Easy DIY Anthropologie Mirror Dupe-Make it for a lot Less

August 16, 2023
nicole

Hi! I'm Nicole

Fearless DIY. Sharing building project tutorials and interior design tips. Let’s build something beautiful together. For more projects, design tips and behind the scenes, follow me @designtobuild.nicole

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Can I just say that to buy a big fancy floor mirror today might require taking out a small loan? They are not cheap!! Trust me. I searched high and low for a designer mirror that would make a statement. But wasn’t really wanting to budget nearly $1000 for it! Whoa! So, when all else fails, make it yourself, right?! And that’s what I did. Thankfully, at way under $200, mine didn’t break the bank. And added bonus: it was a bit therapeutic–throw in the earbuds, favorite playlist going, get in the zone. Let’s build a DIY full-length mirror that is Anthropologie swoon-worthy.

Full length mirror with a reflection of a goldendoodle and a full view of the dining room

Here’s the full tutorial.

Easy DIY Designer Full Length Mirror

HEADER IMAGE

Instructions are based on a 19 1/2″ x 68″ mirror. Adjust accordingly for different size mirrors.

Materials Needed:

  • 4×8 sheet of 3/4″ plywood

If you’re having Home Depot or Lowe’s do your wood cuts, you’ll need:

1 cut at 24″ x 76″—This will be your backer board;

2 cuts at 4″ x 28″—These will be your top and bottom strips;

2 cuts at 5″ x 76″—These will be your side strips)

Amazon Affiliate Links Included

Power Tools Needed:

If you’re unable to make your plywood cuts at a local big box store, you’ll need access to the following power tool…

Step One: Build the frame

First thing first, let’s make the wood frame.

If you don’t already have your cuts made for your backer board…Using a circular saw or table saw, rip your 3/4″ piece of plywood to 24″ x 76″.

Center your mirror onto this sheet.

Glue mirror onto plywood using Flex Shot (This stuff is the bomb! Works great as mirror adhesive, wood glue, anything you need to glue down)….

Flex Shot can

If you don’t already have your cuts made for your side wood pieces, rip 3/4″ plywood to two 5″ strips and cut at 76″.

Attach these pieces to the long sides of the mirror using Flex Shot. You’ll want to cover about 3/4″ of your mirror face.

Side note: These side boards will stick out a few inches wider than your backer board. See picture below…

Side strips on mirror

If you don’t already have your cuts made for your top and bottom pieces, rip 3/4″ plywood sheet to two 4″ strips. And cut to fit in between side plywood pieces.

Attach these smaller boards to the top and bottom of the mirror using Flex Shot.

Once again, you’ll want to cover about 3/4″ of your mirror face. As with the side boards, these wooden boards will stick out a little bit wider than your backer board.

Your DIY floor mirror frame should now look like this…

Wood frame around mirror

Tape off the mirror face and paint your DIY mirror frame with black paint.

We could stop here and have a very modern floor mirror. But let’s add that wow factor and make a statement mirror!

Painters tape around wood frame

Step Two: Add the trim pieces

I chose 3 1/2″ wide trim to add a little more detail.

Cut trim pieces to fit and attach with 3/4″ screws (or Flex Shot). I chose not to use screws and solely stick to the Flex Shot to attach all of my pieces….

Wood trim textured

Make angle cuts to square the end pieces together. Use wood filler to fill in any gaps between your angles….

Two wood angles cut and squared together

Your DIY full length mirror should now look like this…

Mirror with wood frame

Step Three: Add the styrofoam balls

Cut your styrofoam balls in half, using a sharp knife (I used a steak knife), at their natural crease.

You should now have 100 styrofoam balls.

I did this step while watching one of my shows on Netflix. Time consuming, but a no-brainer….

Person cutting styrofoam balls with a knife

Using a hot glue gun attach the half styrofoam balls to the large floor mirror frame, as shown below….

Mirror with wood frame and styrofoam balls around it

Step Four: Prep the frame

Paint Mod Podge on all of the styrofoam balls. This gives it a protective coat for when you add primer, paint, etc…

Mod Podge container with a styrofoam bowl and paint brush

Next mix primer and baking soda together to add texture and more protection.

Paint this mixture onto the styrofoam balls….

Woman mixing paint in bowl with paintbrush

Paint the styrofoam balls and trim pieces all black. I used Satin Finish Tricorn Black, but really any black paint will work (I prefer a satin or matte finish)….

Partly painted mirror with black styrofoam balls

Step Five: Add the gold leaf foil and Rub ‘n Buff

Working in sections (about 5 styrofoam balls at a time), paint a coat of Mod Podge, thoroughly, in that 5 styrofoam ball section….

Lady painting with paintbrush and styrofoam bowl

And then place a sheet of gold leaf over the Mod Podge prepared area…

Girl attaching gold leaf foil to edge of mirror

Use a dry paint brush to push the foil into place….

Lady securing gold leaf foil to edge of mirror with paintbrush

Then add another coat of Mod Podge over it to seal the foil and keep it in place….

Edge of mirror with mod podge and gold leaf foil

Keep repeating this process working in small sections. I focused on covering the styrofoam balls first.

And then went back and filled in missing spots along the edges and parts of the trim my foil sheets didn’t cover.

Working with the foil definitely takes some getting used to. Not that it’s hard to do.

It’s just very light weight and a bit challenging to manipulate where you want it to go. It falls apart very easily too.

I found that using the dry brush to move it in place was very helpful. After about 2-3 sections, I was on a roll and really had it figured out.

The key is: you can’t mess it up.

If you feel like you need more gold in a spot add more foil. If you feel like you have too much gold in a spot, add more Mod Podge. And manipulate the gold to another spot. Or take some of the gold off once you get it wet with Mod Podge.

Wood frame with gold leaf foil and black paint

To give it a bit of a softer look and fill in some spots that had too much black showing through, I used Gold Rub and Buff.

I simply squirted a small amount in a styrofoam bowl and used a small brush to paint on where I felt it was needed….

Rub n Buff container

Girl painting mirror frame with rub n buff paint

Quite a few steps in this step-by-step tutorial, right? I know!

But they’re all worth it and they’re all simple steps.

This is such great project that only requires a few basic tools. Not to mention, an easy project with a much better price tag than the designer mirrors I was finding online.

Full length mirror with gold edge standing

I love the statement it makes! It’s more than just a beautiful leaning floor mirror. It’s a solid piece of furniture and a great addition to our master bedroom…

Lady standing next to a full-length mirror

Are you ready to take a plain mirror and turn it into a unique design? This conversation piece is the perfect DIY project.

I hope you found this DIY full length mirror post to be helpful and that you’re ready to go make your own floor mirror.

As always, let me know if you have any questions. I love helping you turn these DIY posts into something tangible.

You never know what you’re capable of until you try! You’ve got this!

Reflection of a girl with baseball cap in a gold framed mirror

Before we go, let’s talk about the interior design aspect of mirrors.

Lately, I’ve been trying to answer FAQ’s and give tips on the design element of the topic we’re discussing. So, here are some frequently asked questions about mirrors, that I think you might find helpful.

FAQ’s and Tips For Designing with Mirrors

What is the interior design benefit of adding a mirror?

Large mirrors provide two design benefits in a space. They make a room feel larger and brighter. A mirror causes images to bounce off of it from different angles. This in turn imparts a sense of space and depth to a room.

Full length mirror with a reflection of a goldendoodle and a full view of the dining room

This same effect applies to artificial and natural light. Making a room feel lighter and brighter as the light bounces off the mirror and into different parts of the room.

Where’s the best place to position a mirror?

The previous question leads us into the answer for this one. As I mentioned before, mirrors accentuate natural and artificial lights.

Therefore, it is best to place a mirror opposite of or next to a window. This will provide the right angle to bounce light throughout a room.

Make sure the mirror’s reflection is worthy

Take note of what your mirror is reflecting. Remember that whatever it is, you’re now displaying two of them. So, make sure it’s something that is a statement piece in the room and worthy of drawing attention to.

Full length mirror accentuating a table and hanging light in a dining room

Choose a mirror design that looks like a window

This is a great hack to make a room that has little to no windows appear to have an added window. Especially if you can place it in a part of the room that will bounce light off of it.

This is a great way to make a closed off room feel much more open and spacious.

Choosing a quality mirror

Mirrors can be very expensive. But cheap mirrors can change the entire feel of a room. And not in a good way.

When choosing a mirror, a simple rule of thumb is: the thicker the glass, the better quality the reflection will be.

An old mirror often has black spotting on it. This happens when moisture works its way in and breaks down the bond between the glass and the back of the mirror. This in turn, creates black spots on the face of the mirror.

Let’s go beyond the design to build something beautiful together!

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Until next time,

Happy Building, Friend!!

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