Driftwood Mirror

Got Driftwood?

 

The above Driftwood Mirror from Crate and Barrel. is very lovely. (Sorry, they no longer carry this item, but don't worry...keep reading.)

It's catalog description reads:

"Rings of rustic beauty, straight from the beach. Hand-harvested driftwood, only available a few months a year, is meticulously assembled by skilled craftsmen into each unique frame.

Made in the Philippines."

Cost: $199.00 + $26.95 shipping = $225.95

Hmmm...

This is our backyard at Camano Island.

Are you thinking what I'm thinking?

Yep!

Make Your Own 

Crate and Barrel Driftwood Mirror

for about $15.

(The Puget Sound Version)

Here it is!

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Supplies I used:

-Round mirror with a round, wood frame

-Gray or brown colored paint, paint brush

-Lots and lots of driftwood!

(on many WA state beaches, driftwood is plentiful!)

-High-Temp Glue gun and lots of glue sticks

-Heavy hanging wire

-Hair dryer (optional)

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Let's get started!

First, find a round mirror that already has a flat, frame.

It is somewhat difficult to find a round framed mirror,

especially when you're looking for one!

I finally picked up this beauty

at Goodwill for $8.  Perfect!

Next, paint your mirror frame.

My son saw me painting and asked if he could do it.

(I never turn down help!)

We used some leftover khaki-colored paint we had

from painting a bathroom last year.

Now it's time to hunt down some driftwood!

Grab the kids and hit the beach!

You'll need lots of driftwood pieces!! 

Try to find pieces that are flat on one side (they'll glue down easier!)

Look for lighter in weight pieces, don't go for the heavy ones!

Take more than you think you'll need---trust me!

Don't forget to pick up lots of small little driftwood sticks, too.

Give all the wood a bath with the hose. (Great job for the kids to do!) 

Wash off all the sand and little bugs and set the wood out to air dry.

If it's a sunny day, the drying won't take long...

if you live outside of Seattle you may be waiting awhile!

Now the fun part!

Lay out all your pieces on top of the mirror frame.

As you start working with the wood and laying the pieces out,

you'll find that many pieces just don't fit.  Too round, too bulky, too big, etc. 

You might even need to go out and gather more wood, mid-project!  I did!

Try using some smaller pieces on top of the bigger pieces.

At this point during the project, I must mention that here in the

Pacific Northwest, our driftwood does not all come in the same lengths.

(Apparently driftwood in the Philippines is different?)

Some pieces will stick out further than others. 

It didn't bother me...hopefully it won't bother you. 

I sort of like that 'sunburst' style...plus I wasn't going to sand down my wood pieces!

When you think you have a nice looking layout, start gluing.

I applied hot glue directly to the frame and some glue to the wood as well.

Use lots of glue (even more than I used in the above picture!)

I had my daughter help me with the gluing,

(someone had to take pictures, right?)

Be sure to press and hold the wood on the glue for a bit,

before moving onto the next piece.

Once the big pieces are all glued down, it's time for the tiny pieces.

Work the tiny driftwood sticks into the edges of the mirror and glue down.

Also, look for spots that the big pieces didn't cover. 

Wedge smaller sticks in to cover the open areas.

Be sure you cannot see the painted frame peeking out.

I ended up gluing some of the smaller sticks directly to the mirror.

A hair dyer is helpful getting all the loose hot glue fibers off!

This tip works great with any glue gun project!

Now stand back and take in the natural beauty of your mirror!

If your mirror didn't come with hanging hardware, attach heavy duty wire!

This mirror is heavy!

The hardest step may be finding where to hang it?!

Quite the conversation piece, wouldn't you say?

Look what else I found on Crate and Barrel's website?

This item is made to order. Please allow extra production time.

Note: While our online swatches closely indicate fabric color, texture and feel, the upholstered furniture image above references color only.

A Driftwood End Table!  Only $399.  Hmmm??