Mosaic Mirror Craft
Mosaic Mirror Craft
Sue from Australia was nice enough to share her latest craft project, a mosaic mirror. It measures 1200mm x 700mm (approx. 47.25" x 27.5"). It was very inexpensive to make because she mostly used cast-offs and leftovers from her shed.
She started with an old rectangular dressing-table mirror which she bought from the recycle shop for $5. The mirror had a backing sheet of Masonite, which she removed and used to make the oval frame.
Next we can make the back and the frame for the mosaic mirror...
Make the Mirror Backing
The backing sheet for the mosaic mirror is cement sheeting, which she salvaged from a construction site rubbish pile. She borrowed her husband’s drafting skills to draw an oval as accurately as possible and cut it out using a grinder (under male supervision!).
The frame was cut in four pieces, using a jig saw, and the edges perfected as much as possible with a timber planer. Sue then glued the pieces onto the backing board, filled the joins with Polyfilla (joint plaster) and sanded them smooth.
Now onto attaching boards for hanging...p>
She glued (using Zero Nails, a general purpose construction adhesive) and screwed some lengths of timber onto the back, for strength and support and for later hanging. The whole piece then got a coat of British Paints sealer/primer/undercoat.
Now we can start making the mosaic...
Then came the fun part. Sue laid the mirror on a large sheet of heavy duty plastic, covered it with a folded towel and whacked it with a hammer. Some pieces broke with nice smooth edges and others shattered. She was able to trim some of the shattered ones into useful pieces, using a tile nipper. She then glued the mirror pieces in place, again using Zero Nails, which is very inexpensive and very strong.
Finally, Sue grouted the mosaic white, sealed the grout and painted the frame with white gloss.
She screwed a chain into the ends of one of the timbers on the back. This mirror is VERY heavy, so it was most important to make sure the timber on the back was strong enough to hold the weight. Sue said it was a lot of fun learning to use the power tools!
Sue from Australia was nice enough to share her latest craft project, a mosaic mirror. It measures 1200mm x 700mm (approx. 47.25" x 27.5"). It was very inexpensive to make because she mostly used cast-offs and leftovers from her shed.
She started with an old rectangular dressing-table mirror which she bought from the recycle shop for $5. The mirror had a backing sheet of Masonite, which she removed and used to make the oval frame.
Next we can make the back and the frame for the mosaic mirror...
Make the Mirror Backing
The backing sheet for the mosaic mirror is cement sheeting, which she salvaged from a construction site rubbish pile. She borrowed her husband’s drafting skills to draw an oval as accurately as possible and cut it out using a grinder (under male supervision!).
The frame was cut in four pieces, using a jig saw, and the edges perfected as much as possible with a timber planer. Sue then glued the pieces onto the backing board, filled the joins with Polyfilla (joint plaster) and sanded them smooth.
Now onto attaching boards for hanging...p>
She glued (using Zero Nails, a general purpose construction adhesive) and screwed some lengths of timber onto the back, for strength and support and for later hanging. The whole piece then got a coat of British Paints sealer/primer/undercoat.
Now we can start making the mosaic...
Then came the fun part. Sue laid the mirror on a large sheet of heavy duty plastic, covered it with a folded towel and whacked it with a hammer. Some pieces broke with nice smooth edges and others shattered. She was able to trim some of the shattered ones into useful pieces, using a tile nipper. She then glued the mirror pieces in place, again using Zero Nails, which is very inexpensive and very strong.
Finally, Sue grouted the mosaic white, sealed the grout and painted the frame with white gloss.
She screwed a chain into the ends of one of the timbers on the back. This mirror is VERY heavy, so it was most important to make sure the timber on the back was strong enough to hold the weight. Sue said it was a lot of fun learning to use the power tools!
Source...