DIY Hot Glue Decorated Mirrors - Shabby Chic Look

Hey, Friends! I've got a fun tutorial for you guys in this post! Very inexpensive too! You’ll see once I show you the supply list further down! I'm going to tell/show you guys how to do these really simple or intricate designs on these framed mirrors using hot glue! Yes, hot glue!!! Once they’re finished they fit nicely into any shabby chic type of décor, which, you all may know by now, I am really into!

I really like the way my hot glue decorated mirrors turned out! I've had this idea in my head for a while now. I had been trying to think of a way to inexpensively dress up these mirrors so they looked like old fashioned frames that had been re-finished – perfect for the shabby chic décor in my art room. I went to look for base board moulding I could attach to them, which I think is a fantastic idea and would work well, but when I check the moulding out at the hardware store, it only came in long lengths of about 20ft, so that didn't make any sense to me, and wasn't cost effective enough for a tutorial for you guys. Then I came up with this idea of using hot glue. It's not quite the same as those intricate old frames but works quite well and I'm sure the possibilities are endless. You could get pretty crazy and elaborate with using hot glue to decorate if you wanted to put the time in. Anyway, with a little testing I was able to make my idea work and now I want to share it with you! Before I list the supplies, here are a few of my test designs.

With a small bit of practice you can get really good on making your hot glue lines nice and even and make really beautiful curves and spirals. I do recommend doing a little practicing first before moving on to your mirrors. You could even go further and use this technique to decorate many different objects!

SUPPLY LIST
-  Mirrors – mine are from Ikea (MALMA) for $1.99 each
-  Hot Glue Sticks – I don't think I used more than 5
-  Hot Glue Gun
-  Paint - I used Martha Stewart multi-purpose acrylic craft paint in Satin finish $3.99 at Michaels but I already had a bunch. Use whatever paint you like for this.
-  Paint Brush – you want to use a bristle brush to get those streaks for a shabby chic look
-  Sandpaper – I used a fine 180 grit
-  Small Nail File
-  Pencil
-  Metal Ruler

If you'd like to create the same swirly pattern I made for mine, here is that SWIRLY STENCIL for you to download and use for your own mirrors. Now let's take a look at the video so you can make tour own hot glue decorated mirrors, and don’t forget to check out the additional tips I left right here on this page below the video!

TIPS
-    For your third mirror, if you don't want to do the decoupage, you could tape off stripes to paint for something more simple.
-    Paint your mirrors in graduated shades for an ombré look.
-   If you'd like a more shabby worn look for your hot glue mirrors, apply a medium brown paint under your chosen color. Once you’ve applied your chosen color over it, and it's dried completely, use sand paper to wear away spots to reveal the brown underneath. Think about where it might wear if it was natural wearing, and be careful not yo remove your paint down to the glue.
-   If you'd rather, once you’ve applied your 2 coats of your paint color to your hot glue mirror, take a medium brown color paint and water it down to make it thin, apply it like a glaze using a rag, and then wipe it with a dry cloth immediately to lift most of it away. You should be left with the brown color in the small nooks of your design and along edges. This also creates a distressed shabby chic effect.

So that's it for this post! I hope you enjoyed this tutorial on decorating mirrors using hot glue and all the extra tips and images I included! If you're looking for another great decorative mirror DIY that's inexpensive, you should check out my DIY Blooming Flower Mirror tutorial using plastic spoons! Have fun!

Sam ♡


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