticks out to see what pattern I wanted and to get the spacing right. You can see where I drew some guide lines to help but ended up not using the lines. I just tried to get the space between them as even as possible. Once this was done, I started gluing each one on the back of the mirror. Remember to use tiny dots with gorilla glue. It expands as it dries. I marked a line on each stick to make sure they were the same distance from the edge of the mirror. This row would be in the front so I had to cut the rounded, handle side off. I just scored with wire cutters and snapped off the end.
I staggered the back row and glued them on the backs of the front row. You couldn't see the round edges here so I left them full length.
After all the sticks were in place, I glued a picture hanger to the back and left overnight to dry. I sat a box and trash can on top to make sure it bonded tight.


I love how the dark wood contrasts against the stencil. You can see the wood grain through the stain.
The mirror fills this space nicely. This project only cost me $4.00, the price of the mirror.
Andrea
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  • Charlotte Fennell Charlotte Fennell on Sep 01, 2020

    Fabulous job! Looks expensive and beautiful! I really like the dark color of the sticks. Can’t wait to do this project with our craft group. Great idea to use paint sticks. 🎊🥰🎉

  • Joanie Joanie on Dec 13, 2020

    I happen to like your mirror made out of stained paint sticks!! I think it is quite beautiful in your dining room. Ask your friend above who made fun of the paint sticks.......what is her latest project?????

  • Pamela Pamela on Mar 19, 2021

    Did you use gorilla hot glue?

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