Thursday, February 24, 2011

DIY mirror bowls


Project Month at Apartment Therapy has motivated me to get around to organizing pictures of many of my DIY home projects, and although I've been posting quite a few on AT, I have a back log on projects that I would love to share here.

You may have noticed a trend already, most of my home projects are done impulsively (usually while my girls are napping...or pretending to be :), and because of that most are done with old items that I have around the house. Needless to say, some are better than others and I have a very very patient husband.

There is almost always a back story to the projects. This one happens to be about salad bowls and the fact that when we registered for wedding presents we had no idea what we really needed. It's funny to see what ended up on our list...12 salad bowls, about a hundred wine glasses, and no everyday dishes!

Well, as much as we liked the salad bowls, they didn't like us. After one use, the finish began to peel off due to the vinegar based dressing. So, they gathered dust for many months before finding a new purpose...as mirrors!

You can check out my full step by step instructions (complete with product sources) at Apartment Therapy, but here's a little run through....

I mapped out the layout and used painters tape to preview the arrangement on the wall:

and then hammered in a nail in the crest of the x, and then spread adhesive around the edge of each craft mirror that I found at Michaels:

then pushed the mirror snugly into the bowl and let it cure overnight. Then I screwed an eye hook at a slight angle into the back of each bowl just above the base of the bowl so that I would lay flat on the wall when hung:
and that's pretty much it.

if you'd like to see more instructions, you can check out my Apartment Therapy instructions here


This has been an incredible month, and I have so much that I hope to be sharing more of on the client end as soon as the projects are complete and I can make time to photograph, so stay tuned. I feel like I'm racing the clock before this baby is born!

13 comments:

  1. Leah...! You've been busy! A baby!! How did I miss that news??

    And all the work you've been doing - stunning! And your DIY projects - the rug, and this gorgeous mirror display..! Your photographs are as incredibly lovely as always - I thought that first pic was from a magazine..! The quality of the photo, the beautiful styling...! It is all just gorgeous and incredibly inspiring.

    I'm so glad you've been so busy... You sound happy, Leah, and it makes me happy.

    (A baby!!!)

    sending all my love,
    -maria

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  2. This is so unique and beautiful. It looks like a great piece of art. The styling of the entire area looks great.

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  3. Between that and the refinished rug you did last week - you are my new hero!!! Those are so beautiful!!!

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  4. I love this project! That's why I love blogging...I would have never thought to do this!
    The bottle with flowers really make it look finished and totally beautiful!

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  5. Brilliant!!! I am so impressed, what a fabulous way to reuse something you already have!! xx Danielle

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  6. Once again I tip my hat to you. What a creative way to use bowls. I love that you ordered wine glasses and salad bowls for your wedding register. I knew I liked you when I met you:)

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  7. What a super cute idea!!! Love it:)

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  8. good for you! Pottery Barn is selling this concept for for $79 individually! "parat mirror" you are so on point and beating the system! I love it!

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  9. Thank you Leah!! I've been looking for some circular mirrors, so this would be PER-FECT!

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  10. Wow, these are just so gorgeous! I recently did my own mirror project, only with plates. Oh, but the bowls... And the painter's tape Xs are brilliant. Can't wait to see what else you have been doing -- new to your blog today.

    http://thevintiqueobject.blogspot.com/2011/01/round-and-starburst-mirrors-have-been.html

    --Camille

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  11. Forgive me for commenting on an old post, but I just came across your blog today and am enamored. This project is beautiful--not my style, exactly, but I keep returning to look at your final pictures again and again. I especially love the stack of extra bowls you've left there. Perfect.

    But, more importantly, that wooden bull in your working images! I am in love. The sight of it had me scouring the internet for something similar. I'm guessing it's vintage, but thought I'd ask . . . is there a source?

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  12. Kate, the bull came from a market in Ecuador.

    Thank you everyone for the very sweet comments. I'm really pleased to see the bowls in use after collecting dust through several moves.

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