DIY Wavy Mirror
It's time for another fun dupe project! I needed a full length mirror for my guest bedroom, and I fell in love with the Orla mirror by Claude. I loved its funky, wavy frame and the fact that it was made of wood gave it a beautiful organic look. What I didn't love? The price tag! So, I decided to custom DIY my own version and I'm so happy with how it turned out. Come and see how I made this beautiful wavy mirror and how good it looks in my space!
What are those wavy mirrors called?
If you've been following along with my guest bedroom DIY projects, you will know that I'm trying to create a Modern Folk meets Light Academia meets Modern Vintage space. I didn't want this room to take itself too seriously, and I decided that this beautiful wavy mirror would be an easy way to inject a little fun into the space.
The more I looked into it, the more I found a tradition of wavy mirrors out there in the design world! The $2700 Orla mirror by Claude that caught my eye is only one example. For an even pricier, funkier look, there's the Sottsass Ultrafragola mirror by Poltronova, selling in a Toronto boutique for the cool price of $19,000. For a completely different DIY version, check out the wavy moss mirror by Kaarin Staalsen, @kaarinjoy. All this to say, wavy mirrors have a few different names and styles. I love the waves, but not the super bold and out-there design of most of the examples I found. So, I decided to use them all as inspiration and create my own toned down, Danie version that I would feel proud of in my own space.
How to make a DIY wavy mirror?
The Orla mirror was still the closest thing to what I really wanted, so I decided to make mine out of wood too. I needed a few different tools and materials, but it really wasn't too bad as far as DIY builds go!
Tools and materials
1x6 oak hardwood (you can find this at any local hardware store)
Mirror, 1/8" deep
Early American Stain
Polyurethane protective finish
D-rings for hanging
Router and router table (router table is a bonus!)
Sandpaper
Pocket hole jig
Drill
Power Sander
Miter saw
Jig saw
Round Over bit
Silicone
Level
Prepping The Wood
My oak lumber was 3/4” thick. I didn’t want the mirror to sit back that far when hung on the wall, so I opted to cut a channel on the inside of the wood frame that would allow the mirror to sit forward. To create the channel, I used a router table (can also use router) to cut a 1/4” of material away on the edge of all 4 oak wood pieces.
Once the channel for the mirror was cut, I sanded down the edges of the boards by hand with a piece of sandpaper.
Watch My Wavy Mirror DIY on YouTube
Putting the frame together
Now, it was time to attach my frame pieces! I did this with pocket holes so that the joints would be both strong and invisible. For extra security, I added wood glue to the holes before I used screws to attach the boards to each other.
Once the frame was complete, I took my power sander and gave the whole thing a good sanding on the side that would be finished and facing outward.
Making waves
Next, it was time for the really fun part: turning this plain old frame into a wavy wonder!
Planning the waves took a bit of sketching, a bit of artistic license, and a bit of math to make sure it all ended up even and balanced as well as pretty. Basically, I wanted the entire piece to feel symetrical. I traced a few lines, erased them, and added more until I was happy with the design.
I used my jigsaw to follow the lines and cut out my waves. I sanded them down with my orbital sander. Once the waves were cut and sanded, I used my router's round over bit to properly round off the edges of my waves. Then, I sanded one more time and called it done!
Finishing up
It was time for the finishing touches to really make this frame my own! I stained it with Early American to give it a rich colour that would match the other wood pieces in the room. Pro tip: make sure you stain the underside of the mirror frame too, because your mirror will reflect a tiny bit of the surface it is attached to! You don't want bare oak reflected back at you.
Once the stain was dry, I put on a coat of satin finish polyurethane sealant to protect my mirror and give it a beautiful finished look.
I attached the D-ring hangers to the back of the wood frame. I used my level to mark the wall where the D-rings would need to hang. Then, I added screws to the wall and hung the D-rings on them. Perfect!
I absolutely love what this mirror does for my guest bedroom wall space! I think it brings the perfect amount of charm and personality that I was hoping for, and I am so proud that I made it myself. I'm really loving all the DIY projects I'm using to make this spare bedroom my own. I'm not sure if I love this mirror, the DIY headboard, or the chifferobe closet makeover project best! Thankfully I don't have to choose and get to enjoy them all. What's the woodworking DIY project you are most proud of? Tag me @diydanie or let me know in the comments!
