DIY Rope Mirror
Let me start by saying this is probably my favorite DIY project to date. This had all the great elements of a good DIY- low cost, high impact, and fairly simple. It all started when my father in law bought me a pair of mirrors he picked up at a thrift shop. I think he paid $10 for both. He knew we were redoing the bathrooms and getting rid of the builder mirrors and thought these were something I could use. It sat in the garage for about a month while I mused it over. Then suddenly I was hit with a brilliant idea. Here it was before we began:
I am really into adding layers of texture and interest into our home right now and one of my favorite ways I had done that was with my DIY rope wreath. Maybe it’s the yearning for summer or maybe I just like the ruggedness of rope, who knows, but either way I randomly was struck with an idea- why not cover the mirror frame in rope? So like any good DIYer, I waited approximately three hours, impatient for Scott to get home from tutoring so we could go to Home Depot. Finally, off we went and I picked up two bags of rope at $6 each, sat my mirror on a blanket and began hot gluing the rope to the frame.
I started by measuring approximately how much rope I would need to make one loop on the outside edge of the frame, then cut it a bit long, just in case. Then I glued and laid the rope down in about 6 inch sections at a time until I got to the end and carefully cut the rope so the ends met perfectly.
Can I take a moment to say that if you are working with hot glue be careful? I won’t lie to you- you will probably burn yourself at one point. And it will hurt. A lot. But you must go on!
I repeated this process over and over until, 12 hot glue sticks later….I ran out of hot glue. On a Sunday night. 🙁 When all the craft stores are closed and WalMart is at the peak of it’s shopping terror. So…I had to wait a whole day. BOOOOO.
The next night I picked up where I had left off and it took me about 40 glue sticks altogether. Seriously…buy a ton of glue! In the end it took 8 layers of rope to complete the project and I went through about 1 1/4 bags of rope. It took me probably 3 hours altogether but it was SO worth it. Ignore the streakiness and just look at the gorgeousness:
I mean…this texture…love.
Of course- a before and after:
In the end it cost:
Mirror: $5
Rope: $12
Hot Glue: $6
Total: $23
(Since I was given the mirror and used a gift certificate I got from work to purchase the rope- thanks friends!– our version only cost us $6)
I already have a special place for it to hang – check back next week to see! 🙂
What should I cover in rope next? A frame is on my list for sure. A can to make a vase? An old brick to make a chic doorstop? Shoes?!? Who knows…the possibilities are endless!!
Tania Griffis is an accomplished writer, blogger, and interior designer with a Journalism degree from the University of Oklahoma. She started her popular blog, Run to Radiance, in 2011, demonstrating her design expertise through the personal remodeling of six houses to millions of readers across the globe.
Tania also owns The Creative Wheelhouse, a respected ghostwriting agency for bloggers, further showcasing her talent for creating engaging and informative content.
I love your mirror! I actually did a similar one and it has turned me into a rope-a-holic, haha. You can check mine out here:http://upcycledtreasures.com/2013/02/nautical-rope-mirror/
~Katie
Katie-
How weird is that?! Yours turned out awesome too! I am definitely obsessed with rope now 🙂 Love your blog!!!
Oh, it looks wonderful! You did a great job!
If you have time, I would love for you to come and share this post over at the Really Crafty link party that is live right now! http://keepingitrreal.blogspot.com.es/2016/03/welcome-to-really-crafty-link-party-12.html).
I love how your mirror turned out. Thanks for sharing at the Inspiration Spotlight party. Pinned & shared.