How to Make a Convex Mirror

I want to share a project with you that I worked on last week and finished up over the weekend.

I love the look of a small convex mirror inside a thick, chunky frame.  I wasn't willing to pay retail for one, so I decided to try making one myself.

Here's how I did it.

Supplies you'll need are:

16" (or any size you prefer) ceiling medallion

I purchased mine at Lowes for about $20 and didn't care what color it was since I knew I'd be painting it.

5" truck mirror

I purchased mine at an eighteen wheeler type truck supplier for about $6.  If you don't have a supplier near you, just Google "5 inch convex truck mirror" and several places that sell them will pop up.

Rustoleum Metallics spray paint in the color Aged Brass

Rub n Buff in color Antique Gold

Ceramcoat craft paint in color Burnt Umber

respirator mask for breathing protection while spray painting

hot glue gun

pliers

box cutter

Here's a closeup of the convex truck mirror box.

Step 1. Spray paint the ceiling medallion.  It took two coats for me to get sufficient coverage over the dark brown.

Step 2. Glaze the ceiling medallion using Burnt Umber craft paint that has been thinned down with just a tiny amount of water.  I used the wipe it on, wipe it off method until I achieved the amount of glazing that I liked.

Wipe it on...

...wipe it off.

Completed look.

Step 3. Very carefully, remove the mirror from the metal encasing by first cutting away the rubber gasket with the box cutter.  Make sure you cut away from your body not toward yourself!

Step 4. Again, very carefully, pull back the metal edges with the pliers.  Do this all the way around the mirror.  What you're trying to do is to free the mirror from what is holding it in place.

Step 5.  Ever so gently, slip the edge of the box cutter behind the edges of the mirror to gently lift it out.  This is what you will be left with.

Step 6. Hot glue the mirror to the back of the ceiling medallion.

You're done!

I used stick on Velcro Command strips to hang the mirror on the wall.  It doesn't weigh very much at all.

I actually made two of these and will show you where I hung them later in the week.  Hint - If you've been following me for a while, you can probably guess where by taking a close look at the reflection in the mirror!

Update: Click here to see where I used these mirrors!

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