I love it when I see bloggers embrace, champion and even create trends happening in interior design. Over the past few years, the ideas on DIY blogs have been heading towards using interesting and accessible materials to create home accessories. This is a shift that seems to be moving from using bold copper and smooth concrete to repurposing salvaged, textural substances such as clay and wood.
Starburst mirrors are nothing new, but this is my twist on a classic for 2015. In homes of all shapes and sizes an outdoor influence has crept its way inside. This can be anything from gathered driftwood on a shelf to tea lights made from drilled branches. To create an interesting room, texture is key, as is a minimal aesthetic using decorative focal points. The materials shouldn’t be over-treated or polished, rather left natural with a raw finish. Bamboo is the perfect wood for this project. Straight and smooth, but with an earthy surface tone and easy to work with. Alternatively, you can make this mirror project even more natural by collecting twigs and branches for the mirror frame instead. —Fran
Materials
- Circle mirror
- Bamboo/branches
- Contact adhesive/glass adhesive
- Hack saw
- Clamp/vice
Steps
1. Measure and mark the wooden sticks in 7″ lengths. Place them in the vice and saw through each at these points.
2. Continue to do this until you have enough to cover the entire edge of the frame.
3. Clean the mirror and spread glue along a quarter section of the edge. Place the cut branches along this section, spreading them evenly between the first and last, which should be perpendicular to each other.
4. Continue around the mirror this way. I like to leave a small gap that lets me turn the mirror while the glue is drying. Each layer of glue needs 24 hours to set solid, so doing it this way will take a little longer, but if you’re careful it should mean no accidental breakages halfway through!
5. Once the glue is dry, turn the mirror over and glue 1-inch pieces of the branches in between each of the longer lengths of bamboo. This gives the mirror extra strength. Continue all the way around and leave to dry. You don’t have to use the glass adhesive for this, but I’ve found it works well with the shiny surface of the bamboo. Turn the mirror back over and repeat the steps to fill in the final gap.
Once the glue has fully dried the mirror is ready to hang!