The concept that one person’s garbage can be another person’s art is a philosophy that’s presented in a variety of ways. Certain do-it-yourself projects lend themselves to that approach, with one of those ways coming through the use of what would ordinarily be discarded egg cartons. The project in question is a decorative mirror, which have acquired a knack for making rooms that they’re placed in seem larger.
It also works in concert with the system of Feng Shui, since the belief is that it deflects unwanted spirits away from an individual’s home. Choosing what size decorative mirror is the first step, with five egg cartons (the 12-cup variety) good enough for a small mirror. If a large one is in order, then 12 will be necessary, but certain tools will also be required regardless, such as a drill, handsaw and scissors. In addition, both hot-glue sticks and a hot-glue gun should be part of the items used.
Along with the tools should be items like a small mirror with the frame taken out or a mirror tile, a 3mmMDF board, Selleys All Fix household adhesive and picture hanging wire. Also make sure to acquire a paintbrush and black acrylic paint, a ruler, a pencil, and depending on personal tastes, white enamel spray paint.
Beginning the project means making a slit in each corner of one cup of the carton before then slicing each piece into the shape of a petal. In order to develop another layer, another cup should be cut in similar manner, while the following cup after that should have smaller cuts before it’s then being rolled in order to make a bud shape for the petals. The trio of layers should be then glued together, with the middle layer offset in order to have the upper petals in spaces between those at the bottom. Each successive cutting of petal-shaped cups should be smaller and repeated until the mirror has enough roses to go completely around it. The optional white paint should then be applied and then allowed to dry.
Using the MDF board, one corner across the top and down side should each have one inch measured and marked, and once the marks are joined, the triangle shape should be sawed off. This should be done for the remaining corners before centering the position of the mirror in the board, tracing around it and then removing it. Following that, the frame directly above the mirror should have two pairs of holes drilled into them, with the picture hanging wire then threaded through in order to secure it. The border of the board should then be painted black and then allowed to dry.
In order to make sure the mirror stays in position, it should then be glued. Continuing, the roses cut from the egg cups should then be glued to the frame, with any gaps filled in by simply bending the petals. This process should continue until the entire frame has been covered. Such projects can be considered tedious by those who simply want a standard mirror, but for those with an artistic side or who have a yen for livening up an area, this is the type of project that would appeal to them.
