DIY Tutorial: Wine Barrel Mirror

DIY Tutorial: Wine Barrel Mirror

The idea for this tutorial started with this photo spotted here.

the marion house book

the marion house book

A little deeper searching led me to this beautiful image of the same space published in House & Home.  (a Canadian publication – seriously, how crazy amazing is the interior design talent there??!!)

house & home featuring emma reddington of the marion house book blog

house & home featuring emma reddington of the marion house book blog

Then I found this photo on Pinterest.

source unknown

source unknown

And that was it.  I was in.  I could do this.  I started searching high and low for the perfect, beautifully antiqued, wine barrel.  I searched CraigsList, I searched Ebay, I searched local antique stores.  Nothing.  Well, nothing affordable.  But then, the stars aligned, and while I was working on my Home Depot project (premiering in ONE WEEK!!), I stumbled across these right outside the plant area of my local Home Depot.

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Okay, so they’re not wine barrels, but they had the feel I was wanting, and although I am not a whiskey drinker, I think they smell really good.  I picked out the one that looked best to me and brought it home.

After some debating, I decided to saw about a quarter inch above the second metal ring that goes around the mirror.  This is important because those rings hold the barrel together.  You want to make sure you have at least two rings so your barrel frame will be nice and sturdy.

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The rings are not exactly evenly spaced around the wood, but I wanted the uneven, organic feel.  (similar to my first inspiration picture)

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What you need to do next is take your cut barrel to your local mirror and glass business to have them cut a circular mirror to fit in the back of your barrel.  You can even call around and explain your project to get the best pricing.  The mirror will probably run you between twenty and thirty dollars.

You can attach your mirror to the barrel using your adhesive of choice, but of course, you want to get something super strong and reliable.  This is not an Elmers project.  I used Gorilla Glue, an adhesive I use all the time.  (I find the gorilla hand around the gorilla glue in the picture below oddly disturbing)

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Put a good amount of glue all over the back of your mirror, paying special attention to the edges.

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Attach the mirror to the barrel and press around the edges and center of the mirror firmly.  (don’t press too hard, you don;t want to break the glass!)  I let my mirror dry overnight for good measure.  My barrel was a bit flaky so I vacuumed it with my hand vac to get all of the loose particles.

I cannot stress how vital it is to choose the correct mounting materials for your mirror because it is HEAVY.  Although I didn’t use the entire kit, I purchased this picture hanging kit and attached the D-rings to the back of the mirror.  (actually, my sweet hubby did this part)

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I sunk some anchors into the wall and put screws in the anchors to make sure my D-rings would have something strong to hang on.  Then came the fun part – hanging the mirror, and admiring my work.  I decided to place the mirror in the kids/guest bathroom, and I utilized a pretty piece of antique art to hide the ugly outlet.  Side Note:  Yes, in case you are wondering/remembering, this is the bathroom that came through the living room ceiling – I’ll share the full makeover with all of the details soon, just consider this a sneak peek.

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See the two metal rings?

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Originally, I thought I would put some sort of stain on the raw edge of the cut barrel, but I liked the fresh wood color.

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You can see through the mirror’s reflection that we did the shower in a different tile than the rest of the bathroom.  It was a risky move, and we really debated about it, but in the end, I am happy we did it.  This bathroom is super small, and the white beveled subway tile with gray grout adds interest to the small space.  Plus the white helps the shower space feel larger.

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The kids towels hang above the bathtub, and someday, I will get pictures in those cute little frames.

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I have a thing for dentil molding.  Love.  It.  You can see a little bit of the dentil molding we put in this bathroom in the photo below.

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Since this is a new bathroom in our old house, I like the feel the barrel mirror brings.  It’s a little rustic, a little unexpected, and pretty charming.

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So there you have it – my DIY Wine Barrel Mirror Tutorial!  Hope you can use this idea somewhere in your home!

P.S.   I actually just found the story behind the barrel mirror in my original inspiration photo!  Click here.

Written by Grace

21 Comments
  • Lisa
    Posted at 06:15h, 22 April

    How cool, I love it!! And you are so creative to use a whiskey barrel from the gardening section! It came out great.

    • Grace
      Posted at 16:31h, 22 April

      Lisa, thank you so much! I’m really happy with how it turned out – my hubby was not so sure when I lugged the barrel into the garage. 😉 But he likes it, too! Thank you so much for reading and commenting! G

  • amber
    Posted at 09:07h, 22 April

    oh my goodness, that is awesome. i’ve never seen one of these mirrors before.

    • Grace
      Posted at 16:32h, 22 April

      Amber, thank you so much for the kind words! I’m so happy you like it, and I so appreciate you taking the time to read and comment, G

  • Kat
    Posted at 12:07h, 22 April

    Grace, this is amazing! I love everything about it. And I love the contrast with your polished bathroom. It’s rustic and contemporary! I seriously love this! Nice work. I’ve already pinned it on my pinterest board!

    • Grace
      Posted at 16:33h, 22 April

      Kat! Thank you! I’m so happy you like it! It was a relatively easy and budget friendly project. Win-win. 🙂 Thank you for commenting! xoxo, G

  • Jennifer Stribble Ross
    Posted at 12:14h, 22 April

    Grace, I LOVE THIS! I’m pinning it! I love your home. I’d love a tour one day. 🙂

    • Grace
      Posted at 16:34h, 22 April

      Jennifer Ross! You are so sweet (as always)! Of course you can have a tour anytime – if you like piles, messes, and children, you will enjoy it. 🙂 Thank you so much for reading and taking the time to comment. xoxo, G

  • emily @ go haus go
    Posted at 15:31h, 22 April

    Wow! So original and inspiring!!!! Is there a lingering smell from the barrel after hanging? I bet it is lovely! I’m like you – don’t love whiskey but the smell is so nice.

    • Grace
      Posted at 16:35h, 22 April

      Hi Emily, thank you so much! There is actually a hint of the smell that lingers, and I really like it. 😉 The barrel is from Jack Daniels so the whiskey has soaked into the wood for awhile. It’s pretty and different so that’s what I like about it most of all. 🙂 Thank you for commenting! G

  • Amy @Five Kinds of Happy
    Posted at 15:39h, 22 April

    Oh my goodness! I’m actually in awe right now because I’ve never seen a bathroom look so amazing. I’m accustomed to white-everything and no personality bathrooms – but your art and the warm wood touches have blown my little mind! LOVE.

    • Grace
      Posted at 16:37h, 22 April

      Amy, your words are so encouraging, thank you so much! It was fun to have some creative flexibility in this room – I find myself taking more risks with small spaces. I so appreciate your kind comment – thank you for reading! G

  • Jennifer
    Posted at 15:44h, 22 April

    Grace, it looks amazing! (Both the mirror and the bathroom!) You are so talented. Love it!

    • Grace
      Posted at 16:38h, 22 April

      Jennifer, thank you! I am really happy with how it turned out though I am still working on a few finishing touches. Thank you so much for taking the time out of your busy day to comment! xoxo, G

  • Sarah Wolfe
    Posted at 17:02h, 22 April

    You are amazing, girl. I’m not sure how you find time to do this stuff… I was hanging out in my pj’s when I was in your stage of life, either that or heading to Costco just to walk around to pass the time.

    I love the bathroom!

  • Julie S
    Posted at 22:52h, 25 April

    Wow, this is incredible! What a fun, unique, conversation-starter. And not really any more expensive than buying something at Home Goods that is not 1/10th as cool. How creative are you 🙂

    • Grace
      Posted at 16:28h, 29 April

      Awww thanks Julie! As much as I love Home Goods, I do like to create something more unique for at or below the same price. 🙂 I so appreciate you reading and taking the time to comment! G

  • Jenna
    Posted at 15:58h, 16 September

    LOVE this! What is the diameter of your barrel?

    • Grace
      Posted at 23:29h, 16 September

      Hi Jenna, thank you! I believe the diameter was around two feet! Thanks so much for reading, G

      • Jenna
        Posted at 09:00h, 17 September

        Perfect! Many thanks Grace. I’m going to have to try this…

        • Grace
          Posted at 10:11h, 17 September

          No problem, Jenna! Send me a photo when you are done. 🙂

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