Don’t you just love Christmas lights? As an apartment dweller, decking the yard with lights isn’t an option, so instead my living room is almost as bright as day in the evening with all the strings of lights. They’re the next best thing to sitting beside a flickering fireplace. Check out all the new growth on my little potted Christmas tree. It’s growing fast! The angel on the top of the tree was tatted by my great grandmother—the same one who made these doilies. She made everyone in the family either a boy or girl angel. My father insisted his angel needed pants, so she created the pattern just for him. Have a very Merry Christmas everyone!

What a difference a little color makes! I decided my white sunburst mirror was a little boring. It only looked good from an angle, where the shadows would emphasize the shapes. Straight on, it looked more like a plain white circle. So I grabbed some paint samples and started painting the sun’s rays. I’m happy how it turned out, but I think black would have looked good too. I really wanted to add some teardrop-shaped gems for a hint of bling, but couldn’t find any.

Sunburst mirror revamp

Supplies
Ikea lazy susan
7-inch round mirror
wood glue
teardrop shaped Woodsies
picture hanger and two small nails
primer
paint samples (I used white and Benjamin Moore Figi [AF-525])
toothpicks

Tools
small and medium paintbrush
fine sandpaper
tack cloth
drop cloth
pliers

1. Click here for the instructions to make the mirror.

2. Using a small paintbrush (I used a filbert), paint the top side of each teardrop. I started with a color palette of aquas and blues but decided to stick with just one color. The colors in this photo are Benjamin Moore Fiji (AF-525), Cool Aqua (2056-40), and Bermuda Teal (2044-50).

So sorry for the suspense regarding my toolbox dresser project. I haven’t made much progress on it yet. In the meantime, I decided to make a starburst mirror. This project was a cinch because I learned from the mistakes I made on my sunburst mirror. The basic materials for this one: an Ikea plant glide (which I also used for my furniture-nail clock), wooden plant markers, and wooden skewers.

Starburst mirror

Supplies

• Ikea Bjurön plant glide
• 2 dozen 5-inch wooden plant markers (available at nurseries)
• 2 dozen 5-3/4-inch wooden plant markers (available at nurseries)
• 2 dozen wooden skewers (with two flat sides)
• 7-inch round mirror
• silver spray paint
• wood glue
• wooden tooth pick
• sawtooth picture hanger
• Con-Tact paper (color doesn’t matter)
• newspaper or drop cloth
• paper towel
• books that are the same thickness as the plant glide

Tools

• hammer & nail
• small sponge paint brush
• scissors
• wire cutters
• pencil & ruler
• sanding block & fine sand paper
• tack cloth

1. Trace the mirror onto the Con-Tact paper. Cut out the circle, peel the backing, and adhere to the front of the mirror. This will protect the mirror from spray paint later.

2. Glue the mirror onto the plant glide, making sure it’s centered (about 2-1/4 inches from the edges). Set aside to let the glue dry.

3. Using the wire cutters, cut about two inches off of the flat end of the skewers, so each skewer is about eight inches long.

4. Lightly sand the rough edges of all the plant markers and skewers. Wipe off the dust with a tack cloth.

5. Arrange your pattern around the mirror. Use the books to prop up the plant markers and skewers.

6. Remove a plant marker or skewer one at a time and apply glue to about two inches of the end of it. Spread the glue with a paint brush. Adhere the piece back in place, then move on to the next one. Make sure the starbursts point directly away from the mirror. Pull the books away as you progress.

7. After all the plant markers and skewers are glued on, remove any excess glue from between the pieces by scraping with a toothpick.

8. When the glue is dry, flip the mirror over and arrange your pattern on the back. Evenly space out the skewers then fill in with the plant markers. Apply the glue the same as you did in step 6.

9. When all the pieces are glued down, let dry about an hour. Notice my pieces are not perfectly symmetrical with the front. I did this to give the pattern a more random feel.

10. Attach a sawtooth picture hanger on the back of the mirror.

11. Spray the mirror with several coats of paint to make sure the entire surface is covered. Let dry 15 minutes after each coat.

12. When the paint is completely dry, peel off the Con-Tact paper.

13. Hammer a nail into the wall, and hang the mirror.

Happy Earth Day everyone! I found these flower-shaped plates at a thrift store while hunting for dishes with which to make cake stands. I loved the shape of them so much that I bought them all. I have plans for the rest, but these three were destined to become mirrors. As a friend pointed out, they could be cute in a little girl’s room: painted, glittered, with a fake butterfly attached. Which reminds me of Heika’s flowers.

Thrift store plate mirrors

Supplies

• old plates
• Amazing E-6000 glue
• 4-inch round mirrors (found at Beverly’s)
• plate display hangers
• 3M sawtooth picture hangers

1. Apply a thin bead of glue to the outer edge of the mirror.

2. Place the mirror in the center of the plate. Press down. Let the glue set overnight. If you want the mirrors to be removable, try mounting putty instead (found at office supply stores).

3. Attach the plate hanger to the back of the plate.

4. To hang them, you can use the included hook and nail, or use 3M sawtooth picture hangers like I did. I chose the 3M option because I didn’t want to put more holes in the wall.

5. Choose your arrangement, and hang them on the wall. Easy peasy.

I saw this window frame at a salvage yard and coveted it for a few months before finally buying it. Instead of the opaque Plexiglass it came with, I inserted mirrors. I love mirrors because they can make a small space feel airy and bright. This one offers an added bonus: the illusion of an additional window. I planned to paint the frame, but decided that I like the natural, rustic look of it. Plus, it matches the wooden doors in my apartment.

Salvaged window frame = mirror

Supplies

• salvaged window
• 1/8-inch-thick mirrors
• paper mailing tape
• 2 keyhole fasteners
• 4 washers
• 4 small wood screws
• 2 felt pads
• 2 drywall screws
• corrugated cardboard

Tools

• drill and drill bit
• tape measure
• pencil
• screwdriver
• utility knife
• self-healing mat (optional)
• stud sensor (optional)
• level (optional)

1. Choose one of the Plexiglass sheets, and make sure it fits in all nine openings.

2. Measure the piece of Plexiglass, and call glass stores for price quotes on mirrors the same size. Most glass stores in my area charge $10.50 per mirror, but I found one place that agreed to charge me $6.50 each. It pays to shop around—I saved about $40! You can usually pick them up 24 hours later.

3. Insert each mirror in an opening.

4. Using a utility knife, cut pieces of cardboard the same size as the mirrors. Protect your surface with spare sheets of cardboard or a self-healing mat. Depending on the thickness of your frame and the cardboard, you may need two pieces for each opening. My cardboard was thick, so I only used one piece each.

5. Insert the cardboard piece(s) on top of the mirror in each opening.

6. Tape along all the edges of the cardboard with paper mailing tape.

7. Drill pilot holes on the back, starting about one inch below the top of the frame. Screw on the keyhole fasteners. Make sure they’re facing the right way. I inserted washers under each fastener to give a little extra space underneath for the screw head to fit.

8. Adhere one felt pad at each of the bottom corners.

9. Measure the distance between the keyhole fasteners. Find the studs in your wall (by knocking or using a stud sensor), and drill drywall screws into the studs (or use a drywall anchor or molly bolt). Use a level and measure twice before drilling. Hang the mirror on the wall.

I love these glitter-encrusted Christmas ornaments. I plan to leave them up past the holidays. It’s nice to have a little sparkle around. Here, I mixed my mom’s antique oval mirror with a couple of large mirrors I found on Craigslist. For the small rectangle one, I cut a 12- x 12-inch mirror tile (found at Lowe’s) to fit an 8- x 10-inch thrift-store frame.