Framing Out The Builders Guest Bath Mirror for under $10.00

Time to do something with that ugly builders mirror.  You can find instructions everywhere just by 'googling' framing out builder's mirror. (Here's one: Making It Feel Like Home  )

AFTER 

We found some pre-primed 7' trim boards for $.25 per linear foot at Dirt Cheap in Pensacola and they also had pre-primed  rosettes (medallions) for $.25 ea.  We chose medallions so we didn't have to miter the corners and we preferred the way they looked.
After measuring and cutting the boards to length, I painted them with 2 coats of Craftsmart metallic silver paint that I purchased at Michaels.  To give them an aged 'antique' silver look, I diluted Apple Barrel's black craft paint with water and gently wiped it off with paper towels.  I used a toothbrush to 'spatter' black spots for more detail.  After it dried, I put two coats of paste wax and buffed to seal the paint.  NOTE:  Make sure you paint at least 1/3 of the back of the boards due to reflection in the mirror. 

We used Loctite Power Grab All Purpose adhesive to attach the frame pieces right on the mirror.  That stuff worked so good we only had to use a little painters tape on the top board and because that board had a slight 'bow' in it, my husband rigged up a brace using a scrap piece of wood with padding on each end.  Since our bathroom is small, we could wedge the brace between the mirror and back wall of the bath.  We thought made sure our boards were straight even laying them on the floor at the store but somehow we ended up with one lemon. NOTE: Make sure you choose boards that are straight.  We left the brace and tape to dry overnight.  We applied pressure about every 15 minutes for the first hour on the rest of the boards and medallions. (Loctite PG All Purpose is not recommended for mirrors which would be the case if you were attaching the mirror to the wall where the mirror paint is.  The front of the mirror is just glass and it can be used to attach glass.)   NOTE:  Don't apply the adhesive too close to the edge to avoid seeing it due to the reflection in the mirror.  Though it dries clear it might still be visible.)

Here's the after photos.  I'm thrilled with the way it turned out and it was less than $10.  Surprisingly, the mirror looks larger than before.

Here you can see the finish a little better.  

Note:  Our mirror was glued to the wall and only had 2 clips at the top which my hubby removed, spackled the remaining hole and painted. Make sure your mirror is attached before removing any clips.  If you do have to deal with clips your framing boards will need to be notched out as in this demonstration:  

Who Framed Roger Rabbit Framing Builders Mirror

We also applied a bead of clear silicone caulk on the bottom of the mirror to avoid water dripping behind the board.  

- http://www.younghouselove.com/2012/12/who-framed-roger-rabbit/

This turned out so well, I'm headed back to Dirt Cheap to pick up a couple more boards and four medallions to frame the mirror in our Master bath.   Blessings until next time...