DIY make-up mirror: how to make a make-up mirror step by step, makeup mirror, backlight

Any girl wants her makeup mirror at home, as in Hollywood movies. It will be the best gift for women who love to apply makeup and make beautiful hairstyles. This is not only a practical thing, but also a great solution for the design of the room. Also will give a bedroom, dressing room, bathroom originality. You can buy a mirror in the store. Many options are sold there, at various prices. However, you can save money and make this piece of furniture with your own hands. It will turn out no worse than from the store and will be exclusive.

Makeup mirrors - varieties

Mirrors differ in their shape:

• round or oval;
• square;
• rectangular;
• to the floor.

Rectangular and square shape (50 * 50) are recognized as a classic option. If there is free space, you can make it and larger dimensions.

Increasingly, women choose round-shaped models. They look very attractive and fit any room design. They give her comfort and romance.

A mirror on the floor allows you to fully examine yourself and evaluate the overall appearance. Additional lighting allows you to replace misses in the image, inconspicuous in ordinary lighting. Particularly impressive look models in the floor with a white, black, silver frame.

Benefits of Using Makeup Mirrors

A make-up mirror helps to apply makeup on the face in a high-quality manner, to do a hairstyle gently, and to choose clothes. The backlight correctly distributes the light, thanks to this you can clearly see all the details. You won’t be able to do this in an ordinary mirror, because only fragments of makeup and clothes are visible in it. In addition, not in every room the light falls correctly, lighting can worsen weather conditions.

In the mirror for applying cosmetics, you can even consider microscopic imperfections on the face: pimples, enlarged pores, pigmentation, etc. Thanks to this, you can choose the right tone or face powder, apply them in an even layer. As a result, it turns out to hide all the shortcomings.

Makeup mirror has the advantages of:

1. Versatility - located in a bedroom, dressing room, bathroom. It is hung on a wall, placed on a pedestal, floor. Fits into any design decision.
2. Mobility - many models can be detached from the stand and moved to any place.
3. A variety of shapes and colors - each girl will choose the option to her taste.

A make-up mirror is not only an indispensable assistant for any woman who looks after her appearance, but also adds a twist to the room’s atmosphere and gives her a status.

How to make a make-up mirror with your own hands

NOTE. Before you start work, you need to decide on the design. If the interior is dominated by clear geometric patterns, it is recommended to choose a square or rectangular model. If the room is made in soft, pastel colors, then it is better to stay on rounded shapes. The floor mirror harmoniously looks in spacious apartments made in modern styles with high ceilings.

An ideal option would be to interweave fragments of the frame with decorative elements. For example, if there are gold patterns on the bed, curtains, walls, it is desirable that they are repeated on the frame.

Necessary materials

Before making mirrors, you need to take care of materials and tools. It is necessary to prepare:

• mirror glass;
• wooden bars;
• furniture corners;
• sandpaper;
• ruler or tape for measuring length, pencil;
• a small blue and white copper cable;
• tweezers;
• paint, varnish;
• double sided tape;
• drill;
• saw;
• screwdriver;
• 2.5 cm bolts for attaching lamp holders to the frame;
• capacity for paint dilution;
• brush or sponge for painting the frame;
• glue.

For illumination, bulbs are required (it is recommended to purchase up to 25 watts) with ammunition and fuses in the kit. It is better to use LEDs, because during normal operation it will be too hot. The number of bulbs depends on the size of the mirror. You will also need a plug for the wire.

IMPORTANT. During work, you need to take care of your safety: wear special shoes with rubber soles, clothes without metal buttons, locks, etc.

Step-by-step instruction

Making mirrors step by step:

1. For the classic version of a square or rectangular shape, a frame is made of wooden bars (you can choose another material, but the tree is the most reliable, it lends itself well to tools). The frame should correspond to the size of the mirror. Parameters are measured with a ruler, marks are made with a pencil. After fastening with furniture corners, the bars should form angles of 45 °. In the manufacture of a round and oval model, the dimensions are fixed with a measuring tape or ordinary thread, rope.
2. The wooden frame is treated with sandpaper until the surface is completely flat.
3. Drills are made holes for lighting. The distance between them is the same, thirty - forty centimeters. It is measured by a ruler. Cartridges are inserted into the holes made and fixed on the frame with glue.
4. The frame is painted in a suitable shade. Bilateral adhesive tape on it fixes the decor elements. It will be less costly to leave the frame in its original form, varnished. It is applied to the surface with a special sponge. The framing painted in white, silver or golden shades looks the most spectacular.
5. The backlight is connected.
6. The mirror is inserted into the frame. It is important that it enters into it without effort, while there should still be room for light bulbs. The mirror in the frame is fixed with thin bars.
7. If desired, the back can be made closed. For this, a plywood board is used, mounted on small screws.

The last step is to turn on the backlight.

NOTE. In the absence of experience with an electrician, it is recommended to invite a specialist to connect the backlight, the correct arrangement of wires. This will help to avoid unpleasant consequences in the form of a short circuit and electric shock.

Making the backlight

If, nevertheless, it was decided to connect the backlight yourself, and not to hire an electrician, this is done as follows:

1. Separate the white and blue wires. The length should be fifteen to twenty centimeters. Bring them into the holes so that each contains two white and two blue wires.
2. Twist the bare wires to the required side of the chuck screw.
3. Attach each cartridge with a bolt to the frame.
4. Attach the plug: you need to cut a long piece of wire, hold one end to the first cartridge from the line. Attach the other side to the plug, observing the color matching. To prevent wires from sticking out or dangling, they must be fixed with adhesive tape on the back of the mirror.
5. Plug in the socket, check the lamp operation.

If any of the bulbs does not work, but it does not burn out, you need to check the wiring. You may have to swap cables somewhere.

The mirror can be highlighted in other ways. For example, the easiest way is to fix on top or on the sides of small lamps. They also look aesthetically pleasing and do not spoil the look.

Another option is LED strip. It is attached to the edges of the frame. Its advantage is the variety of colors. Choose an LED strip to the interior of the room is not difficult.

Expert Advice

Safety rules and useful recommendations of specialists:

• You can hang a make-up mirror above the makeup stand. For makeup accessories do not have to go far.
• Several fuses must be used to extend lamp life.
• Electricity is connected to the mirror, so it is not recommended to let children in.
• It is better to use LED bulbs, they have a longer life, they are energy-saving. Also from such light sources less heat.
• Additionally, you can connect a device to adjust the brightness of the bulbs.
• It is not recommended to use fluorescent lamps, they distort reality. It starts to seem that the makeup is perfect. However, in daylight, all the flaws come up.
• Before buying bulbs, you need to consider their shade. Cold tones highlight irregularities and imperfections of the skin. This makes them easier to disguise. Warm shades, on the contrary, smooth out irregularities, but are more comfortable for the eyes.
• The number of lighting fixtures depends on the size of the frame. The most important thing is that two of them are at eye level. This will help to more closely consider your appearance.
• There should be a comfortable distance between the mirror and the person.
• Illuminated mirrors can be used not only for cosmetic events. They look spectacular on wardrobes. Such mirrors will not only be an additional source of light, but will also add romance to the interior.

When buying a mirror in a furniture store, or making to order, you need to be prepared for what you have to spend money on, since they are not cheap. To save the budget, you can do it yourself. This is not at all difficult and will not take a lot of time. The main thing is to be attentive and clearly follow the instructions so that you do not redo the work later. With a little effort, you get an exclusive piece of furniture that no one else will have.