Friday, May 8, 2015

40 DIY Tray Turned Mirror

Although we took on quite a few large projects in our recent living room renovation, one of my favorites ended up being a last minute mirror update.


Since the start of the living room update, I thought the mirror above the shoe cabinet was too small to scale (I have also been wanting to steal it to use in our bathroom).  But finding anything that wasn't also too big, was proving difficult.  I was looking for something square or round, wood finish and between 24" and 30" tall/wide.  Weeks of popping into shops and Internet searches and I was coming up short.  I found many I loved, but they were always too tall or wide.  And then I found "the one" at CB2.  It was nothing over-the-top amazing, but I appreciated the wood color, size and simplicity.

(via)

At $129 it wasn't the cheapest option, but it definitely wasn't the most expensive I had found in my searching.  Thinking I had finally found what I had been digging for, I added it to my online shopping cart.  And then the "back-ordered until May" punch in the gut happened.  OK then. 

While doing some local shopping I decided to head into an actual CB2 store just to see if it would be a different story.  Then, I spotted it!  Hanging right smack dab in the center of the store.  I ran over to it like a kid running to that furry little puppy in a pet store window.  I was so hopeful and then so suddenly disappointed when I was told the store wouldn't be getting any more in until June.  Gah!  Such teases.

So we started looking into a few DIY options and even began researching how to bend wood.  And then the universe aligned in my favor and there it was buried in a HomeGoods aisle... a drop dead gorgeous acacia wood tray.

Measuring in at just over 24", I knew it was everything I was looking for in a mirror, minus the mirror itself.  Thanks to a handy tape measure in my handbag, I determined I needed to find a 22" mirror insert STAT.  A quick Google search later showed that IKEA sells a 22" frameless mirror, and I just knew it was all meant to be.  I sighed in relief and crossed my fingers that the mirror would be in stock at IKEA and would truly fit as planned.  Lucky for me, it all worked out. 

To affix the new mirror to the tray, we started with a Mirror, Marble & Granite Loctite adhesive.  I wanted to go right for stuff meant for these types of projects to reduce the risk of the mirror detaching and falling from the frame.


We were generous with the application of the glue....


And as excited as I was to see it up on the wall, we waited a full 48 hours for the glue to cure to the mirror (which fit the frame like a glove).  The adhesion seems very solid, the mirror isn't going anywhere anytime soon.


The tray came with some rubber feet attached, which we left on the back to keep it cushioned against the wall.  To hang the mirror, we went with our trusted picture hanging system consisting of screws, hooks and wire rated to handle the weight of the mirror and tray (similar).


Just be sure to select a screw that is not as thick as the tray, or add a washer or two to make up the difference.


And that was it!  One of the easiest projects in the space, yet one of my absolute favorites.  I just love the warmth it adds, and that I was able to get the look of the CB2 option for half of the cost!


And I thought the handles might bother me, but they don't at all.  In fact, I sort of love the quirkiness that they add.


Knowing that every HomeGoods stocks and offers different products, it may be hard to track down this exact tray.  However, I still wanted to share in case you had one on hand, see one when you are out or use the powers of Google to track down something similar.  Also, the odds that IKEA happened to sell a frameless round mirror that fit perfectly was all about luck.  In my searches I did notice that both Lowes and Home Depot offer a giant variety of frameless mirror options; round, oval, square and rectangular.  And if all else fails, you may be able to find a home improvement or glass shop that could cut one for you.


There has been a lot of tray talk around here lately!  I guess it just goes to show how versatile they really are.  Not only do they rock for storage all over the home, they also make a pretty amazing framed mirror!

40 comments:

  1. Gorgeous!!! The flowers add a nice touch! xoxo

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  2. This looks so great! What a brilliant idea x
    Http://crafternooncabaretclub.com

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  3. This amazing Jen . You are really talented

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  4. The mirror looks amazing and kudos for the DIY. I renovated our bathroom, and because of our low ceilings, the space between the faucet and the lighting was too short for most "bathroom" mirrors. I ended up buying a fabulous barnwood frame from an online store that allowed you to choose both height and length (so I wasn't stuck with the standard sizes), and had a local glass company cut a mirror to size. There's always a way!

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  5. This is a great idea and looks lovely :-)
    Fairybumpkin.blogspot.co.uk

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  6. So pretty! Love transformations like this, instead of throwing the piece away :) Thanks for sharing the DIY

    xx, Mel
    http://melinspired.com

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  7. Gorgeous! I love circular mirrors!

    Her Heartland Soul
    http://herheartlandsoul.com

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  8. So beautiful!!! I'm so doing this! Love your blog. You inspire me. Thank you

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  9. The handles are one of my favorite things about this. It makes it fun and kinda quirky.

    http://chelleslittlecorner.blogspot.com/

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  10. Cute idea! I love the wood tones in the "mirror".

    Antonella | www.loveyourhomeblog.blogspot.ca

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  11. What a smart idea!!! Love it!

    Laura
    www.24-7style.com

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  12. LOVE this!

    If all else fails, Lowe's does glass cutting and can do/order custom mirror glass.

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  13. What a great idea. Totally meant to be.

    ChicByTab

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  14. Really beautiful idea!

    http://www.sincerelybitter.com/

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  15. Love this! It is an ingenious idea. The handles are my favorite part!!

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  16. Oh my goodness! Your creativity to "McGyvor" solutions is why I read your blog all the time! Way to go! Love it!!

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  17. Gorgeous! I think it's prettier than the CB2 one. I love the handles. :-)

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  18. Oh, I love this! Thanks for always helping me think outside of the box. This is totally something within my abilities, but not anything I would think of on my own!

    -Melanie-
    http://www.theseblankwalls.com

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  19. Wow this is such a good idea! So so pretty!

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  20. How cute is this! Thanks for sharing this neat and creative idea with us. www.protectsaveandearn.info

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  21. It was meant to be! And I think the handles are the BEST part! Your room makeover and blog are just beautiful! Thanks for sharing and inspiring me!

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  22. Love this idea. It is a clever way to re-purpose a servicing tray and create an amazing feature.

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  23. That turned out awesome! I always love when DIY's fall perfectly into place and end up being better and waaaaay cheaper than the inspiration! I love the handles too, I think it looks better than the CB2 one! www.california-to-carolina.com

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  24. I have wanted to do something along these lines for a long time. I love what you've done--it adds warmth and personality to the space. I am now feeling even more inspired to try this myself!

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  25. Pretty!!! Hope you had a wonderful Mother's Day, Jen.

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  26. Honestly, your DIY mirror/tray is twice as beautiful as the CB2 version, which seems flat and gray. Your wood tones are brighter and richer, the handles add something extra to it and the slight bevel on your mirror seem to give yours so much more dimension than the costly CB2. Bravo! Now if you'll excuse me, I need to Google where my nearest HomeGoods store is....

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  27. Such a creative alternative! Love it :-)

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  28. Love the wood, round mirror and handles! What a lovely and creative DIY project!

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  29. What a cute mirror!... I love the cut-out handles. I think it adds a little twist to the mirror. What an quick way to get the mirror you want... I just finished the ORC and bought 8 mirrors before I found the right one for the space. Glad you were able to find/make what you were looking for!

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  30. This is such a great idea! My grandma was a painter, so we have many trays frames that I never thought of reusing for this exact purpose. Thank you so much for sharing this!

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  31. Hi Jen - Great way to use a wood tray! Never would have guessed it to be a tray if you didn't mention it, although the handle holes eventually would have peaked my curiosity! Glad you were able to score a great price for this!

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  32. This mirror looks great! I would have never guessed it was a tray. Now I feel like doing a DIY, haha.

    The Office Stylist
    www.theofficestylist.com

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  33. Catching up on my blog reading while planning an office redo and late night netflixing (< verb, meaning to watch entire seasons and curse yourself in the morning. Repeat.) and I eventually came across this post.

    I had to giggle because a few months back I was searching for a new mirror for our main floor powder room update. I came across a tray at HomeSense (Canadas version of HomeGoods) and it was basically perfect, save for the handles which weren't an issue for me.

    In the end I had to go back and cross my fingers for a bigger tray (successful!) because most of our four sons couldn't see if their faces were clean. They weren't. They never are ;)

    How lucky was I that I didn't have to doctor anything!!
    Exciting to see someone else use the same idea!

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