Ever since Janell made her ingeniously wonderful sunburst mirror I’ve wanted to make my own out of something unexpected.
First you need a very high tech template. {Did you think I was gonna tell you to use paper towels to make it?} I folded 3 continuous half sheets of paper towel in half and cut a pointy shape. Folding it in half ensures your ray {shall we call them rays?} is uniform on both sides. No measuring whatsoever.
Then, I cut up about 4 sheets of poster board into strips and folded them in half. Yep, it’s poster board. And the folding makes it easier to cut and adds dimension to the finished mirror, I love it with slothfulness and design work together like that. I just put the folded template over the folded poster board and cut away until I had a pile of rays.
Helpful Hint: I found thin poster board for .59 cents a sheet from True Value. It seemed like cheaper poster board but, I liked it because both sides were identical, not one side shiny, one side matte, if your poster board has two different sides, make sure you cut everything using the same side.
Another Helpful Hint: I found that the grain of the poster board affects how easy it is to fold, one way I got a clean fold, but if I made a fold perpendicular, the fold turned out all weird and not as clean. Test out your poster board to see if it has a direction that folds easier.
Originally, I thought I would use a larger mirror I had sitting around. I tucked each ray under the mirror to see how I liked it. Unfortunately, it seemed like it was going to look like a flower which was exactly what I didn’t want “Oh, I love your sunflower mirror, it’s so um, summery…”. But, this is the fun part where you can play around with arrangements and layout and see what works best for your size mirror.
I’m not sure that there is such a thing as too many rays. Layering a few different sizes helps break up the poster board and add interest. I even tried painting the mirror to see if it looked less flowerlike. Nope. There is something about the balance of the size of the mirror with the rays that you want to pay attention to. I’m more drawn to a smaller mirror and larger rays. Luckily, I happened to find a darling little convex mirror for $20 at a local shop.
Ahhh, that’s better. This is the stage where I was just playing with the layout on the table, nothing is attached yet. Working in sets of four rays is the secret to keeping everything in order. Then you put each set in a north, south, east, west position for each layer.
Time to start hot gluing. First I drew some lines on the back, just your basic north, south east west going a few different ways. Start with your smallest rays first and remember to work in fours.
And layer and glue and work in fours and layer and glue and work in fours. Until it’s all done. It only takes about 5 minutes of hot gluing, such a rewarding little project.
And you have a pretty, layered, dimensional, fun mirror for less than $25.
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Very nice!!!
Yes you are brilliant! I love it! I know this isn’t a mirror idea, but last fall the wind blew a big lightweight clock off my mantle ( yes I just had it propped up there) The clock part is still good but the cheap plastic decorative part broke into a dozen pieces, so I took it off and was left with an ugly plastic clock. I have wracked my brain to think of some lightweight way to decorate the ring around the clock, and I think you have given me the solution….poster board rays…not white ones, but what ahout metallic, or bronze??? I’ll get back with ya on that..your starburst is Fantabulous!
By the way, here’s a link to my ray inspiration on ebay–a great price too
http://cgi.ebay.com/Large-Sunburst-WALL-MIRROR-Antiqued-Gold-Sun-Burst-NEW_W0QQitemZ140495695822QQcategoryZ20580QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp5197.m7QQ_trkparmsZalgo%3DLVI%26itu%3DUCI%26otn%3D3%26po%3DLVI%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D6154634617871387872
I’m predicting this to be the next blogging sensation… much like subway art of 2010!
LOVE it!!!
Beautiful! I love that you used cardboard… pure genius my friend!
Love it!
It’s retro, it has sharp lines yet subtle curves.
It’s white.
In other words, this will be on Pottery Barn’s Spring Catalog cover ;)
So creative! I love it!
Oh, and I wonder how well spray paint would stick to poster board? Someone could spray paint the rays and the mirror a metalic bronzy-gold color to fit their interior. Hmmm……I may have to do that! Thanks for the idea :)
Love Love Love this! I will definitely be adding this project to my list of to-dos this year! :-) Thanks for sharing this great idea!
This is a fabulous idea! I have a list of projects(lie everyone else) for 2011….I just added this to my goals bookmark. Thanks for Sharing!!!
xx-Kristyn
totally thought you were gonna say you made that out of paper towels. :) I was kinda confused and amazed for a second.
This is so cute – I’ve been looking for something to go over my daughter’s bed – this will be perfect!
Well that is a fabulous idea..
Very cool! I like how clean and modern it is.
This is pure genius!! Love it!
I love it…so pretty! Going in my inspiration file for sure!
It’s beautiful! It looks great against your tan wall, and would look equally great against a dark blue or green. I’m marking it for potential re-creation at my house!
GET OUT! no way in heck would I have thought it was made out of posterboard! you rock! the things you come up with always blow me away. LOVE IT!
Very clever…love it…
Also….nice green leather chair :)
Kathy :)
Simply “Bee”utiful! Do I spy a new chair?
You are so awesome! If I ever decide to run away, can I come stay with you:) ?
well aren’t you clever
I love this! I might have to do something like this for my living room!
That is beautiful! Wow, you are one talented woman!
ok. you have done it again. brilliant.
so, I gotta know? does it look substantial on the wall, or does it look like, well… posterboard?
Just wondering before I pick up my glue gun!
Looks fantastic in the pics.
I love this! It’s such a statement on the wall! Can not believe that it’s posterboard. Your approach speaks right to my heart: “No measuring whatsoever.” I can do it!
The mirror is super fun! And you, my dear, are super clever!
BTW, I love those boots! Care to divulge the source?
I absolutely LOVE this project. I am always leafing through magazines for new ideas to make things I don’t have to buy and this is simply awesome! Thank you for your inspiration.
I hate starburst mirrors, but I LOVE THIS ONE. First one I’ve ever seen that I like. It’s the bomb. ;)
I love this project, but would be hesitant to try it myself for fear that the edges wouldn’t be cut as smoothly as shown in the picture. Does anyone have an idea how she cut out the petals so that they weren’t jagged at all….obviously not with standard scissors.
standard scissors, hon, and I’m an imperfectionist, each ray takes less than 20 seconds to cut~try it, cutting posterboard is very forgiving
Nester, now that is a wonderfully creative mirror! It looks like a million bucks up there on the wall. See you soon!
Wow, it looks fantastic, no one would ever guess what it was made of! Great job! Sue
I’m loving this!
I have been lusting after these mirrors since they first came on the scene! I can’t wait to try this!
OMG…LOVE THIS!! During my couponing in preparation for school – I came upon a posterboard clearance…and I have LOTS of posterboard just waiting for a project or 90. Plans are in play for my tweenage daughter’s room to have a major update – she will LOVE this! Thanks Nester!!
So cool! You are just too smart :)
So pretty! I’d have never thought to use poster board!
By the way, I copied your fur wreath for my sweet baby girl’s hospital door wreath. (Around here, people put wreaths or other decorations on their hospital room doors when they have babies.) While it didn’t look as good as yours (the only faux fur I could find wasn’t quite as long as what you used), it turned out pretty cute! I was proud of myself because I made a long satin sash (in pink of course) to tie in a bow on it.
Thank you so much for inspiring with your insight and sharing how and why you do things.
I’ve got to say that I love your simplified less cluttered and more focused decorating these days!
I was in an antique/2nd hand shop yesterday, a couple hours after reading this post, and they had a sunburst type thing hanging up made out of old SHEET MUSIC! I was in love! Now I now what I am going to make mine out of! :) (I’m a music teacher/songwriter, and my piano room is just crying out for one of these!) Only I will use a small mirror like you did, instead of more paper.
THANKS!
For a couple months, I have been working on using our space better, inspired by various posts here and at The Nester. My goal is continue to do this through various areas of my home. (So far we did the entryway, and some furniture moves in the LR and my bedroom). My other goal is to start looking for the “little things” (esp used ones) that I would love as an accent in my home. I got two small cube salt/pepper shakers at an emporium yesterday, in just the colors and style to match m y 100 year old kitchen. $2! :) (And a vintage apron, too!) I used to just buy what was cheap, or use what was given to me, even if I didn’t love it. Now, I’m on a adventure that will probably last my whole life, of finding “just the right things”! :)
wow amazing. i cannot believe how amazing it looks.
p.s.
love the tips of your shoes on the table :)
This is gorgeous! I am afraid that I could never do it! Or that the poster board would ‘age’.
But, I was literally just on http://www.pillowtalkk.com today… and they have a good selection of wall decals (http://shop.pillowtalkk.com/Wall-Decals-for-the-Home_c2.htm)… I think these would work, as well —> http://shop.pillowtalkk.com/Large-Elegant-Flowers-Wall-Decal-1011.htm.
All in one color (or maybe not?), layered on top of one another, with a mirror hung in the center. It wouldn’t give the dimensions that yours has (which is what makes it so awesome), but I may try it! I have an open space in our finished basement that I am trying to fill, and this may be just the trick!
I love that dresser. I saw it on here when you bought it and have been looking for something similar. Strangely enough, I’ve found one exactly like it on Craigs List. Would you mind telling me how long yours is? I’ve not gone to look at the dresser yet and I’d like to have a ball park as I have a specific space for it in our not-so-large house. I asked the seller how long it was and he didn’t know and wasn’t eager to measure it for me. :) I love the mirror, too!!
How cool is that sunburst mirror! OMG. Love it!!
I just discovered your blog…. and I LOVE it.
And, this paper-sunburst-mirror-thingy….. FANTASTIC!
I need something over my bed and I have a weird fear of hanging *anything* heavy over it. I might try this!! I have a bunch of white cardstock on hand… maybe i’ll give it a go this afternoon!
THANKS for the inspiration!
-Melissa
A Beautiful Mission
LOVE it!! by the way – when I saw the paper towel picture i totally did think you were going to use them;) Then I thought – holy crap, she can make paper towel’s look fancy (Which you probably could)!
I recently came across your blog, and I love it! I can’t even bring myself to close the tab. I keep looking at your past posts. : )
I’ll be back!
What a great idea, as usual! I love it! I am going to have to make one of these as I have one naked wall because the project is in the garage and is very time consuming. This is perfect for now :)
How pretty would that be layered over the shutters above your fireplace? Maybe too much?
I love that you were standing on your table in your cowboy boots! At least that what it looks like!
LOVE the mirror!
I’ve made my own!!! – Thanks for the inspiration!