Reclaimed Wood Mirror Project

by Mary (Cottage B at Home ~ Vintage Country Living)

If you've got any weathered or unpainted picket fencing lying around, then you've got the perfect materials to make a rustic frame for an unframed mirror.

reclaimed wood mirror project, diy, fences, repurposing upcycling, wall decor, woodworking projects

We had a blank wall at the upstairs landing directly above a bench intended for putting shoes on or just hanging out while waiting. The angled ceiling had been creating some issues for us as we tried unsuccessfully to find the right size framed mirror, when my husband suddenly got the inspired idea to make a frame out of some old, weathered picket fencing we had lying around and to combine it with an unframed mirror we had down in the cellar, which miraculously turned out to be the perfect size for the space.

A linen bench cushion, previously purchased to complement the other linen textures throughout the upstairs, seemed like it would harmonize well with the weathered wood, and I think you’ll agree from the after pictures that the textures and colors combine beautifully.

Here are the instructions for making this frame, courtesy of my handy husband:

1. Find old weathered wood. A real bonus to using weathered wood is that it’s super-lightweight! This was an old white cedar picket fence in sections. The pickets were about 3.5 inches wide x 4-5 feet long.

2. Remove the pickets from the fence section. Find the good parts of the wood, and if there’s any rotting wood at the bottom, cut it off with a saw. Measure out the desired frame lengths. These were measured to fit our particular mirror, which is about 3 feet high x 2 feet wide.

3. Cut the angles at 45 degrees.

4. Attach the frame together using a couple of flat metal L brackets on the back. This will hold the corners together tightly.

5. Finally, since this type of frame is meant to hook on to the front of the mirror, which was already hanging on the wall unframed, I needed to create a way to securely hook the frame onto the front of the mirror. To do this, I used a piece of wood with a groove already cut into it and attached it to the back of the frame at the top. The grooved piece of wood rests on the front of the mirror and voila — instant mirror frame!

NOTE: In this case, the mirror itself was very heavy, so instead of hanging the mirror to sheet rock, which could potentially create a safety hazard, I took the thick wire at the back of the mirror and securely attached it into a cross-brace between the wall studs.

And here’s how the mirror looks after installation:

Well, I’ve gotta hand it to my husband ~ the picket fence mirror frame turned out fantastic! The weathered wood and uneven nail holes give it great character, and the framed mirror and bench combination gives our upstairs landing a more welcoming feel.

So don’t throw out that old picket fence! You never know how it might come in handy later on. If you have any questions about how to make this mirror, don’t hesitate to ask!