How to Create a Stunning Decorative Wall Mirror for Less Than $10

Tresha Armstrong
by Tresha Armstrong
2 Materials
$8
1 Hour
Easy

I've learned that a well-placed wall mirror can have a dramatic effect on the overall aesthetic and atmosphere of a living space. The kinds of metallic, sleek, and ornate mirrors that adorn the walls of interior designers and celebrities' homes have been popping up on the shelves of Home Depot and Pottery Barn in recent years. However, I find that the price tag for these can be a little steep, ranging from around $80 to $500.

I'm a firm believer in the idea of high fashion home decor being available to anyone, regardless of their budget. That's why I thought this kind of large wall mirror would be a perfect project to recreate at home on the cheap. For less than $10 I was able to get together all of the tools and materials needed to create a bold metallic wall mirror that wouldn't look out of place on the set of Empire or Dynasty. If you would like to see how I did it, so that you can try it for yourself at home, read on to find out!

Feeling inspired?

Create your own version with this pizza pan and faux coins that Amazon reviewers swear by!

DIY Decorative Mirror

Tools & Materials 

For my decorative wall mirror, I hardly had to use any tools and materials. Every single thing that I used on this project can be bought at Dollar Tree or Home Depot, and the total cost to create my mirror came to about $8, which is a fraction of what it costs to buy a mirror in a similar design at a homeware store. Of course, I opted for quite a specific design for my mirror, which explains some of the materials I decided to use. If you have taken inspiration from a different type of wall mirror, then feel free to find different crafty materials that will help you achieve the look. Here's what I used: 


  • A 13-inch metal pizza tray from the Dollar Tree. Since I was creating a round wall mirror and wanted to achieve that sleek metallic look that I've been seeing a lot, I figured a simple pizza tray would make an ideal base for the mirror. 
  • Six packs of plastic party favor coins from the Dollar Tree. This is what I used to create the oversized outside of the actual mirror. If you are looking at different designs, Dollar Tree has lots of other cheap party favor items that will work in this DIY guide too. 
  • A candle mirror from Dollar Tree. This is what I used as the actual mirror component of my piece. 
  • A Gorilla Glue gun. I find a hot glue gun like this to be the most effective way to stick down lots of small items in one place, with minimal spillage.
  • Design Master Rose Gold Paint Spray. I had this leftover from a previous project, but you can pick some up for yourself from Home Depot for a couple of dollars. 
  • Command Strips. I also had these lying around the house, but you can pick up some mounting strips from Dollar Tree for the same effect. 
  • A heat gun. This is an optional tool you can use to dry out the hot glue and reduce the chance of unsightly glue strings on the coins. 
Gather Your Materials

Gather Your Materials


The first step I took was to gather all of my materials in one place, as this is a project that can be completed in less than an hour. Since I knew I was going to be using a lot of hot glue and spray paint for this one, I made sure to lay down a roll of sheeting on the flat surface I was using, to prevent my furniture and floors from getting stained. I also opened all of the windows in the room where I was working, as the fumes from the spray paint can make me a little dizzy sometimes. Once I had all of my materials laid out in front of me, I was ready to get started. 

Find the Center and Trace

Find the Center of the Pan and Trace the Mirror


Since I was creating a round wall mirror, I knew it was important to make sure that the mirror had to be perfectly positioned in the center of the pizza tray, otherwise, the whole thing would look off! To do this, I simply used a tape measure to figure out the width and length of the pizza tray and then mark with a line exactly where to center point of the tray is. Once I cracked this, I took my candle mirror, which I would be sticking down onto the tray later, and traced around it with a Sharpie pen. The resulting circle told me exactly where the mirror would be going later, allowing me to decorate around it knowing exactly how much space I had to fill with my coins. 

Attach Faux Coins to the Pan

Attach Faux Coins to the Pan


The next step is to attach the coins to the pizza tray. I chose to do mine in a ring formation, creating a layered pattern of coins that extend outwards from the mirror circle. I chose this design because it resembles one for a mirror that I saw in Home Depot that was a major inspiration for this project. Of course, you can opt for a different pattern with your coins. Spirals, zig-zags, and lines all work just fine! All I did was use the Gorilla Glue Gun to apply a small layer of glue on the bottom of each coin. I was careful not to lay it on too thick, as doing so would have meant a lot of overspill. I started from the outside of the pizza tray and worked my way in, creating concentric circles of coins that gradually got smaller. It requires a little bit of patience, as this is quite a repetitive task, but the results are definitely worth it. When you're done, you can use a heat gun to blast away any glue strings that are left on the surface.

Spray Paint

Spray Paint


The next step was to take my rose gold paint spray and coat the coins completely. Don't worry about getting spray paint on the circle in the center, as you will be placing the mirror over this later. I held the spray bottle about 12 inches away from the surface of the coins and applied an even coat by slowly going around the pizza tray in a circle. I was careful to check that every single coin had an equal coating of paint on it, as I wanted the finished product to have a sleek, uniform, monochrome effect. After I was happy with the results, I left it to dry for a few minutes. It's important to make sure that the coat is completely dry before you do anything else with it - as you don't want fingerprints or uneven smudges ruining the look of your project!

Attach Mirror

Attach Mirror


Once the paint had dried, I was ready to attach the mirror! I used a candle mirror from Dollar Tree. The one I used was about 4 and a half inches in diameter, which is pretty small. This is because Dollar Tree recently downsized its candle mirrors, meaning that this is the largest size available. If you manage to get your hands on a larger candle mirror, that might be better if you are looking to get maximum utility out of your decorative wall mirror. I applied a ring of Gorilla Glue around the bottom of the candle mirror and then placed it gently over the circle in the center, before leaving it to dry. Again, don't touch the mirror until you know it has dried completely! An un-centered mirror is bound to annoy anybody - especially if it's going to sit pride of place in your home.

Hang

Hang


With the mirror completely finished, it was time to hang it up. The beauty of using a pizza tray and some plastic party favor coins is that, although the mirror looks like it's an expensive piece of metal, it is actually incredibly lightweight. This meant I could simply attach some Dollar Tree mounting straps to the back of the mirror and then stick it directly onto the wall wherever I fancied. This is a mirror that works beautifully in the hallway or entrance to your home, and will certainly catch the attention of guests. 

DIY Metallic Dollar Store Mirror

And with that, my DIY hanging wall mirror was complete! This whole project took me less than an hour and around $8 to create, which is definitely a lot less than anything you would pay upfront for a similar design in a boutique. If you liked this project, make sure to share it with your friends so that they can try it for themselves!

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Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
3 of 11 questions
  • Anjie Anjie on Apr 06, 2022

    I am new to diy projects. Apologize for ignorance abead of time. If dollar tree has no coins, where else might i go to get these?

    2nd, can i place XT order onli e cor there? I was in a horrible accisent antd still have no car

    yet


    Thanks so much!!!


    Anjie Wilson


    Anjiewilson@gmai

    Å•]

  • LindaCohen09 LindaCohen09 on Apr 06, 2022

    Love this!!

  • Faye Faye on Apr 08, 2022

    Cute mirror, great idea. I was thinking if people wanted to add more dimension, you can use some type of diluted darker paint as a whitewash to get into the grooves then wipe off it off all the high points of the coins. Another thing besides paint, you can use those rub on tinted waxes. Rub it into the coin grooves. Just have to be careful not to rub too hard, it might break the coins. You have to put it on a little on. Do not go overboard. What do you think?

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