Easy DIY Sunburst Mirror From Lamp Shade

Doris Ofori
by Doris Ofori
This DIY is so easy and costs less than $10. A pleated lampshade has already done more than half of the job for you when you use it to make your sunburst mirror.
Before
This was an old hard pleated lamp shade someone had gotten rid off, so I go it for free.
Put aside the inside part
This shade has 2 layers. The pleated outside part and the inside layer is plain, often brittle if old. You only need the outside pleated layer
Find a piece of cardboard
Hold the center of the pleated shade in your hand and press it down on your card board and it will flare out. Using a pencil, trace out the circumference.
Put the shade aside and apply 2 to 3 layers of contact cement on the traced out area on the cardboard. Allow the glue to become partially dry between each application. For the last application, allow the glue to become tacky.
Gently pick up the shade and placing it in the center of your glue applied area, press it open and place some books on it and allow it to dry.
Cut off the excess cardboard and spray paint the shade making sure you paint inside the folds. Apply about 2 to 3 coats. Allow shade to dry.After
When thoroughly dry, apply some mirror adhesive slightly smaller than the diameter of your mirror to the center of your opened out shade.. Place the back side of the mirror on it and allow it to dry.
Cut a diamond hole about 2" from the edge. Caution: make sure you do not cut the shade but the cardboard only.
After
Hand on the wall from a small nail.
After
I only paid for the mirror which was about $2 and the paint and glue . This project cost me under $5.
Doris Ofori
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
  1 question
  • Linda Linda on Jun 17, 2019

    Do the ridges in the shade get flattened with the weight placed on them to glue to cardboard?

    If so, are they uniformly flattened?

    Love the idea and recycle !

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