Thrifted mirror & a winter garland

I thought I would share a couple of recent quick DIYs…maybe it will get you thinking of something you want to try in your own house.

Several months ago I found a large mirror at the HOW Foundation for about $5. It was originally part of a dresser and is SO HEAVY! I’ve debated where I wanted to use it. Typically, I don’t buy things unless I know ahead of time exactly where I am going to put it, but this was such a good deal and I really liked the shape of the frame.

The original frame was a basic brown, so I decided to experiment with updating it. Again, I didn’t really have a plan. I started by using Deco Page to add gold leaf to the entire frame. I wanted it messy looking, which is much easier to do than trying to get it perfect. Once the gold was applied, it was a big to shiny for my taste. I had some DecoArt Metallic paint on hand in a darker bronze. I lightly brushed the paint all over the gold leaf to dull the color just a bit. In the third picture you can see the difference (no paint on the bottom section, painted on the far right section).

After building the peg rail and shelf I only had one day to add decorations before a party we were hosting. I had seen several beautiful garlands using dried citrus, so I decided to make one of my own. Lesson I learned – next year I am using my sister’s food dehydrator if I decide to dry out fruit again. It took SO LONG in the oven.

For the rest of the garland, I used random things I had on hand and greenery I had purchased to decorate with. The garland was completely inspired by Fleur Maison.

For those wondering, we did attach the mirror to the wall. It is resting on the mantle because it is so heavy, but we also did not want to risk it falling over. We used a nail in the wall and wire on the back of the frame. Also the outdoor tables are inside because the indoor tables were in the living room – it was a big party, we needed seating for about 45. I do like how those outdoor tables look in the house though!