Do-It-Yourself is a great option for saving money on gifts, decorating and remodeling.
Today's DIY Project is a Starburst Mirror.
I've been wanting this design of mirror for awhile. I'd seen them at Crate and Barrel, Target, Hobby Lobby, Kohl's, etc..., but they were always well over $100 (and much smaller). Even with coupons and sales, they were more than I wanted to spend. So I decided I'd make it myself. We love it! And, with sales and coupons, it only cost me around $34.
Your cost will vary depending on:
- Size of mirror
- Fullness of mirror (i.e. quantity of dowel rods)
- Supplies you already have on hand
- Choice of hanger
- Where you purchase your dowel rods
For this project, you'll need:
- Flat mirror (I bought mine for $5 at Hobby Lobby)
- Dowel Rods (Again I bought these at Hobby Lobby. They were 29¢ each for the 3/16" size.)
- Hot glue gun and glue*
- Gorilla Glue / Super Glue*
- Hanger
- Spray Paint
- Sharpie and Ruler*
*I already had these items on hand and did not calculate them into the cost of the project.
After purchasing all my supplies, I cut my dowel rods into 18" sections. Keep in mind, if you cut the dowel rods shorter, the diameter of your mirror will be smaller. I also wrapped the rods in painter's tape before I cut them. It helped to hold the rods together for a cleaner cut. I used 60 dowel rods, cutting them in half for a total of 120 rods.
Next, I sectioned off the back of my mirror using a Ruler and Sharpie to give me a guideline for where I wanted to put the dowel rods. (I used two different plates to use as templates to draw the smaller circles.) Then I used my glue gun to adhere the rods to the mirror. I spaced then and varied their length to get the look I wanted.
I used Gorilla Glue to affix the hanger to the back of the mirror. I wanted to make sure I had one that wasn't flat against the mirror since the mirror had a little depth to it. The hanger needed to stick out a little to catch a nail on the wall.
After I was finished with gluing the rods, I took the mirror outside to spray paint it. I taped up the mirror with painter's tape and some newspaper.
Once it was done drying, I removed the newspaper/tape and we hung the mirror on the wall. I added some glass square embellishments that I already had with my hot glue gun. It gave it a little extra sparkle.
The mirror turned out better than I expected. We had a large wall space to cover above our bed and the mirror was the perfect option. I'm very pleased with my DIY project. I got what I wanted for a fraction of the cost!
Watch for more money saving
DIY tips for
Decorating and Remodeling! What creative ways have you used to save money on decorating?
I found some incredible inspiration on Pinterest (you can follow me there, too).
