Creating a Child's Mirror Using Upcycled Toys
Toys, toys and lots of toys, what are you supposed to do with all of those collectable toys? Well how about make children's decor out of them? I recycled a small lamp in the past to create a custom toy themed children's lamp! I did the lamp gig now I'm ready to move on... I know, I'll try creating a custom mirror! I'll be using items obtained at the local non -profit thrift store to upcycle for this project.
A mirror with one hook broken, a bag full of colorful, hard plastic toys, clear silicone and touch up paint if needed for the frame. This will be so easy to create, no adulting type skills needed! See they are already laughing at my jokes, I'm thinking they laugh at everything though!
They were toys that came with meals but what I learned in digging up a little background on them is very interesting. They started all because a child asked his dad way back in 1971, "what does a tickle look like?" The Mr. series was then created by his dad who was a British illustrator, the Miss series started ten years later and both were very successful and well-loved.
I pulled from the group those that resembled little kids, the other abstract shaped ones I set aside. Next I laid them along the edge of the frame to see what placement appealed to me.
Once I was pleased with the look, one by one they were glued into their assigned spot. The glue is a silicone product I use often, it has a strong vinegar- like odor but I'm not sensitive to it and I have many smell sensitivities.
The characters are very light weight but they have curved backs so I was generous with the glue to create a type of pocket for them once the glue dried.
Normally this product would be applied with the aid of a calking gun but since I hadn't used this product for awhile it was removed from the tool. I devised a way to get the glue out without it by just pushing the bottom up with my fingers.
This was just a quick way to use it in my mind and it made it so easy to squeeze out tiny amounts.
The last two that I glued in place at the top seemed a bit more wobbly when they were laid down. My solution was with the aid of my utility knife I carefully shaved some material off the center back to make it less curved.
Very little was removed but it made a big difference to the character when she was fitted in place.
Here's a short video sharing my thought process for this project.
How adorable is that? It's colorful, comical and so cute!
So starting at the top left going clockwise there's Miss Chatterbox, Miss Bad, Miss Fun, Mr. Perfect, Miss Scatterbrain, Miss Bad twin (haha), Miss Wise, Mr. Clever (him and Miss Wise will likely get together), Miss Scatterbrain twin and lastly Miss Naughty!
I removed the paper from the mirror and just hung it on a temporary hook to show you how it looks as a working mirror! The kids are firmly stuck onto the frame and for a bedroom accent, a daycare, even a pediatric office it's perfectly suited.
Did I mention how hard it is to photograph a mirror without you distracting you by its reflection? Lol! I managed a way...don't ask how but I contorted and retorted myself...if that's even a thing? The kids are still getting a kick outta me too so that's a great perk to the job!
As mentioned at the outset this is done with charity donated items to reuse for future charity purposes, maybe this one will be perfectly adorable in the kids play area and the non-profit café! A huge bonus is that all of the items were rescued and saved from ending up in a landfill!
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