This post contains affiliate links & photos. See our full disclosure here.
In this post: Want an easy way to make that boring bathroom mirror look stylish? Make this easy DIY Farmhouse Bathroom Mirror this weekend and have a more beautiful bathroom by Monday!
We’re happy to have Ashley from Cherished Bliss, here to share a DIY Farmhouse Bathroom Mirror Tutorial from her bathroom makeover!
Finally decorate your own home – with confidence!
You’re so much closer to a beautifully-decorated home than you think. You just need a little help to get there!
My favorite thing about this mirror is that you don’t need anything fancy to build it! It’s a fantastic beginner project, yet still so effective! So get ready to build your own, or you could even skip the building part and find one you want to refinish!
DIY Farmhouse Style Bathroom Mirror Tutorial
Supplies
- Four pieces 1 inch by 4 inch wood (lengths depending on your mirror size)
- Sandpaper
- Staple Gun and Staples
- Wood Glue
- Minwax Jacobean Wood Stain
- Lint Free Cloths
- Gray Paint (I used Sherwin Williams Urban Bronze)
- Paint Brush
- Helmsman’s Spray Varnish
- Four Corner Braces
- Black Spray Paint (only if you can’t find black corner braces)
- 3M Command Strips
Instructions
1. Cut four 1 inch by 4 inch wood pieces to size – two pieces will be cut to the length of your mirror, two will be cut to the height. Miter the corners using a mitre box or preferably a mitre saw (for more accurate corners). Your measurements will be to the outside corners.
2. Sand each piece and wipe away any dirt or sawdust.
3. Using the lint free rags, wipe on the stain. Let sit for about 5 minutes and then wipe off excess with a clean lint free cloth. Let dry thoroughly. (Note: I stained mine before I built it because it was freezing and I was working in a small space, but you can totally do this after its assembled). Make sure you stain both sides of the wood though because it will show a reflection of the unfinished side in the mirror… just take my word on this one ; )!
For a step-by-step tutorial on how to stain wood, check out this post.
4. After the stain has dried its time to do a gray wash over the top. To do this I mixed about 1 part paint, one part water (maybe just a touch more water) until you reach a pretty watery consistency. Then using a paint brush, apply the gray paint/water mixture over the stain, and wipe off immediately with a cloth. This will give it a gray washed out look. It’s going to appear dull, that’s ok, because a sheen will be added during the sealing process. Let this dry.
Once it’s all applied it should look like this: (see how it’s a little dull… that’s ok!)
5. After the grey wash was completely dry, I went ahead and sealed it with a Helmsman’s Spray Varnish for protection. This spray is meant for outdoor furniture and to protect the wood from moisture allowing it to expand and contract as the temperature changes! But if you aren’t overly paranoid about your wood the way I am you can just use a regular ol’ poly if you prefer.
4. Add wood glue to the mitered corners and line them up carefully to create your frame. Using a staple gun, staple the back side of your frame’s corners.
5. If you can find black corner braces, use those. But if you can only find the metal look ones, just spray paint them. I used Rustoleum’s Black Hammered Spray Paint and let the braces dry thoroughly before attaching them to the corners of my frame.
6. Now the fun part! Hanging it. Since I change my decor up so often I chose to used 3M Command Strips right on the mirror following the directions on the package. I used 4 on each board, fyi. You can also screw the frame straight to the wall if you prefer, or even glue it directly to the mirror. The choice is yours, and kind of depends on your bathroom as well.
Tip: If your bathroom mirror has those large plastic brackets, replace them with smaller washers. That should help the frame sit more flush with the mirror and the wall!
This project can totally be done in a weekend. And I bet that once you’re done, you’ll want to do more weekend projects! Try these 10 easy ways to update your home in a weekend for all sorts of ideas!
Thank you, Ashley, for sharing this tutorial with us!
What do you think? What a lovely farmhouse touch in Ashley’s bathroom, yes?
Looking for more mirror ideas? Check out this DIY Trumeau Mirror!!!
Love it! I’ve been planning to do something like this, just need to figure out how to get the pieces cut without a saw 😉 Did you also create those shelves?
You can buy a $10 miter box saw that would do all those cuts just fine! 🙂
Thanks. Can’t wait to try this. Your posts are confidence-building.
Awesome!!! Would love to see it!
I love everything about this bathroom! Can you share where the vanity and lights came from?
Yes please share!
The rest of Ashley’s bathroom makeover can be found here: http://cherishedbliss.com/industrial-farmhouse-bathroom-reveal/.
Hello Shannon!!
In the farmhous mirror feature, could you tell me about the vanity? Did you purchase (where) ? Also, love the color! Can you share?
This vanity looks similar to the one I special ordered from Lowes…. OVE is the manufacturer and Daniel Grey is the color name. The one I have has three drawers in the middle and two doors on the sides, and has a marble top – all one piece and extremely heavy – but stunning!
Thanks for sharing this Judy! And for further info on the bathroom, Ashley’s industrial bathroom makeover can be found here: http://cherishedbliss.com/industrial-farmhouse-bathroom-reveal/.
Hello,
Also interested in color of vanity as well as the soap / toothbrush holders (are those Rae Dunn?!).
Sorry! I’m not sure where Ashley got them from! But here bathroom makeover post is here: http://cherishedbliss.com/industrial-farmhouse-bathroom-reveal/
Hi Shannon. I totally love your rustic mirror frame! Just what I’m looking for! Did you place it directly over an existing mirror? I’m hoping this will work as I don’t want to take down the large mirror we have in our master. On one side of our mirror tho it butts up to the wall. Will that be a problem?
Thanks for your advice!
Lori
Hi Lori, I believe that Ashley put the frame over an existing mirror. 🙂
Did you mean to say that you attached the command strips directly to the mirror FRAME instead of the miror?
You went on to say that you put four command strips on each board, so I am assuming you put the strips on the boards and not directly on the mirror itself. Thanks for clarification.
Yes, I believe Ashley did attach the command strips to the mirror and the frame – i.e. she attached the frame to the actual mirror with Command strips so she could change the frame easily if and when she decided she didn’t like it anymore. 🙂
Two comments: (1) Bummer that no one is getting their questions answered by the blogger, (2) I notice that on all the pics, the corners of the frame are strategically covered. Makes me wonder.
Also, please don’t rely on a $10 miter box for good corners. Someone suggested that and it’s dubious advice.
1. The questions have all been answered as far as I can see. 2. You can fully see a corner of the frame just fine in this photo https://homemadelovely.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Spray-Paint-Corner-Brace.jpg. Also if someone is a beginner a $10 miter box may be all they can afford and it will work for a rustic looking project like this. Thanks for your comments.
Hi Shannon,
I noticed that it is mentioned the boards used to frame the mirror were 1×4’s. Is this accurate? That seems so thick?! And the pictures don’t seem to look that dramatic. I had a spare 1×4 in the garage and held it up and it looks so much more chunky! Any idea if a thinner board was used or would work?
Thanks!
Yes, Sandra, that is accurate. I would imagine that any size board you’d like would work! It’s up to you!
Thanks for the reply Shannon! Looks like I will have to use something thinner. The 1×4 blocks my outlet 🙁
Can’t wait to get it done though!
Aw, sorry about that! Let us know when you finish though!
What kind of wood did you use? If I want more of a pecan finish, what color stain would I use. Love this idea of framing the mirror. The bathroom looks amazing!
Hello Cheri. Sorry I missed this comment earlier. I’m not sure what Ashley used – I’m guessing either pine or spruce from the hardware store.
Oh and try Puritan Pine or another similar stain color for a more pecan look.
Loved this how-to!!! My husband and I made our very own mirror frame this weekend and it turned out perfect. Thank you for sharing!
Awesome! I’m so glad Ashley’s post was helpful!
What is the color on your wall?
Sorry, Tiffany, I’m not sure what the color is on Ashley’s bathroom wall. Perhaps she has it on her blog CherishedBliss.com.
I’m so excited to tackle this project. I bought the miter box and hand saw, but I’m not sure how to cut the boards to the proper size, since they are cut at a 45 degree angle. I have no idea how to measure for this. Any help would be so appreciated!!
I’m pretty pleased to uncover this website. I wanted to thank you for ones time just for this fantastic
read!! I definitely appreciated every little bit of it and I have
you book marked to look at new things in your website.
Thank you for sharing! Exactly what I have been looking for.
Awesome!
Fantastic tutorial! Thanks for the step by step! Might have to give it a whirl over spring break!
Perfect idea!
I am about to start this project and I’m a total newbie – does it matter what grit the sandpaper is? The link provided is a variety pack. Also, when you wipe off the excess stain and paint, should the lint free rag be dry or wet? Thank you! Just trying to up my odds off success 🙂
Hi! Fine grit sandpaper (100) or medium grit (60-80) would be best for preparing raw wood for finishing. And when removing the excess stain, the rag should definitely be dry!
Looks great and so simple! Does the finish of the gray paint matter? I have so many gray sample cans and would prefer to use one of them rather than buy another.
I would suggest not glossy!
How do you attach the mirror to the frame?
You don’t. You actually leave the mirror as it is on the wall (most bathrooms have these), replacing those large plastic holders with washer and then just hang the frame over that with command strips. 🙂
Love it!!! Totally off the mirror but what is the paint color on your cabinets???
I’m sorry! I have no idea what paint color Ashley used on her cabinets!
I’m confused. You do not explain how to get the mirror onto the frame.
The mirror is not on the frame. The mirror is mounted to the wall, and the frame is simply placed over top of it!
Hi there! I just made this and it came out perfect! My only issue is the command strips will not stick to the wood frame. Any idea why that would happen or suggestion for another way to put the gram on the mirror.
Can I ask what paint color is used on your vanity?
Hi there Mandy,
I don’t believe the bathroom vanity was painted. Ashley bought the vanity from Wayfair. Sorry!
xo, Shannon
What color are these bathroom cabinets? Love it!
HI Stacey,
This is our friend Ashley’s house. Unfortunately, she didn’t paint the cabinets, they were purchased in that color!
Can you give a little more detail or show a picture of the “washers” that are referred to when changing the large clips that hold the mirror.
Hi Joann,
Unfortunately this was created by our friend Ashley at her house. So we don’t have anymore photos than what is here.
Love this look! What color are the bathroom walls?
I believe Ashley painted them Sherwin Williams Simple White. It just looks gray in the space.