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    Home » DIY » Build It » Home Decor » Spindle Mirror Makeover Thrift Store Find

    Spindle Mirror Makeover Thrift Store Find

    Published by Gail | Published September 3, 2019 | Updated July 12, 2022
    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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    Ann old thrift store mirror gets a new look after a small trim, and paint! Someone had painted over the mirror with chalkboard paint, but now the new look will go with any home decor. #myrepurposedlife #thirftstore #mirror #makeover #repurposed #furniture #homedecor via @repurposedlife

    I love getting a good deal on an old dresser mirror, especially when it’s wooden! This spindle mirror makeover stumped me for a while. When I finally got it out to work on, I posted a picture of it on facebook asking people what they would do with it. But being an impatient diy’er, I got to work on it before all the comments were posted.

    This post contains affiliate links, read more here.

    Thrift store spindle mirror makeover

    thrift store spindle mirror

    As I recall, this wooden spindle mirror was higher than my normal $5 limit. I think it was $6.99. Someone had already given it a makeover, using chalkboard paint on the mirror.

    Do you ever buy something, then wonder if it’s going to fit in your vehicle? On this shopping trip I was with a friend in a small car. But the White Elephant will hold purchases, so I had to pick it up later in my truck. It literally took up the width of my truck behind the front seats. Plus, this mirror is heavy!

     

     

     

    thrift store spindle mirror updated with a saw and paint MyRepurposedLifeI would love for you to pin this for later!

    Read below how this spindle mirror makeover came about!

     

    Cut spindles with jigsaw

    jigsaw cutting spindles off thrift store mirror

    Why do I cut furniture apart rather than dismantling it? Using a saw leaves me with less bumps in the road. Had I tapped the spindles out of the mirror frame, I would have been left with holes to fill.

     

    cutting spindles off of dresser mirror

    You can see that it would have been quite a few holes to patch, including dowels that were holding the side pieces in place.

     

    Sand area smooth with orbital sander

    orbital sander smoothing spindle area of mirror

    Because I had to rest the base of the jigsaw on top of the board holding the mirror in, these dowels needed a little more sanding with the orbital sander. At this point I wasn’t sure what I was going to do with the mirror, so I left it attached.

    Spindle mirror Makeover - so much prettier

    spindle mirror makeover

    However, as soon as I got the spindles removed from the mirror frame, I knew this gal wanted to have her glory revealed again to be a mirror once more.

    Save all hardware in plastic bag

    save old hardware in a baggie

    I have lost old hardware more times than I want to talk about. I removed the hanging hardware and placed it in a plastic bag. Whenever I get orders from Amazon, I save all the plastic bags just for this purpose.

    Carefully remove mirror backer board

    remove backing on spindle mirror

    A flat head screwdriver was used to pry off the back of the spindle mirror.

    Remove all staples

    channel locks remove staples

    Rocking a pair of locking pliers easily removes the staples that held the mirror in place. Simply lock down, and rock to pull out the old staples.

    DIY Chalky Paint Primer

    painting mirror frame white

    Mixing up a batch of my diy chalky paint primer using plaster of Paris and this old oops paint, I was ready to paint! I like to use cheap chip brushes because they clean u so easily.

     

    painting with chip brush using a stipple technique Initially I planned to do a light coat of white paint, sort of stippled on, giving the spindle mirror an aged look.

     

    after 1 coat of paint stippled on

    I was unsure if this is what I wanted. So while the paint dried . . .

    Remove chalkboard paint from mirror

    removing chalkboard paint from mirror

    . . . I got busy removing the chalkboard paint from the mirror. This handy razor blade scraper  made the job really easy! I used a little of my diluted dish soap for good measure. That really made it easier near the end, when there were a few flakes left.

     

     

    scraping chalkboard paint off mirror

    Look at how easily the chalkboard paint came off the mirror, exposing the reflection of the trees and the sky!

    Apply second coat of white paint

    second coat of white paint spindle mirror makeover

    With a clear head (and mirror) I decided to go with a second coat of the white paint. The paint was naturally distressing a little on the edges, so I decided to help it along a little bit.

    How to distress with emery boards

    emery board for easy distressing

    I used the emery board distressing technique—the same way I did on the repurposed lamp plant stands. The emery board give you more control when distressing lightly.

    Reuse mirror braces

    mirror clips After taking the back off the mirror, I saw where all these little braces had settled to one end of the mirror. I had saved them in the baggie with the hanging hardware.

     

    place mirror spacers

    I placed the mirror spacers all around the mirrors where they should have been before.

    Staple mirror backer board onto wood frame

    mirror backer board stapled

    Using my battery powered staple gun, I shot staples next to each of the original spots on the backer board.

    Attach sturdy hangers—mirror is heavy!

    heavy duty d rings I opted to use new heavy duty d rings for hanging the mirror. After much consideration I chose to change the orientation of the mirror and installed the hangers accordingly, pre-drilling pilot holes for screws.

    Updated thrift store spindle mirror makeover

    spindle mirror makeover MyRepurposedLife

    It’s so difficult to take a good picture of a mirror without getting an ugly reflection. I absolutely LOVE how this spindle mirror makeover turned out! It’s more traditional and timeless now and I think it would go with any decor in a hallway or even leaning on a mantel!

     

     

    mirror makeover showing a reflection of trees and sky MyRepurposedLife

    The previous picture shows only the reflection of the sky. This one, of course shows my hands and the tree above me.

     

    ugly mirror updated with a saw and paint MyRepurposedLife

    Although the mirror is now shorter, don’t you think it looks so much better???

     

    light distressing achieved with an emery board

    This close-up shows the light distressing done with the emery boards.

     

    thrift store spindle mirror updated with a saw and paint MyRepurposedLife

     

    spindles cut off from mirror

    Are you sad to see the spindle mirror makeover? Personally, I’m so happy the spindles are gone. I don't let anything go to waste, check out Jewelry Shelf I made from this scrap piece off the mirror.

    gail

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    1. girlfromwva

      September 03, 2019 at 11:04 am

      looks beautiful. love the color you picked.

      Reply
      • Gail Wilson

        September 03, 2019 at 11:24 am

        Thank yo Nova, I wanted something that goes anywhere. It was really hard not to add my favorite glaze to it! 🙂

        I'm working on a space to sell my stuff.... keep your fingers crossed that it works!

        gail

    2. Jennie Wallick

      September 03, 2019 at 9:07 am

      I like it much better without the spindle piece. Can’t wait to see what you make from the top. Stippling looks like I ran out of paint in the sprayer.

      Reply
      • Gail Wilson

        September 03, 2019 at 11:26 am

        Jennie,

        thanks!!

        I thought the spindle piece dated it too much. Yeah, the stippling sounded like a good idea, I wanted an aged look . . . but I really love the end result!

        gail

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    Hi, there! I’m Gail Wilson, the author and mastermind behind My Repurposed Life. I’m obsessed with finding potential in unexpected places and believe that with a little hard work and imagination, any old thing can be made useful again—myself included! I hope you’ll enjoy the journey and pick up a few tools along the way… literally!

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