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DIY Designer Mirror Dupe Tutorial

DIY

My first completed project for the new year is this DIY designer mirror dupe! Now this was a bit of a controversial project. I feel like this was one you either loved or you didn’t. I had so many people message me and say that they saw the vision, but then I had so many others give me their opinion on not liking the vision. That included my husband. But I didn’t let that stop me. I just kept trekking along with my paper mache and it turned out exactly how I wanted it too.

A little bit of backstory for this DIY designer mirror dupe project. The original mirror I saw that I drew my inspiration from is $5000. I wasn’t about to spend $5000 on a mirror. Since we took the big mirror off of the bathroom wall (another project I’m working on) and because it came off in one piece, I didn’t want to just throw it away. So I decided to turn it into a DIY project. I will say, this wasn’t a difficult project, but it definitely was a time consuming one. Let’s get into the tutorial!

Designer Mirror Inspiration

DIY Designer Mirror Dupe Tutorial

Supplies:

Celluclay paper mache

Drywall tape

Brush

White paint

Razor blade

Step 1:

Tape off and cover with plastic or paper any sections of the mirror you do not want to get the paper mache on. For me that was the mirror itself, and then I left the frame visible. To the frame, I applied drywall tape for the paper mache to be able to stick to.

Step 2:

Mix your paper mache mixture. I started with just a small batch because I wanted to see how precise I needed to be with the water and mache measurements. I quickly learned it is pretty easy to manipulate the consistency just by adding more or less water.

Step 3:

Apply to your frame and shape the mache. I worked in small batches as I applied it. Now, this is a huge mirror, so you can guess how long this took me. I realized as I was working I accidentally purchased two different kinds of paper mache products, but the color didn’t matter in the end. I will say, next time I will be buying just the white mache product as opposed to the gray.

Step 4:

Once all of the paper mache was applied and dried, I used drywall plaster to try to smooth out the corners and rougher spots.This worked well to hide the fact that I had two different color mache products on the mirror.

Step 5:

Sand down the plaster to smooth it even more. It took me two hours to sand down the whole mirror.

Step 6:

Paint the frame whatever color your heart desires. I decided I wanted my DIY designer mirror dupe to be white like the original.

Step 7:

Once the paint is all dry, peel away the tape using a razor blade if needed. This took me a while. And then caulk it all the way around where the mirror meets the paper mache frame.

This mirror is a beast! It was big before, but now it’s about 20 pounds heavier too. Chris wasn’t sure if the frame would hold all of the weight, but it does and I can confirm that it is still standing. I am so happy with how this DIY designer mirror dupe turned out. It perfectly fills the empty wall space in our basement. Plus, not bad for $186 vs, $5000. Follow along on Instagram as I continue on with the bathroom transformation! And if you’re looking for some New Year inspiration, take a look at my 2022 DIY Project Roundup!

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