Simple mirror revival

If you’ve been following our stories on Instagram, you’ll know that we’ve been busy working on the second stage of our backyard renovation – which we’re crazy excited about!

However, before we could bring the machinery through to get started, we needed to clear out the garage. This was a pretty big task. Along with a whole lot of unwanted junk we had brought with us when we moved in, the space had effectively become a dumping group for all of our renovation waste.

It took a full weekend to sort through all of what we wanted to keep and what we needed to get rid of – and we got rid of a lot. In fact, seeing how much we were sending to landfill was actually kind of confronting.

The amount of waste that renovations create isn’t something that’s often spoken about, especially when flipping properties is such big business. In the grand scheme of things – there are probably more problematic things than upgrading a home you’ll spend a good chunk of your life in. But, it’s something we’d like to be more mindful of, nonetheless!

So, I started thinking about ways we could reuse some of our older stuff. It wasn’t long before I found a second use for a cheap little wall mirror I had purchased years ago.

I had been looking for something to sit between the two windows in our dining area. As it’s quite a narrow space, I was struggling to find something that was just right.

Scrolling through the beautiful homewares on Sibella Court’s online store, The Society Inc, I found the perfect piece – this nautical style rope mirror that was the perfect size. 

Although it was more than we were looking to spend, it inspired me to see if I could recreate something similar with the old mirror collecting dust in the back of the wardrobe. And just like that, the DIY rope mirror was born!

The before and after

Honestly, I had no idea whether this was going to work out. But, I’m actually really happy with how it came together! If you’re interested in giving it a shot, keep scrolling for my step-by-step guide.

 Materials:

Step one: prepare your materials

First, measure out your rope and plan how you’d like it to sit along the mirror. If your mirror is round, you might be able to use one length of rope rather than trimming it for each side. But, as mine is rectangle, I wanted to keep the edges sharp. 

I chose to use the craft rope in the centre of the edges and the sisal rope on the outer sides to suit this particular mirror and give it a more finished look. But, this is entirely up to your own preferences.

Use a sharp pair of scissors or a knife to trim your rope, and try to get it as neat as possible. Don’t worry if the rope looks a little frayed (mine sure did!) as you can tidy this up later.

Step two: glue down the craft rope

Next, it’s time to get gluing! Once your glue is hot, apply a 5-10cm line of glue down the fame centre and press down your rope. I applied the glue in small increments to make sure the glue would stick. 

Gradually work your way around the entire length of the mirror. If you need to, apply a little extra glue to tidy up the edges. Wait until it’s almost dry, then press down gently with your fingers.

Step three: glue down the sisal rope

Finally, apply the sisal rope in the same way to the inner and outer edges of the mirror frame. As this rope is much thinner, I was able to run it around the entire frame in one length.

Tidy up wherever you need to and clean up any smudge marks – and that’s it! Too easy, right? 

For such a simple little project, I’m so happy with the outcome. I feel like it suits our modern-boho style home interior. And, it feels good to know that we have been able to save an older unused mirror from ending up in landfill!

Is this something you would try? If you decide to give it go we’d love to see your work – so be sure to let us know!

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2 Comments

  1. Sarah
    July 28, 2020 / 7:51 pm

    Oh this is so clever! It turned out perfectly, and suits your style so well! Until recently I was always completely guilty of throwing things out and replacing them with brand new items but lately I’ve gained a real appreciation for repurposing old and unwanted things! It’s so addictive! I currently have a 4-drawer chipboard (cheap) cupboard that I’m going to revamp! Normally I would’ve just thrown it out but I’m going to give it a new lease on life instead 🙂 So much more meaningful too if we can have a little story to tell about our furniture pieces/homewares xx

    • Kellie
      Author
      August 10, 2020 / 7:51 pm

      Hey Sarah, thanks for your comment and I’m so sorry I’ve only just now seen this! Thank you so much, I totally know the feeling and I’ve definitely been guilt of this myself but how good does it feel to give something old a second life?! Ahhh, that sounds amazing! I can’t wait to see what you end up doing with the drawers, I have a couple of chipboard bedside tables (nothing special!) that I would love to do something cool with so I may need to come to you for some inspiration! x

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