DIY Rustic Wood Dowel Floor Mirror

Floor mirrors can be downright pricey. I’ve been eyeing this Wood Dowel Floor Mirror from West Elm and I just can’t bring myself to spend that much on a floor mirror when I know I can make it for much less. So, I decided to make a similar floor mirror and put my own twist on it.

SUPPLIES NEEDED TO MAKE THE FLOOR MIRROR:

• 24” x 48” mirror, around 1/4″ thick (I got mine cut at a local glass store for around $100)
• Qty 2 – 1 3/8” dowel, 72” long
• Qty 1 – 1” dowel, 48” long, cut in half
• Qty 1 – 1/4” x 3” Poplar board, 48” long, cut in half
• Stain/paint of your choice
• Construction adhesive for mirrors

BUILDING THE FLOOR MIRROR

In order for the mirror to hang between the wooden dowels, we will need to cut a slot in each of the 1 3/8” dowels. I created a simple jig out of scrap wood for my dowel rod to sit snuggly in. The slot will need to be 53” in length (48” mirror plus 5” for the two poplar boards). I used my router with a 1/4” bit and router edge guide to make this slot. You could also do this on a router table or possibly by running it though your table saw a few times.

Oh, and don’t forget to drill holes for 1” dowel like I did! Just drill a 1″ hole on both sides, top and bottom, for the 1” dowel to sit in.

DISTRESSING THE FLOOR MIRROR

This step may be unnecessary depending on what look you are going for. I am going to distress the wood for my mirror, just like I did with the skinny bench I made a few years ago.

To distress the wood, we are going to start by taking a reciprocating saw or hand saw to the wood. Really beat it up with an occasional deep gouge here and there. This is how my pieces are looking after roughing them up.

Now we are going to undo all of that work with a light sand. You’ll want some of the texture still there, but smooth to the touch.

Lastly, I use my drill with a wire brush attachment to add even more texture to the wood.

STAINING & FINISHING THE FLOOR MIRROR

At this point, you can finish your floor mirror however you choose. You can stain it, paint it, leave it as-is… the possibilities are endless. Once again, I will be following the same stain process that I used on my skinny bench. This is done by layering three different types of stains/finishes.

We’ll start by covering the wood with a semi-solid coat of Benjamin Moore Arborcoat deck stain in Dunmore Cream. This process barely changes the color of the wood, but it neutralizes it to give it a nice even tone. We will follow the deck stain with an aged wood accelerator. Lastly, finish the wood pieces with a paste finishing wax in dark walnut.

ASSEMBLING THE FLOOR MIRROR

All that is left to do is to put it all together. I am gluing everything together with a construction adhesive made for mirrors. Just clamp everything together and let it dry overnight.

Is this something you would try making? If so, would you stain it or paint it differently? I would love to know!

Supplies

24″ x 48″ mirror | 1 3/8” dowel, 72” long | 1” dowel, 48” long | 1/4” x 3” Poplar board, 48” long | Benjamin Moore Arborcoat deck stain | Aged Wood Accelerator | Paste Finishing Wax | Construction adhesive for mirrors

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