Are you looking for an accent wall mirror? Follow this amazing tutorial to create your own from dollar store compacts. This easy project is a win.

This wall mirror is so easy to make- and inexpensive!

Have you ever noticed that ideas show up in the most amazing places?

There you are.

Minding your own business.

Walking through the aisles of the dollar store.

When all of a sudden, without warning, when you least expect it…

….an amazing idea just shows up.

This gorgeous mirror is so easy to make- and inexpensive!

A while ago…..I started saving my pennies for a mirror like this.

$248 dollars worth of pennies to be exact.

But really….why?

When you could just make your own.

(and this is where the brilliant part comes in)

This wall is made from simple dollar store compacts.

You and your totally brilliant self could make a knock-off mirror…..

….from these.

Compacts.

From Dollar Tree.

For umm…..wait for it….wait for it….$19.00.

This easy to make mirror with compacts is a great accent piece.

How to Make a Wall Mirror

(made from Dollar Store compacts)

You'll need to remove the mirrors from the compact.

Step 1:  Open the compact

Put on safety glasses.

Seriously….safety first.

Using a pliers, separate the two parts of the compacts

Step 2:  Separate compact into two pieces

Using pliers, clip mirrors apart.

Then clip off the small pieces of plastic to create two round circles.

Some of the circles had a little character after I finished.

No worries….you are brilliant….remember.

Figure out the placement and layout of your mirror pattern.

Step 3:  Place circles into the desired shape

I started with a central row of seven.

Then added two rows of six.  Then five.   And so on.

After I laid out my pattern….I traced around with a pencil and cut out the shape.

This is your base.

Step 4:  Spray paint compacts silver

Or gold.

Or pink.

Or leave them gray.

This is your mirror.

This wall mirror is so easy to make- and inexpensive!

Step 5:  Hot glue compacts to the base

I added a drop of hot glue in between each of the mirrors and painted it silver.

This gives the illusion of soldering (and hides all the extra “character.”)

Hang the mirror and take you and your extra $229 of pennies shopping.

And don’t forget to let the salespeople know…..

…..someone brilliant is in the house.  🙂

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Posted On: October 23, 2013

Written By: KariAnne Wood

Comments

    1. Image for Catharine Inniss Catharine Inniss

      I admit it. You are brilliant. And I love the comment about saying what good girls we are. I tell my "girls" that all the time. And they are 27 and 20 - and they are brilliant too!!! xo Catharine (the pretty great herself) :)

      Reply
  2. Image for Michelle Michelle

    Ok, that's an absolutely brilliant knock off!!! And I agree, we should all be loving on each other and ourselves every day. Once when I was talking baby talk to my then newborn daughter (who's 13 now!), a friend of mine remarked, "Wouldn't the world be a better place if we all told each other what a good girl we are?" :)

    Reply
  8. Image for Lorraine@MissFlibbertigibbet Lorraine@MissFlibbertigibbet

    Oh yeah....that's brilliant!!! I know brilliant when I see it too because I'm brilliant....right? Your mirror is super groovy but your words are even better (if that's possible) ........the blog world, and magazines, and HGTV, and everything else can be pretty darn intimidating! We all need to celebrate ourselves a bit more! OK, I am going to shamelessly tell you to check out my post about making candle covers from PVC.......it's a great idea and you are just the gal to make it! Blessings, Lorraine

    Reply
    1. Image for polly plum polly plum

      I love this mirror idea, especially for my daughter's dorm room!!If I can get compacts from the Dollar Tree that are white, black or silver on the back, I think I'll skip the painting part.

      Reply
  26. Image for Jane Jane

    Very cool, brilliant. Have a question in regards to painting the compacts tho. I can see it would be easy to lay them upside down to paint the backs, if needed, but to get the rim on the fronts, did you have to tape off all those little compacts? or did you just use a small brush to paint the rims? Just curious, thanks. This looks awesome tho. I love your creativity!!

    Reply
    2. Image for Julie Julie

      I still do not see an answer to Jane's question here. If there were one, I would have clobbered together a mirror before breakfast today (I'm brilliant, am I?). Cutting a circle and using it to cover the mirror before spraying seems tedious... especially if I have to do it with 17+ tiny mirrors.

      Reply
      1. Image for Thistle Wood Thistle Wood

        Julie, I cut out a piece of paper the exact size of the mirror and taped it to the inside of the compact! Then I spray painted the front (I didn't worry about the back because it was already gray and glued to the wood). I removed the circle and finished the project! Hope this helps! karianne

        Reply
  30. Image for Karen Karen

    This is brilliant Kari Anne, you are brilliant and talented. I love a dollar store project. I want one too! BTW a little added character is always a good thing.

    Reply
  32. Image for Jennifer Jennifer

    You are definitely brilliant! And yours is SO much better than the other one!! Thanks for the inspiration, today and everyday!

    Reply
  37. Image for Marnita Parry Marnita Parry

    Not just brillant but, "Bloody Brillant!" Must be said in a British accent, i.e. Sherlock Holmes, Jason Statham, Robin Williams on a roll, you get the idea. :)

    Reply
  38. Image for Marian Marian

    This really is clever, you crazy girl! And I love that you and Marianne are promoting each other. And you thought you were the blog cupid for me there. Looks like you made your very own blogger bestie match. Funny lady. I'm here trying to figure out how to fit in a 12 Days of Christmas blog walk in the week before and week of my show. Why do I get myself in over my head every single time? The Other Marian

    Reply
  39. Image for Marian Marian

    PS. did you see the pics for the show yet? They are A-maz-ing, and best of all, shot by someone else. I do love delegating when I can. https://www.cmshawstudios.blogspot.com/2013/10/wanna-see-goods.html

    Reply
  43. Image for Cora Cora

    Sooooooo clever! I almost stopped at the dollar store today, but ran out of time. Then I come home to read this - now I will walk through with a whole new perspective! Thanks :)

    Reply
  44. Image for Zolane Zolane

    I've said it before and I'll say it again...YOU ARE BRILLIANT and I'm so thankful for you and your inspiration!

    Reply
  46. Image for Jackie Jackie

    KariAnne, This is fantastic. I love your inspiration mirror and could have never come up with a way to DIY it by myself. Yours turned out so fabulous. Thank you for sharing your amazing idea.

    Reply
  48. Image for Michele/Finch Rest Michele/Finch Rest

    KA- no one EVER told me I was a brilliant DYIer - um, nope not gonna happen. in this lifetime. I have possibly heard it whispered softly about a design or two maybe, when I cleverly got the look for less thing down right, but YOU, my dear are absolutely and totally brilliant, there is no denying that fact. Your latest project is just awesome - such fun. You go girl. Seriously this is just clever as heck.

    Reply
  50. Image for Christina from Dallas Christina from Dallas

    Feeling not brilliant today. My son brought his project back home from school He worked really hard on it and I helped him and he got a "gulp," 73. I feel a little offended by this grade. I thought it was , well not quite brilliant, but nice. It was a project to make your own island. He worked his little heart out on it. Somewhere we went wrong but I'm not sure where or when.

    Reply
  53. Image for Jessica Christian Jessica Christian

    This Tutorial is so smart and inspiring. I have always been a fan of wall mirrors. And this trick is the coolest. One question: Does Hot Glue make it stick to the wall? I had a real bad experience once. It didnot stay for long. Love Jessica x

    Reply
  54. Image for Diana W. Diana W.

    So Freakin' Brilliant! Just a thought.... you can buy mini glue sticks that are all different colors (even some with GLITTER already in them!) gah! That way you don't have to paint.....and could go with silver compacts with fuschia pink glitter glue. STOP. THE. BUS.! It's headed to Crazy Town!

    Reply
  57. Image for Sheryll & Critters. Sheryll & Critters.

    KariAnne you are more than brilliant and amazing....... well on a scale of 1 to 10, you are at least a 21. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this and I so hope to get to the store to buy the very same compacts and make one just like you showed us. I am a big time, mirror flippin freak. I would have a solid wall mirror on one wall of my tiny half bath if I could. But this one is so adorable, genius, cute. Thank you ever so much for letting me copy from you. (grin, smile, giggle)

    Reply
  60. Image for Petra Petra

    I love your Brilliant Mirror made by a Brilliant Woman :-) The Big Sur mirror for nearly $700 would be a good one to do if one could find beautiful pieces of timber and one of those long, slim curvy mirrors from Ikea - an idea is already happening :-D

    Reply
  66. Image for Kathe Kathe

    LOVE and want to steal....errr...borrow this brilliant idea. Question, did you paint your wood before attaching the mirrors? I can see one in my office, one over the buffet, one on the mantel! At only about 20 bucks so doable :-)

    Reply
  72. Image for Gayl Gayl

    I love this! I had to pin this one! I love the lamp shades and milk glass display with the mirror! I love the colorful and classy style. I will probably do this! Thank you.

    Reply
  73. Image for Mel Mel

    Hi! Saw this on Pinterest, and Oh My Goodness! I LOVE IT. And am going to do it!! Why? because I am brilliant!!!! Now here is my question. Where did you get the wood circle base, that you are gluing the compacts onto? Did I miss that part on the tutorial? And how would you hang it-meaning, would you add a hook or something? Thanks so much for this link, its great!

    Reply
    1. Image for Aarsi Aarsi

      Hi I have the same question as Mel. I am thinking of doing this project. Please lemme know "Where did you get the wood circle base, that you are gluing the compacts onto?" And "How would you hang it-meaning, would you add a hook or something?" Thank you :)

      Reply
  74. Image for Jess Jess

    I found some mirrors at my dollar store that are a slightly different shape, and i can't wait to try this! Question: When you spray painted them, how did you avoid painting the mirror itself? Did you cover it with something? Since mine aren't nice and round, i'm not sure the best way to avoid painting on the mirrored part. Thanks!

    Reply
  76. Image for Anne from Pintesting Anne from Pintesting

    Well, that's absolutely brilliant! I'm always telling my handsome hubby that he's brilliant (and it's usually a justified statement), but now you get to join the ranks of the brilliant, too! It's super cute - love it!

    Reply

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