Wooden Hand Mirror

I’ve been in desperate need for a hand mirror for quite a while now. I’ve been walking around the house with a full size standing mirror whenever I want to see the back of my head for far too long. I needed an attractive mirror so I wouldn’t want to hide it as I don’t have much bathroom storage, but I also didn’t want to spend to much so as always, I decided to make something!

Making this mirror doesn’t take much skill, but it does take patience. Cutting through the wood took a lot of time, but you could probably make it easier with an actual saw rather than a box cutter like me. You can leave the wood plain, but I decided to dress it up with a little bit of color. Decorations are entirely up to you. Maybe add some chalkboard paint and write a little inspirational phrase for the day? Have fun being creative!

What You Need:

4 – 6 inch mirror (I used this one)
Around a 6 x 12 inch piece of wood (something really thin like balsa wood or a thin plywood, this cut into thirds would work.)
Box Cutter or Saw
Awl (Optional, but really helpful if you don’t have a saw)
Acrylic Paint
Washi or Painter’s Tape
Clear Acrylic Spray
E6000 Glue
Pencil
Ruler
Paint Brush

How to Make It:

Use your ruler to make a mark about 1 inch from each edge of the wood and 1 1/2 inches from the Bottom.

Use these marks as a guide to mark out a rectangle that’s about 4 inches wide and 1 1/2 inches tall.

If you’re using a saw, cut out the rectangle. If you’re ready for a workout, use your awl to perforate the edges of the rectangle. I kept pushing until I could see a hole in the back of the plywood and then flipped it over and pushed the awl through the hole from the other side. Once you’ve got a good perforation, use your box cutter and your ruler to start cutting through the holes. Pop out the rectangle. Phew! You’re through the hardest part!

Sand the inside edges so everything is nice and smooth. Splinters are never fun. I also sanded the outside edges of the mirror because I noticed a few potential splinters.

Make a few dash marks about halfway up the mirror and tape it off.

Paint one side and let it dry. Now give it a nice coat of clear acrylic spray.

Place the mirror about where you would like it to go and use your ruler to make sure it’s centered. Make 4 marks with your pencil around the mirror. Now, cover the back of the mirror with your E6000 and line the mirror up with your pencil marks and attach.