How to Upcycle a Shabby Chic Mirror from the Thrift Store

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If you know me, you know I’m wild about thrift store shopping.  There’s just something about the thrill of the hunt that draws me back to Goodwill, like a moth to a porch light.  So when I found this boring mirror at the thrift store, I thought it would be PERFECT for turning into a gorgeous shabby chic mirror!

If you have a plain Jane mirror that you’d like to upcycle, keep reading to find out how! Also, I’ll tag the products I used with affiliate links.

Shabby Chic Mirror

How to Upcycle a Shabby Chic Mirror from the Thrift Store

When some friends proposed the idea of having a thrift store challenge, I thought:

ABSOLUTELY!!!!

So off I went to Goodwill where I found a mirror with a pretty sturdy wood frame for $3.99.  Perfect!

I had lots of scrap wood in the garage, so I thought this would be a great project for making a dent in the woodpile.  Plus, using scrap wood?  Free, baby, free!

I made a quick sketch of the plan for the project.  I didn’t really measure anything, just cut everything to fit.

Assembling the Frame for my Shabby Chic Mirror

I really love those French country inspired cheval mirrors.  Upgrading my plain ol’ mirror to something fancier was just the ticket.

I first cut 1 by 2 boards to make a square around the mirror.  I cut all the wood with my miter saw, then used my Kreg Jig to make pocket holes and connect everything with my drill.

I got these sweet Rockler Woodworking Pock-It pocket hole clamps that kept the boards in place while I secured them.  So helpful!  Seriously like having an extra set of hands.  (I’d used another brand of pocket hole clamps in the past and really didn’t like them.  These ones from Rockler were amazing.)

The top was rounded, and I first cut one side with my jigsaw.  Then I traced that side onto the other side to make sure they were symmetrical.

I made a base for my mirror as well and sketched out legs.  The top, legs, and base were all cut from an extra 1 by 8 that I had.

I used a countersink bit to attach the legs onto the bottom so that the wood screws wouldn’t stick out.  Once I attached the legs, I realized that they needed to be beefier.  So I used my super sweet Rockler silicon glue kit, wood glue, and clamps to beef em up.

Last but not least, I held the mirror in place at an angle using two 2 by 2s on either side as supports.  These are attached using two wood screws at the top and two wood screws from under the bottom.  I used a countersink bit to hide the screws.

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How I Embellished and Painted the Shabby Chic Mirror

Once the mirror was assembled, I wanted it to have a little sumpthin extra.  So I figured I would try a little trick I saw somewhere else online.

Because you know when you see something on the internet, it HAS to work, right?

I grabbed a stencil and my DAP wood filler and added a small layer of wood filler to my frame.

And lo and behold… IT WORKED!  What an awesome way to embellish a project!

I painted the mirror with some leftover white paint from the toybox project.  Then I sanded it with my orbital sander, concentrating on the edges.

Lastly, I used some brown wax to add an antique feel.  Plus, the brown wax really makes the embellishment POP.

Shabby Chic Mirror
Shabby Chic Mirror
Shabby Chic Mirror
Shabby Chic Mirror
Shabby Chic Mirror

Some More Glamour Shots of my Upcycled Shabby Chic Mirror

Who’s ready to get blasted with some pretty shots of my favorite new mirror?

Needless to say, I’m totally obsessed, and this is by far one of my favorite thrift store upcycles I’ve ever done.  I hope you love it, too!

Shabby Chic Mirror
Shabby Chic Mirror
Shabby Chic Mirror
Shabby Chic Mirror

Check out These Other Thrift Store Transformations!

Make sure you hop over to my friends’ projects to check out some other amazzzzzing upcycles.  I hope these projects inspire you to turn thrift store finds into treasures for your home!

Enjoy!

Thrift Store Upcycle

Amanda H: metal bar stools

Amanda G: thrift store play kitchen

Meg: painted candlesticks

Chelsea: white pumpkin decor

Emily: preppy thrift store lamp

Lindi: modern wind chimes

Amber: spray painted picture frames

Shabby Chic Mirror
Shabby Chic Mirror
Shabby Chic Mirror
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