Design and layout
1 of 6Photo 1: Dry-set the tile on a flat surface
I used paper-faced glass
mosaic tiles. They’re a
little harder to work with
than mesh-backed glass
tiles, but they’re typically
cheaper and you can’t
see the mesh backing
through the glass.
Working on a slab of
3/4-in. MDF, I fit
together the tile border.
This meant cutting the
tile sheets to fit.
Remember to leave
grout spaces between
the sections of tile. The
MDF later became the
base of the mirror.
2 of 6Photo 2: Make sure the mirror fits
Center the mirror on the
tile and make sure it
overlaps the tile by at
least 1 in. Then mark the
outer edges of the tile
border so you can cut the
MDF base to size. After
it's cut, prime both sides.
3 of 6Photo 3: Label the tile sections
This was a stroke of
genius and saved me a
ton of trial-and-error
later on when I was
setting the tile.
4 of 6Photo 4: Make the frame parts
I ripped the 3/4-in. oak
frame parts to a width of
2-1/2 in. The top and
bottom frame parts
overhang the sides by
3/4 in. I rounded the
edges of the frame parts
with a 1/16-in. roundover
bit—but this step is
optional.
5 of 6Photo 5: Finish the frame parts
Glue doesn't stick to
finished wood, so I taped
the areas that would later get glue. Then I
gave the frame parts a
coat of stain followed by
polyurethane.
6 of 6Photo 6: Glue and nail the frame to the base
Tack each frame part to
the base with two or
three brads; that's all it
takes to hold them in
place until the glue dries.
Vern Johnson, TFH art
director extraordinaire, is
a hands-on fellow who’s
addicted to glass tile. He
was itching for a new tile
project that wouldn’t break
the bank. So he came up
with this glass tile border
and frame that transforms a
plain mirror into a stunning
work of art. Big impact—small price. Here’s how
he did it.
Set and grout the tile
1 of 6Photo 7: Lay the tile mat
If you use a tile mat,
make sure to peel the
paper facing off the
tiles slowly so the tiles
don't move around or
come off.
2 of 6Photo 8: Set the tile
Having the
frame already in
place was another
brilliant idea (man,
I'm good). It made
setting the tile a
piece of cake
because the frame
automatically aligns
the tile.
3 of 6Photo 9: Press it into place
Make sure all sections
are positioned right;
adjust them if needed.
Then press them hard
against the mat with a
scrap of plywood.
4 of 6Photo 10: Mask off the frame
Tape protects the
frame from the grout.
5 of 6Photo 11: Remove the paper
After soaking the facing
with water, I finally got
to peel it back and see
the gorgeous tiles. I
could have avoided this
extra step by using
mosaic tiles on a mesh
backing.
For this project, I used a tile adhesive mat—a mat that’s sticky on both sides (sold at home centers and tile stores). You
stick one side to the
frame and then stick
the tiles to the face.
It’s easy to use, you
can grout it right away
and there’s less mess
than with mastic. But
mastic would definitely
be cheaper and it
would work fine too.
Attach the mirror
1 of 5Photo 13: Apply adhesive
Cut wood strips the same
height as the tile and glue
them to the base. Then
apply mirror adhesive.
Also run mirror adhesive
around the inner edge of
the tile—just a thin bead
so it won’t squeeze out
around the mirror.
2 of 5Photo 14: Set the mirror
I jiggled the mirror back
and forth a few times to
spread the mirror
adhesive and then
pressed it down. I let the
whole thing cure for a day
before attaching the
hardware.
3 of 5Photo 15: Mark the outline on the wall
I measured from the edge
of the frame to the center
of the studs to determine
where to place the two
hanger straps on the
mirror. That guaranteed
that both straps would
land on studs. But it
would have been easier
to use heavy-duty drywall
anchors.
4 of 5Photo 16: Rout recesses for the straps
This step is only for fussy
folks like me. It allows the
mirror to hang tight
against the wall. If you
don't mind a small gap
between the mirror and
the wall, skip this step.
5 of 5Photo 17: Attach the straps
To avoid a trip to the
hardware store, I made
my own aluminum hanger
straps, complete with
countersunk screw holes.
Then I screwed them to
the mirror with 1/2-in.
screws. Last step: Hang
this masterpiece on the
wall! For that, I used two
2-in. screws.
Use special mirror adhesive (available at home centers) to bond the mirror to the MDF backer. Carefully set the mirror in place, then let the adhesive set overnight.
After the glue has dried, turn the mirror over and mark locations for two hanger straps at the top of the mirror. If possible, match these hanger locations to the studs on the wall, but if the spacing doesn’t work out where you want to place the mirror, use heavy duty drywall anchors.
Rout channels for the hanger straps with a dado bit set to the depth of the hanger. Screw the straps to the MDF backer, then hang the mirror.
