*This DIY is sponsored by Skil Power Tools UK and contains affiliate links to eBay, Amazon, Wickes and B&Q.
If you fancy bringing a bit of interior design to our outdoor space, then a mirror is a great way to do it! Not only can it enlarge a small space and help reflect some greenery, but it’ll also help to give you that indoor homey feeling outdoors. And if you’re on a budget and love a bit of DIY – then why not make your own DIY garden mirror?
This is SUCH an easy DIY, you don’t need to be particularly great at DIY and you only need a couple of tools. If you use reclaimed/leftover materials, this can cost almost nothing at all as well.
I’m working with Skil Power tools on this project who sent me a couple of tools to use and I can’t wait to share this DIY with you! So if you want to learn how to make your own DIY garden mirror then keep reading!
(PS – There’s a video tutorial at the end too!)
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which allows me to receive a small commission if you visit a link and buy something on my recommendation. Purchasing via an affiliate link doesn’t cost you any extra, and I only recommend products I have bought or used myself.
This blog is part of the eBay partner network and the Amazon Associate Programme. All affiliate links to these sites are clearly marked with an asterisk (*). Click here to read more about how affiliate links work on this blog.
How to Make a DIY Garden Mirror
You Will Need:
Materials
Tools
Safety Gear
- Ear Defenders
- Goggles
- Dust Mask
Step 1 – Measure and Plan
First up, you need to decide roughly how big you want your mirror to be and you also need to choose what size mirror tiles you’ll be
I knew I wanted my mirror to be around 75cm high x 145cm wide (go big or go home, I say!) and I’d selected these 20cm x 20cm mirror tiles* (eBay affiliate link). Iif you want something bigger, these IKEA ones are also another option!).
You’ll also need to know the thickness of your battens, then you can add all this together to work out exact dimensions. Luckily, I’ve done the math for you! If, however, you want to build something smaller, you’ll need to adjust these measurements accordingly.
Now you have your measurements, you can start to mark up your first cut, which will be the plywood.
Step 2 – Cut Your Plywood to Size
I’m using 12mm thick plywood* (wickes affiliate link) for my mirror as it’s going to be fairly large in size, but if you’re making a smaller DIY you can save a little bit of money and opt for 9mm. Whatever thickness you pick though, make sure your plywood is suitable for exterior use.
Using a circular saw (mine is this cordless Skil Circular Saw* (B&Q affiliate link), cut your plywood to size (145cm x 75cm). For ease, it’s a good idea to clamp a length of wood to your plywood which will allow you to run your saw against it. This will keep you nice and straight! You can see how I’ve aligned it against the cutting guide on the saw below.
I found this saw SO easy to use, it’s fairly lightweight, which I really liked and being cordless makes life so much easier when working on outdoor projects like this. Plus you don’t have to worry about the cable being in the way! I’ve attached a hoover to mine as well, which kept dust to a minimum.
(If you don’t have a circular saw, you can always cut with a handsaw, it may just take a little longer and require a bit more muscle!)
Step 3 – Cut Your Wooden Battens
Next up, you’ll need to cut your wooden battens to size. For the sized mirror I’m making, this meant cutting:
2 Lengths at 145cm
7 Lengths at 67.4cm
12 Lengths at 20cm
If you’re making a different sized mirror, you should have calculated the measurements you needed to cut in step 1.
To cut the wood, I’ve used a mitre saw* (Amazon affiliate link) for quickness. You can use a stop-block to help ensure your cuts are consistent as well. If you don’t have a mitre saw, a handsaw will work just as well!
Once you’ve cut everything, check everything fits together nicely – you can always trim any of your cuts at this stage if need-be. It should, however, now begin looking like the frame of a mirror!
Step 4 – Sand and Paint
Sand all your wooden battens down using an electric handheld sander, so it’s smooth and free from any roughness. I’ve used this Skil Detail Sander* (B&Q affiliate link), which comes with various different attachments to use with different spaces/different jobs. It’s a powerful little thing and makes quick work of the job!
Once sanded, paint all four sides of your battens and both sides of your plywood using an exterior wood treatment. I’ve used Johnstone’s Garden Colour* (Amazon affiliate link) range in the ‘Calming Stone’ to match our DIY Pallet Fence.
Step 5 – Glue Everything Down
Now we have everything prepped and ready to go, all that’s left to do is glue everything down! You’ll need some exterior grab adhesive* (Amazon affiliate link) for this (make sure it’s frost/weatherproof!) and also a caulk gun* (Amazon affiliate link). Lay your battens and mirror tiles out ready for affixing into place.
Start at one side of the plywood board and glue down the outer battens before moving onto the mirror and the remaining battens. Take your time with this and keep going until you’ve glued down every piece of wood and every mirror tile. It’s also a good idea to remove the film before glueing down your mirror (it’s easier than trying to do this later!).
Please note: if you use acrylic tiles, make sure you spread your glue out on the back of the mirror so that it’s evenly covered. If an acrylic mirror isn’t glued down perfectly flat, it may cause distortion on the reflection (like those crazy/fun mirrors where everything looks narrow or wobbly).
I had actually originally used acrylic mirrors but found despite my best efforts, there was still a slight distortion anyway, so later decided to upgrade to mirror glass tiles.
If any of your wood is slightly warped, you can use clamps to hold the wood down whilst it dries, and I highly recommend adding some nails or screws as well.
To hide the screws, I countersunk them into the wood and filled over with some filler. Once sanded back and painted, you can’t see them at all!
Step 6 – Affix to a Fence or Wall and Enjoy!
Leave the glue to dry for at least 48 hours (ideally longer!) and then you’re ready to hang your mirror! I’ve simply added L-brackets to the top of my mirror and screwed them into the fencing at the top. Once hung, that’s it – you’re done!
Could you see the different photos with the acrylic mirrors and the glass mirrors?
I’m pretty pleased with how this DIY garden mirror turned out and I think it’s really finished off this corner of the pallet seating. It cost me quite a bit more than I had planned after upgrading the mirror tiles, but I think I’m glad I did in the end. It looked OK, but would probably have bugged me more as time went on.
(If you want to see the tutorial for the pallet seating, check out this post!)
I reckon, however, if you used leftover materials for this project, it wouldn’t need to cost much at all. You could even use an existing mirror and upcycle it in a similar way!
I hope you liked this little project and let me know if you make something similar using this post. I love seeing your creations! There’s a video tutorial below, otherwise;
Happy DIYing!
*This DIY is sponsored by Skil Power Tools UK. All words and opinions are my own. A huge thanks to Skil Power Tools for supporting this blog and allowing this project to happen!
**This post also contains affiliate links to eBay, Amazon, Wickes and B&Q.
