DIY Yardstick Mirror Tutorial

Today I am sharing this awesome DIY Yardstick Mirror Tutorial with you!

Transforming a fabulous find from the thrift store is the ultimate DIY.  It can sometimes take a lot of vision to see how one persons trash can be made into another persons treasure.  Today that vision becomes a bit clearer with this easy DIY Yardstick Mirror!

How to create an upcycled yardstick mirror:

For this project you will need at least seven yardsticks.  I found these ones at my favorite vintage shop, Zangbell & Gill.  If you are local, you really need to check them out!  I love all of their retro home decor.  You can purchase new yardsticks at your favorite home improvement store or even use wood shims to get the same effect.

You will also need a circular mirror to complete this project.  This is a mirror that I have been intending to upcycle for a long time!  I am so glad that I found a reason to get this project started.  You could also purchase a new round mirror from Michaels.  I used an 8″ mirror with a 16″ frame.

When I am looking for home decor items to upcycle I head straight to Value Village.  I find that they have the largest selection of housewares to look through.  Be sure to check out the picture frame aisle for mirrors that may be worth repurposing.

DIY Yardstick Mirror Tutorial:

Begin assembly by cutting the yardsticks into 5″ lengths.  Seven yardsticks will yield 49 pieces of wood to adhere to the mirror (you will need approximately 44, 5″ lengths to complete this project).  I love that these vintage yardsticks that I used are from a local and historic paint store, Treadgold Paint Supply.  I tried to keep some of the unique details on the yardsticks to showcase in the mirror.

The next step is to glue the yardstick pieces to the mirror.  You should check out the video on Instagram for a cool look at this process.  I used No More Nails adhesive to glue the wood pieces to the mirror.   I like this glue because it stays tacky for a while so that you can move the pieces around but when it dries it is super strong.

Place the first layer of yardstick pieces around the mirror, spacing them side by side at the edge of the mirror and an equal distance apart on the frame.  Apply adhesive in a similar ring to the tops of these wooden pieces and layer the remaining yardstick pieces on top.  The second layer will overlap the first layer and hide any of the remaining frame.  Be sure to wiggle the yardstick pieces around to provide equal spacing and adequate frame coverage.  Allow the glue to dry and you are all done!

I absolutely love the new look of this mirror!  It totally suites our eclectic home decor where pretty much every decoration is do-it-yourself.

And I love that this mirror tells a story.  A little piece of Kelowna history right in our home.  It ties in perfectly with this DIY Accent Table and Mid Century Modern Shelving Unit.

Some of my other crafting essentials:

• We love using these Apple Barrel Acrylic Paints (aff link) to add bright color to all of our projects.
• These paint brushes (aff link) are ideal for most craft surfaces and a great price!
• This art supplies kit (aff link) is our favorite because it has everything we needed to get started.
• This rolling storage cart (aff link) helps to keep our craft supplies organized.

Have you turned any thrift store trash into treasure?  Please share in the comments!

Hello, I’m Heather!

I'm an active mom of twin boys who is always looking for opportunities to inspire creativity through fun crafts, do-it-yourself projects and delicious recipes. This blog has been an integral part of supporting my little family and I am so grateful to have you become a part of our journey! Let's create together... Read more...