Mirror, Mirror: How to Make a Modern DIY Hand Mirror in 30 Minutes

When I was little, I would sometimes walk over to my grandparent’s house (they were only a block away) and play hair stylist in their bedroom because my grandma had a fancy matching vanity set – a gold brush, comb, and hand mirror.

That mirror was my jam. And now, twenty years later, I still like the idea of a hand mirror, especially for seeing the back of my head when I’m doing braids, etc. But as cool as the gold filigree fanciness was that my grandma was rocking way back when, I’m looking for a more modern, minimal option.

So, I made my own. And if you’re into that sort of thing, you can make one too. Super easily! Click through for the full tutorial for making a modern DIY hand mirror in 30 minutes.

• wood dowel (with a diameter of 3/4 of an inch + 8 inches in length)
• acrylic paint
• paint brush
• super glue that bonds to multiple surfaces (like E6000)
• 6-8 inch round mirror
• sandpaper

Instructions
Start by cutting a notch in the top of  dowel rod, as shown in the photo. I used a Dremel handheld saw with a standard wood cutting wheel to create the notch. This notch will be where the round mirror eventually will sit.

Then, using a little acrylic paint, add some color to your dowel rod. I created an ombre effect, by starting at the top with solid color and then slowly letting the brush run dry the further down the handle I moved the brush.

Once the paint is dry, it’s time to secure the mirror to the dowel rod. Determine the placement of your mirror for the slit, then add a couple of dabs of super glue on both sides of the mirror (where the mirror will go into the slit).

Then place the mirror into the slit, wipe away any excess glue, and let the glue dry.

And that’s it. Once the glue is dry, the mirror is ready to use. So, you can start cheesing it up, like I am here.

Ha! If there is a way to not look like a cheeseball while putting on lipstick in the mirror, someone feel free to let me in on the secret…

 
Photography by Amelia Tatnall
Project and styling by Brittni Mehlhoff

What do you think of this DIY? And more importantly, did you ever pretend to be a hair stylist when you were a kid? Or was it just me?