Making A Large Mirror Frame Using Reclaimed Wood

41 Replies

by Texas Homesteader 

To save our 1880’s barn we hired a contractor come shore up the exterior. We originally asked them to remove the the old ragged exterior boards and replace them onto the barn after the repairs were made.

But after removing these old boards and sorting through the ones too far gone for the barn, it was apparent there would be nowhere near enough wood to replace the entire surface. So we had them use new similarly-styled wood planks. We allowed the new wood to age for one year and then we sealed it for protection from the elements. They did an awesome job and our old barn has maintained it’s beautiful old look. (If you’d like a virtual tour of this beautiful old barn you can see it here.)

We used reclaimed wood from our 1880's barn to make a beautiful mirror frame for our home. #TexasHomesteader

Now what to do with this old barn wood? I wanted each and every plank to be used again somehow. RancherMan made patio side tables, bookends, birdhouses and even a custom-made headboard for our guestroom. And we sold some of the wood for other interesting craft projects.

But my favorite use of this precious wood was my mirror. Here’s what we did:

We used reclaimed wood from our 1880's barn to make a beautiful mirror frame for our home. #TexasHomesteader

Finding a Large Mirror For Cheap

I wanted a large mirror to not only be beautiful, but also reflect light in our open-floorplan home. (dual purpose, eh??) I wanted that mirror to be styled with some of the old barn wood and the old 1880’s barbed wire still found on our Homestead.

But I didn’t want to buy the mirror part new. (it’s an environmental thing for me) So we scoured thrift stores and garage sales. We finally found a large mirror at Goodwill for about $10. Now this was before I had this little ole blog of mine so I don’t have a ‘before’ picture. But trust me when I say this was a well-worn dresser mirror. The style was very outdated and the frame was beat up pretty badly. Didn’t matter, we’re about to make it look amazing!

Assembling The Mirror Frame

RancherMan went to work adding the barn-wood frame. We chose pieces of wood that had character, some of them still included the old square nails that I love in the barn’s construction. He cut them and attached them to the existing battered mirror frame. Then we found some metal hooks at a local bazaar and set them outside for a few weeks to rust. Then we installed them as rustic embellishments.

Across the top he strung a piece of our 1882 Elwood barbed wire. I love that I still see this wire in some of our cross fences. It’s true what they say, they don’t make ’em like they used to!  (Note: We also made some rustic wall crosses from this 1880’s barbed wire to decorate the wall)

We used reclaimed wood from our 1880's barn to make a beautiful mirror frame for our home. #TexasHomesteader

I think the mirror turned out fantastic. And I love that it contains both the old barn wood that speaks to my heart as well as the 1882 Elwood barbed wire that whispers of past life of our property.

~TxH~

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41 thoughts on “Making A Large Mirror Frame Using Reclaimed Wood”

    1. Texas Homesteader Post author

      🙂 Thanks Ashley! I do love this mirror. And it’s positioned in a place that reflects outside light into the house so it serves double purpose in our passive-solar design! ~TxH~

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  2. JES

    LOVE the mirror and especially the barbed wire detail. You did a fabulous job!

    Thank you for sharing this week on the Art of Home-Making Mondays. I have pinned this 🙂

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    1. Texas Homesteader Post author

      Thanks Linda – I love those embellishments too. So rustic and fits right in with our ranch decor. ~TxH~

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    1. Texas Homesteader Post author

      Thanks Karen, I love that too. And the mirror is perfect – rustic & countrified. And it’s a gift from my RancherMan which is special as well. ~TxH~

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  5. Dolly Sarrio

    I am so glad that you shared this. I really like what you did with the old barn wood and to have the 1882 bobbed wire included is an extra special thing. The Farm has it’s history and the mirror has it’s history too. What a wonderful thing to pass on down the generations.
    Dolly

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    1. Texas Homesteader Post author

      Thanks Dolly, I think my Honey did great job! This mirror will serve our purposes for many years to come! ~TxH~

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  6. Jenny

    That is beautiful! If you have more wood you should make some to sell on Etsy or at a local bazaar.

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  8. Texas Homesteader Post author

    Laurie – the materials used turned a blah mirror into something really special. I’ve loved it for years! Thanks for your kind comment. ~TxH~

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  9. Texas Homesteader Post author

    Hannah, I love that you enjoyed both the mirror and the barn pics. I can’t believe that barn is as old as it is and still so functional. Wow, they just don’t make ’em like they used to, huh? Love the blog hop – thanks for the invite. ~TxH~

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  10. Debbie

    I love this project with your upcycled barn wood… thanks so much for sharing it with us…
    Deb

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    1. Texas Homesteader Post author

      Debbie – I’ve been trying to think of other fun projects to do with our upcycled barn wood, we still have a little left and it will NOT be wasted! 😉 ~TxH~

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  11. Janice

    Looks like quite a special mirror. It’s awesome that it has alot of sentimental value for you. And your barn? Looks absolutely beautiful!

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    1. Texas Homesteader Post author

      Thanks Janice! You’re right, it’s very sentimental to me. And thanks for your kind comment about our barn – it’s been near and dear to my heart from day ONE! ~TxH~

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  12. Laurie

    What an amazing way to keep the old barn alive!! It is a stunning barn…

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    1. Texas Homesteader Post author

      Why thank you Laurie for your kind comment. I admit, I love both the barn and the mirror too! 🙂 Thanks for stopping by. ~TxH~

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  13. Lynne

    I love repurposing old things instead of just tossing them out. Your mirror came out beautifully and will always remind you of your barn and property and all the memories that go with it. Well done!

    ~Lynne from a “new” Jersey Girl, just “hopping” by from Rurality Blog Hop

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    1. Texas Homesteader Post author

      I agree Lynne. Not only is the vintage material so much more beautiful to me, but it makes no sense to throw THIS wood away and go buy THAT wood instead! Thanks for your compliment. ~TxH~

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  14. gtyyup

    That barn is such a classic…you definitely have braggin’ rights with the fine job you did to retain its original look! And the mirror is simply a piece of beautiful art…well done!

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    1. Texas Homesteader Post author

      I love the barn too gtyyup and I appreciate your kind comment. I love the mirror as well and it was a very fun project that ended up looking absolutely perfect in our home. 🙂 ~TxH~

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  15. artmusedog and Carol

    Very creative and beautiful mirror and recycling ~ Enjoy ^_^ ~ Great shots!

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    1. Texas Homesteader Post author

      Thanks – I think it turned out pretty cool and it looks perfect in my house. PLUS the large mirror reflects the light into the interior of the house! (I posted about passive solar energy in your home here —> http://bit.ly/ZK7DsE ) Thanks for your kind comment. ~TxH~

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  16. Jori

    Love the reflections in your photo, and that mirror is too wonderful!

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    1. Texas Homesteader Post author

      Jori – it’s funny I was trying to figure out how to take the reflections out of the mirror, so it’s good to know the picture worked the way it was. Thanks for your kind comment. ~TxH~

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  17. Tracey

    That certainly was a great use of the wood and a beautiful one at that. Great job recycling and reusing!

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  18. Michelle Pond

    Absolutely beautiful. I love all of the elements you combined to create the mirror. TALU

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  19. Donna Sisler

    Just beautiful! It would be a dream come true for me. Thanks for sharing! TALU 😉

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  20. Jeannie

    We have a wall pannelled with barn wood. Love the worn grey color.

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    1. Texas Homesteader Post author

      Thanks Monique, I think he did a great job for me and it looks fantastic in our home. 🙂 ~TxH~

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    2. Stephanie Howerton

      What a great idea for such beautiful wood. You have made amazing things with it!

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      1. Texas Homesteader Post author

        Thanks Stephanie – I’m mulling over a few other craft ideas because I’ve got a couple of boards left and NOTHING will be wasted of this precious wood! 🙂 ~TxH~

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