A mirror is one of the most sought-after household items, often serving several generations of the same family. A high-quality coating remains clean and clear for decades, while its external design leaves much to be desired. A do-it-yourself mirror frame from a ceiling plinth, a sample of which you will see in the photo, will help give your favorite object a new life by fitting it into the interior of the bedroom, living room, hallway and bathroom.
Note! The plinth will cost less than the finished frame. And if after the repair there are trimmings of ceiling friezes of the right size, you will only have to spend money on glue.
Types of ceiling plinths
There are several varieties of decorative ceiling friezes, from which you can easily build a frame for a mirror. First of all, the plinth differs in the material of manufacture:
- Polyurethane is a strong, durable, mechanically resistant, environmentally friendly material that is not affected by moisture, is flexible and easy to work with. Polyurethane baguette is one of the best materials for frames, because it is easy to cut and holds the paint layer well.
From a polyurethane plinth, you can make a frame for a round and oval mirror.
- PVC profile is the most affordable and diverse material in shape and texture. A novice master will successfully cope with the work of making and fixing a frame for a mirror of any size from a plinth with his own hands. A frieze frame imitating natural stone or elite wood will be an excellent decoration for a mirror and an addition to the interior.
- Wooden baseboard is one of the most popular materials for making a frame, but working with wood requires experience and certain knowledge. Not all types of wood are equally easy to cut, process, stain, so it is better to order a wooden frame in a workshop.
- Polystyrene is an environmentally friendly, not exposed to moisture, but fragile material that can break during operation.
- The gypsum skirting board has a variety of finishes, but it is only suitable for stationary mirrors, and it is almost impossible to cope with the work without the help of a specialist.
- Metal plinth is an ideal material for finishing mirrors in Art Nouveau or minimalism, but quite heavy in weight and difficult to work, especially for non-professionals.
Frame making tools
Having chosen a plinth for decorating a mirror, you need to make sure that you have the tools and materials for processing. To make a plinth frame you will need:
- roulette;
- a marker or a simple pencil for marking;
- knife or hacksaw for metal;
- miter box;
- glue or for wood or "liquid nails";
- special putty for wood;
- varnish or acrylic paint.
Important! The choice of glue should be given special attention, since some adhesives can dissolve the baseboard.
Manufacturing instructions
Framing for a mirror is somewhat easier to make than for photography, embroidery or a picture drawn on paper, since there is no need to make a base.
Step by step job description:
- Measure the mirror.
- Make marks with a pencil or marker on the appropriate parts of the plinth.
- Place the first piece of baguette in the miter box and cut along the pencil marks at a 45° angle.
- Treat all other parts of the baguette accordingly.
- Attach all the details to the mirror to check the symmetry of the sections.
- Glue together all the details of the structure. To connect metal elements, special corners will be required.
- When the glue dries, apply a thin layer of glue around the edges of the mirror and bond to the structure.
- The cracks formed at the joints of the plinth in the corners are puttied. This will not only give the product a neater look, but also further strengthen it.
- Cover the frame with varnish or paint in bronze, silver, gold.
Advice. You should not start with large, heavy mirrors that require additional structures to securely mount to the wall. It is better to insert a small cosmetic mirror into the frame.
Detailed instructions explaining how to make a frame for the mirror, photos can be seen on the video. There you can also get acquainted with the intricacies of finishing - frames from a simple plinth without decor can be decorated with beads, shells, sparkles, decorative buttons. Various ways of decorating the surface of the mirror are extremely popular.
It is possible to start making a frame for a mirror from a ceiling plinth of medium and large size only after the technology of fastening structural elements has been mastered, and the number of items made will develop into quality.
