I have been wanting a full-length mirror for a long time, but I never found one that I really liked. Usually it was way too big, or the frame wasn’t quite my style.

I noticed that Home Depot sold 16”x60” mirrors in their stores and decided I could build my own. Instead of making it just a basic mirror though, I made it functional with hidden jewelry storage.

Two birds with one stone!

Before you get started, make sure you have all of your materials and tools handy. Wear safety glasses and ear protection when using power tools. Cut all of the wood down to size following the printable plans. Some of the wood will need to be ripped down on a table saw. Be sure to keep the leftover sticks of wood for a later step. Drill all of the necessary pocket holes needed for assembly. I find it helpful to piece together the project and mark with a pencil where the pocket holes will go. It saves time and prevents holes being drilled in the wrong spot or on the wrong side of the wood. You’ll want to build this project on a large, flat surface.

Once the pocket holes are drilled, piece together the outside frame. Add wood glue to the joints and clamp together. Attach with 1 ¼” pocket screws. Measure 5 ½” from the outside of the frame inward. Mark with a pencil and place the inside portion of the frame so the innermost side is lined up with the mark. This is where the face of the mirror frame will rest, so measuring from outside edge to outside edge should equal 5 ½”.

Attach the upper and lower portion of the frame in the same way, measuring 5 ½” inward and lining the wood up with the mark. Clamp and attach with 1 ¼” pocket screws. This step is optional, but great if you have bracelets or earrings you’d like to store in the frame. Cut 1x3 pieces 4” long and place them where desired between the outer mirror frame. Nail into place with a brad nailer and 1 ¼” brad nails.

Measure and cut to size the face of the frame. Cut the edges at 45 degrees. Nail the upper and lower portions of the face frame in place with 1 ¼” brad nails. The sides will not be attached yet. Remember the leftover sticks of wood when you ripped down the 1x4? You’ll use those to build the supports for the mirror. Cut them to size and place them flush with the top edge of the inner portion of the frame. Nail into place with 1” brad nails. Fill all of the nail holes with wood filler. Let it dry, then sand the entire piece with your orbital sander and 220 grit sandpaper.

My house is pretty neutral with greige colored walls and white trim, so I chose to paint the mirror frame with BEHR PREMIUM PLUS^® Paint & Primer in Swiss Coffee. What I recently discovered was that this color now comes premixed, so no waiting in line at the paint counter! If bold colors are more your style, I highly recommend them for a project like this. For me, I love using neutral colors for furniture pieces and then adding pops of color and texture with different décor.

I’ve found that the easiest (and fastest) way to paint larger furniture pieces is with a HVLP paint sprayer. If you don’t have one, a good quality brush will do just fine. I recommend brushing on two coats of paint, letting it dry between coats. I sprayed on three light coats with my paint sprayer, lightly sanding it in between coats.

Once the paint is completely dry, it’s time to add the hinges. I chose 2” x 1 3/8” black decorative hinges. Measure each end and decide where your hinges will go so they are at the same level on the other side of the frame. Attach with the included screws.

Attach the mirror to the frame with silicone or other strong adhesive and let dry at least 24 hours.

TIPS AND TRICKS

When using a paint sprayer, make sure to spray several light coats rather than one or two heavy coats. It makes the finish look so much better and prevents drips or orange peel texture.

Make sure to lightly sand between coats of paint for a smooth, professional-looking finish.

THE BIG REVEAL

The finished mirror has a beautiful farmhouse look to it! You can barely see the hinges, so at first glance you’d never know the sides opened up!

I added small screw hooks to the inside of the frame to hang my necklaces. You can add as many or as few as you like! They’re also great for hanging earrings and bracelets.

As I said, you can choose to add little shelves to your mirror wherever you like. I chose to have two on each side. You could even make one side just shelves and the other side just hooks!

Being able to have all of my jewelry neatly organized is something I’ve wanted for a long time and my old jewelry box just wasn’t cutting it. Now everything is neat and tidy, and it looks great!