How To Make A Bronze Mirror
Elevate a secondhand mirror using window film!
If yu’ve been following along recently, you’ll know I just wrapped up my Upcycled Glass Coffee Table Series! Over the last few weeks I’ve been showing you how to transform a round glass panel I found at the tip shop and make 3 different coffee tables:
I had so much fun coming up with 3 completely different coffee tables using the secondhand glass panel and for the last project I wanted to change the colour of the glass. A little while ago I stumbled across bronze film at Bunnings and I wondered if I could cover the glass with this film and it worked! Naturally I had to see if I could get a similar result with a mirror, which brings me to this project. I found a beautiful timber framed mirror at a charity shop for $10 but I didn’t love the reddish brown varnish, so I decided to sand the timber to show off its beautiful raw grain and then I applied the bronze film to the mirror. And that’s it!
To see how it all came together, make sure to watch this How To video.
Before & After: Upcycled Bronze Mirror
Project Details
♻️ Upcycling: A Bronzed Mirror
🕒 Project Time Estimate: 1 hour
💰 Materials Cost: Under $50
Materials
Secondhand mirror with a timber frame
Tools
Chisel
Detail and/or orbital sander
Staple gun and staples
How To
Step 1: To begin with I removed the backing and mirror from the frame. I removed the existing varnish from the timber frame using both my detail and orbital sanders, which took about 45 minutes because the varnish was thick.
Step 2: I applied the bronze window film to the round glass panel using the application solution and applicator. For the instructions on how to do this, read this tutorial. I also made sure that there was no bronze film overhanging the edge of the mirror.
Step 3: I placed the bronze mirror back into the frame and secured the backing to the frame using my staple gun.
Ta daaaa!
For as long as I can remember, I’ve always loved using unexpected materials in unexpected ways. Bronze film is typically used for windows, but who said we can’t use it on glass coffee tables and mirrors? And don’t feel intimidated apply the bronze film to glass or a mirror - once you’ve had a go, you’ll quickly realise how easy it is to install and remove. And if you make a mistake, you can simply peel it off, start over and reapply it in a couple of minutes. It’s nothing like the sticky contact paper we used to use to cover our textbooks with in high school. Phew!
