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11 Magnolia Lane

Sharing our easy DIYs, decorating, entertaining and more!

Easy DIY Tutorial: Adding Trim Around a Giant Mirror (For Renters!)

February 10, 2015 By Christy 45 Comments

This Post Contains Affiliate Links

1350 shares
  • 51

This post is sponsored by HomeRight.  All opinions are 100% mine.

Easy DIY for Renters: Trim a Giant Mirror | 11 Magnolia Lane
I wanted to show you what I did yesterday afternoon–which means this is a FAST project!  Also, since this is a post that is sponsored by HomeRight, that means you need to read through to the end, because there’s a giveaway waiting there for you!

OK, so as you know we are currently living in military housing, which means that we can’t do anything permanent to improve our house (see my home tour for this house here).  But that doesn’t mean that it can’t look great–in fact, there are TONS of things that renters can do to make things pretty and homey.  I wrote a huge post on decorating ideas for renters {here}, and another one on customizing a small bathroom/powder room {here}.

Today I’ll show you how I trimmed the GIANT mirror in our master bathroom–and it’s temporary so I can easily pull it down when we move.  It was also under $40–score!

Here’s what it looked like before:

Master bathroom mirror--before | 11 Magnolia Lane

I am not a fan of HUGE mirrors.  If we owned this house, I would pull it down and hang two framed mirrors (and I would use the mirror behind my daughter’s ballet barre).  Since that’s a moot point, I decided to use trim to frame it out.  Lots of people have done this project before, even me, back in the kids’ bathroom in our Nashville house:

White trim around large mirror in kids' bathroom | 11 Magnolia Lane
Obviously, I used white painted trim around that mirror, and I used my miter saw to cut 45° angles to frame that one.  But, we owned that house and I attached the trim with lots of nails and glue.

For this project, I used a little bit of glue (from a hot glue gun, since it scrapes away so easily), and ONE NAIL!


Easy DIY for Renters: Trim a Giant Mirror | 11 Magnolia Lane

After measuring my mirror (twice!) to see how big it was, I headed to the store to buy trim.  This time, I opted to buy the no-miter corners.  Here are my supplies:

supplies

I shopped at Lowe’s this time.  Here’s the molding that I purchased:

Molding-Lowes
And the corner blocks (they make these in several sizes; they should be just about 1/2″ wider than your molding/trim:

Corner-Lowes
I already had the Rust-Oleum Ultimate Wood Stain (in Dark Walnut) their gloss polyurethane, and the HomeRight FinishMax sprayer.

I decided to use my FinishMax Fine Finish HVLP (High Volume Low Pressure) Sprayer for this project, instead of the FinishMax Pro, because it was a quick job.  I’ve found that most stains don’t have to be thinned at all; just mixed and sprayed. Since I selected a trim with lots of grooves, I chose the sprayer over a brush, and it saved quite a bit of time.  Can you tell from the spatters that I use this baby all the time?

finishmax

I applied one coat of stain and then wiped it off after a couple of minutes.  It dried in under an hour and then I used a brush to apply a single coat of polyurethane.  Don’t forget that you need to stain the back of the trim when you’re placing it on a mirror; otherwise you will be able to see the unfinished wood in the mirror’s reflection!

This is an oil-based stain, so I cleaned my sprayer with mineral spirits; you could certainly use a water-based stain and then you would only need to use soap and water to clean up.

I used a dab of hot glue on the backs of the corners, and cut the bottom length of trim so that it fit snugly.  I cut it so well (yay, me!) that I didn’t even need glue to hold it in place.  (You can see that the corner piece is just a hair wider than the trim in this photo)

corner-piece

The two side pieces were next, and again, I just used a touch of hot glue between the trim and the mirror:

Easy DIY for Renters: Trim a Giant Mirror | 11 Magnolia Lane

The top piece was where I had to use the ONE NAIL. I put it right in the center to hold the trim in place; thinking that gravity would probably defeat hot glue in this case. 🙂  If your trim is particularly thick, you should drill a guide hole for your finish nail so that you don’t split your molding–that is SO frustrating!

Easy DIY for Renters: Trim a Giant Mirror | 11 Magnolia Lane

I love the way this finishes the room, and when it’s time to move, it will be easy to take a razor blade and just pop the dried glue off the mirror.  The vinyl monogram is another thing I added to break up the vast expanse of this mirror, they’re available in our Etsy shop {here} and I wrote a post about it {here}. It’s obviously completely removable/reversible, too.

Easy DIY for Renters: Trim a Giant Mirror | 11 Magnolia Lane

Easy DIY for Renters: Trim a Giant Mirror | 11 Magnolia Lane

Easy DIY for Renters: Trim a Giant Mirror | 11 Magnolia Lane
You might also have noticed in the mirror’s reflection that I used a curtain rod and plain white curtain panels in front of the soaking tub; I think it finishes the room nicely, and again, I can just take it down when it’s time to move.

Easy DIY for Renters: Trim a Giant Mirror | 11 Magnolia Lane

Now, as promised, here’s our giveaway for a HomeRight FinishMax Fine Finish Sprayer.  As you get to the entry options, don’t forget that if you’re already doing one of the options (say, you already follow us on Instagram or are subscribed to our emails), then you get a free entry for that, so be sure to click on it.  Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
 

••••••

Disclaimer:  We are proud HomeRight Brand Ambassadors, and every month they give me a product to try and give away.  All opinions are 100% mine.  Also, some of the links in this post are affiliate links.  If you purchase through these links, we will earn a small commission, but you don’t pay a penny more!

 HomeRight-Ambassador-Button••••••

{Linking up to:  2 Bees in a Pod}

Thanks for stopping by!

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Filed Under: Bathrooms, DIY/Projects/Tutorials, General/About Us, HomeRight Projects, PROJECTS, Room Makeovers, Wall & Door Decor Tagged With: Bathroom, diy, mirror, trim, tutorial

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Manette Gutterman says

    February 10, 2015 at 9:28 am

    Never underestimate the power of fabric: garlands, pillows, curtains, throws, etc. They can bring in easy color!

    Reply
  2. Debbie says

    February 10, 2015 at 9:43 am

    It’s looks amazing! Great idea for a beautiful temporary fix!
    Debbie

    Reply
  3. Lynn says

    February 10, 2015 at 9:49 am

    It looks amazing! I may just have to try this soon!

    Reply
  4. Beth says

    February 10, 2015 at 10:01 am

    Looks great! Wonderful idea for renters.

    Reply
  5. Leiah says

    February 10, 2015 at 10:08 am

    I just talked to That Man about all the extra moulding we have left over from the house build – guess I’m going to put some of it to use in the guest bath!

    Reply
  6. Lindsay P. says

    February 10, 2015 at 10:19 am

    Colorful throw pillows make such a difference!

    Reply
  7. Danielle says

    February 10, 2015 at 10:23 am

    Love this idea. I have this same GIGANTIC mirror in my master bathroom. My husband might have a heart attack if I told him I wanted him to take it down. This is so easy. I’m going to do it! I use a paint sprayer that I hook up to my air compressor, and it’s great for big projects, but it is a process to get it all hooked up and ready to go. I really like this FinishMax. It looks so easy to use!!

    Reply
  8. Clare says

    February 10, 2015 at 10:57 am

    I have done this but instead of hot glue I used the 3M command strips. It worked great.

    Reply
  9. Amanda {NoDakNest} says

    February 10, 2015 at 11:09 am

    Have you used other sprayers as well? Do you swear by this one? I have been looking for a sprayer for months and I just can’t seem the bite the bullet. As soon as I’m about to I find some awful reviews and then I get cold feet again!

    Reply
  10. Candice Moran says

    February 10, 2015 at 11:47 am

    Fabric – wall hangings, large “art”, pillows, bedspreads, etc… can make a huge difference

    Reply
  11. Britnie says

    February 10, 2015 at 1:39 pm

    Fabric, as mentioned already. Colorful throws, hand made quilts, hanging fabric on the wall!

    Reply
  12. Carolyn says

    February 10, 2015 at 2:59 pm

    Thank you for always being so dang creative!! I love this!!

    Reply
    • Christy says

      February 10, 2015 at 10:18 pm

      Now you’re making me blush! 🙂

      Reply
  13. Carol says

    February 10, 2015 at 5:25 pm

    What a great giveaway! Thanks!

    Reply
  14. Ashleigh Hall says

    February 10, 2015 at 8:00 pm

    Aaaahhh yes! I remember our military housing days! My tip for decorating rentals is use lots of command strips to hang stuff and use lots of pillows and decor to add color to the vast sea of white! 😉

    Reply
    • Christy says

      February 10, 2015 at 10:18 pm

      That made me laugh because I think I keep the 3M Company in business with those Command strips! 🙂

      Reply
  15. Ann says

    February 11, 2015 at 12:15 am

    FABRIC! It transforms everything. Even can be used to cover walls using either staples or Command strips to hold in place. 🙂

    Reply
  16. Trish F says

    February 11, 2015 at 12:47 am

    Since I’ve never lived in a rental, I don’t know. But, I can speculate that vinyl wall decorations, words, graphics for kids rooms or embellishments can be a good thing to use for decorating a rental. Thanks for a great giveaway!

    Reply
  17. staci torgerson says

    February 11, 2015 at 4:08 am

    I’d have to say FABRIC is the best decor choice for renters. From creating color and textures in every room, wallpapering walls, creating rugs via painted drop cloths, etc.

    Reply
  18. Dotte says

    February 11, 2015 at 8:45 am

    I need to do this in our master bath… I’ve been wanting to but
    wasn’t sure how I was going to attach it so it could easily be removed.
    Thanks!

    Reply
  19. Micah says

    February 11, 2015 at 8:52 am

    I definitely need to do this in our bathroom! We rent and it could use some zhooshing!

    Reply
  20. Lisa R. says

    February 11, 2015 at 9:01 am

    Very creative idea. Looks beautiful too!!

    Reply
  21. Yolanda@DelightsOfTheHeart says

    February 11, 2015 at 12:09 pm

    Greetings Christy,
    Although we are not military, we are renters! I totally love the idea of framing the bathroom mirror.

    We have two bathrooms in our home, and they both could use a facelift [makeover].

    So I proposed this brilliant idea to Mr., and Mr. replies, “this is not our home sweetie! We are not going to beautify someone else’s home, and then move out!”

    To this I reply, “I understand that we are not homeowner’s,but we very well live here, and we pay rent here, and yes my love, we will beautify whichever home we live in, rented or own. Plus guess what honey? Christy @11magnolialane has made it very easy for us because when we move we just take it with us! It’s that simple!

    I then proceeded to cook for him his favorite rice & beans and cubed steak with lots of onions and peppers, I prepared a tall glass of my special homemade Chamomile/Lemon ice tea, and homemade Flan, and I kid you not …45 minutes later we were at Lowe’s purchasing the wood trim for our upcoming DIY bathroom mirror frame! Works like a charm!

    Christy, thank you for sharing such amazing ideas, and for letting me into your home!

    Blessings!

    Reply
    • Christy says

      February 16, 2015 at 1:41 pm

      Yolanda–I just love this story! Sounds like it worked out to be a win – win for you and Mr.!

      Reply
  22. Holly says

    February 11, 2015 at 12:47 pm

    i have only used existing nails, for everything else I use clear posh pins and the work great.

    Reply
  23. Sarah @ Life On Virginia Street says

    February 11, 2015 at 8:51 pm

    Love this idea! I definitely think it is such an affordable update for the drama and polished look it can add to a space. Well done!!

    Reply
  24. Annaliza R says

    February 12, 2015 at 9:52 am

    pillows and curtains! they can really personalize your space without doing anything permanent.

    Reply
  25. Christina says

    February 13, 2015 at 9:30 am

    Christy, what a SCHWEET idea! I like it! When I first saw the post title I thought you would be hot gluing 2 large frames to the face of the mirror. I like this idea better! Good plan on the hot glue… I thought of Command strips but no place to put them. The HomeRight sprayer sure made things fast and so professional!! Can you (or would you want to) use the HomeRight sprayer for the poly finish? Did you have to sand after the poly or just call it good? Thanks for the giveaway opportunity and happy creating!!
    ~ Christina

    Reply
    • Christy says

      February 16, 2015 at 1:38 pm

      Yes, you can use clearcoat polyurethane in the sprayer. And you do not need to sand between coats.

      Glad you like the project. Command strips were definitely something I considered, but I didn’t think they would hold. They are so handy, though!
      Christy

      Reply
  26. LinhC says

    February 13, 2015 at 1:24 pm

    I too use command strips.

    Reply
  27. Jan says

    February 13, 2015 at 9:08 pm

    Command Strips, throw rugs, and pillows.

    Reply
  28. Katie | FashionFrugality.com says

    February 14, 2015 at 2:06 pm

    I lived in rentals for years. My favorite tip is fabric! You can make big wall coverings so easily with fabric – totally changes the look of your place and makes it less cream/white rental looking!

    Reply
  29. Heather @ Southern State of Mind says

    February 16, 2015 at 8:31 am

    I am so impressed! Seriously! It looks great. When we rented my biggest thing was only buying furniture that could be used anywhere and that was super versatile. Also, I always checked the dumpster in our apartment compex- ha! Renters throw so much stuff away! I got an awesome almost new red sofa, in perfect condition. That was the best find, but I also found an antique dresser, 4 dining room chairs, and countless other things. ha ha ha

    Reply
  30. brett says

    February 16, 2015 at 11:10 am

    What a difference? Love the addition. The monogram looks fab and now the room looks complete with the wooden frame! Pinning. xx, b

    Reply
  31. Angela W says

    February 16, 2015 at 3:16 pm

    Curtains, modern but simple line decor and vibrant pillows.

    Reply
  32. Doris Styles says

    February 16, 2015 at 7:08 pm

    I keep meaning to try those command strips and be dogged if I can remember to buy any…that’s it…I added them to my shopping list just now. MAYBE I will finally get some. 🙂 You always impress me so much!!!

    Reply
    • Christy says

      February 20, 2015 at 2:17 pm

      You’re so kind, Doris. Thank you!

      Reply
  33. Erlene says

    February 19, 2015 at 4:37 pm

    I love how easy and simple this is. Did you take off those plastic things that “hold” the mirror up before you glued the wood trim down?

    Reply
    • Christy says

      February 20, 2015 at 2:15 pm

      Thanks for reminding me about that–I did take them off. There were only three at the top, and I checked to be sure that the mirror was securely glued to the wall before I proceeded.

      Reply
  34. Cat @ Pocketful of Posies says

    February 23, 2015 at 9:19 am

    I love this! And I love that it is removable. We are a military family too, although we chose not to live on base. It’s been less than an week since we moved the 700+ miles from Florida to Texas and I’ve been staring a hating our huge mirror everyday since. This is definitely on my to do list. Thanks for sharing the removable way.

    Reply
    • Christy says

      February 24, 2015 at 10:39 am

      I feel ya, Cat. Good luck with the boxes! This is actually the first time we’ve lived on post–the houses are meh but the friends can’t be beat. 🙂

      Reply
  35. Amanda @ Dwelling in Happiness says

    February 23, 2015 at 1:42 pm

    This is awesome!! I’m looking for a way to fix up our guest bath, and we have the ugly plain builders grade mirror, too. This is the perfect way to spruce it up! Pinned!

    Reply
  36. Gretchen says

    May 8, 2019 at 11:43 am

    Hi! I stumbled onto this post as I was looking for a way to build out a mirror but not glue it there permanently since it’s just a temporary fix until we can afford to do a major remodel in the bathroom. since this was 4 years ago, can you comment on how it’s held up with gravity/steam over time? Is it still up without issue?

    Reply
    • Christy says

      May 9, 2019 at 2:50 pm

      Gretchen, I wish I could help but we moved away from that house in 2015. We’re military and move every two years at a minimum. My best guess is that if you’re using it as a temporary fix that it will work well for you before you can do your big remodel.
      Good luck!
      Christy

      Reply
  37. Arkaa says

    March 4, 2022 at 6:29 am

    Thanks for writing this great article for us. I have gained good stuff from this website. Looking forward to your next article. I am happy to share this post to my friends. Keep it u

    Reply

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  • MEET CHRISTY & AMY
    • IF YOU’RE NEW HERE…
    • WORK WITH US
    • 11 MAGNOLIA LANE 101
    • DISCLOSURE + PRIVACY (the fine print)
    • BEST OF 11 MAGNOLIA LANE
    • Back
  • TOUR OUR HOMES
    • TOUR OUR HOMES
    • CHRISTY’S MAGNOLIA COTTAGE
    • CHRISTY’S MCC HOUSE
    • AMY’S NEW HOME BUILD
    • HOLIDAY HOME TOUR SERIES
    • SPRING HOME TOUR SERIES
    • Back
  • CELEBRATIONS
    • EVENTS + ENTERTAINING
    • GIFTS
    • HOLIDAYS
    • RECIPES
    • Back
  • HOME
    • CLEANING
    • DECORATING
    • ORGANIZING
    • ROOM BY ROOM
      • BATHROOMS
      • BEDROOMS
      • CLOSETS
      • CRAFT ROOMS + OFFICES
      • DINING ROOMS
      • KIDS’ ROOMS
      • KITCHENS
      • LAUNDRY ROOMS
      • LIVING + GREAT ROOMS
      • OTHER SPACES
      • PANTRIES
      • PLAYROOMS + BONUS ROOMS
      • PORCHES + OUTDOOR SPACES
      • Back
    • TIPS
    • Back
  • SHOP
    • SHOP OUR INSTAGRAM
    • SHOP OUR AMAZON STORE
    • FRIDAY FAVORITE FINDS
    • 11 ML ETSY SHOP
    • 11ML ORGANIZING SHOP
    • Back
  • PROJECTS
    • CRAFTS
    • DIY PROJECTS + TUTORIALS
    • FURNITURE
    • PRINTABLES
    • WINDOWS, DOORS, + WALLS
    • Back
  • LIFE
    • FRIDAY FREE FOR ALL
    • HEALTH
    • SIMPLY ON SUNDAY
    • TRAVEL
    • Back
  • CONTACT
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
1350 shares
  • 51