We are at Home Depot a LOT during the week. We’ve been building two houses for the past few years so Dan basically lives there. We were perusing through the paint section the other day and I remembered a fun DIY project I had seen online – A mirror made with paint sticks! I had done one of these mirrors in the past (here) with shish kebab sticks. It turned out nice, but this one is a whole different look! This baby is beefy guys…make sure you hang it on a stud. This project was basically free! I had most of the supplies around the house, but here is a list of the items you’ll be needing if you don’t already have them at home.
150 paint sticks from Home Depot…
Lady: “They’re free!”
Me: “But I need so many of them! I feel bad. Let me pay you…”
Lady: “Nope, we get millions of em. Take as many as you want!”
^^^I hope your experience was as awesome as mine.
Here is a list of some other items you’ll be needing:
120-150 paint sticks
Glue (I like this one)
1 Round mirror with frame
Spray paint
17 Wooden shims
Hanging hardware
Hanging wire
-I separated the paint sticks into 17 groups of 7 (you’ll use less or more depending on the size of your mirror. Stack and glue each bundle like this (above). Let each bundle rest on its side until dry. * I love that the Home Depot paint sticks double as a ruler so you can measure each pattern perfectly. That was convenient!
-Optional: I cut my stick bundles with a Miter Saw because I wanted to make them shorter.
-Arrange the bundles in a circle on top of a shop towel or something you won’t mind getting glue on (I started mine on the garage floor…husband was not happy with glue spots. Oops). Place a wooden shim between each bundle (thin side pointing towards the middle of the the circle).
-Measure the distance between each bundle, making sure they are equally spaced around the circle.
-Glue! This process is going to take a few days. make sure the top side is completely dry before attempting to flip the mirror over. Glue the other side as well as in between each bundle and shim.
-Glue mirror to frame. Let dry over night.
-Protect the mirror by taping newspaper over the glass. Spray paint mirror.
-After everything is dry, remove the paper and fasten the hanger hooks and wire.
Not too shabby! Something is still a bit off… I heard mixing some brown, black and silver acrylics and blotting with a paper towel + sanding once dry can create a fun mercury/antique metal look. I think that will make this mirror pop a bit more on our light wall color. Still in progress!
