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How To Make An Easy Mod Podge Fabric Mirror Frame

Inside: How to make a fabric mirror with Mod Podge decoupage.

I forgot about this mirror. I picked it up from a charity shop last year for the bargain price of £3. The oval shape of the frame was lovely, but I wasn’t keen on the dark wood.

It had sat in the back loft, unloved. When I stumbled upon it the other day, I was suddenly inspired. I wanted to give the mirror a decoupaged fabric makeover.

Creating A Stunning Patchwork Fabric Mirror

I have never shied away from colour. My mother is always the most colourfully dressed woman in the room. Her interior home style reflected this. This love of colour seems to have rubbed off on me. I particularly love the striking pinks, blues and greens favoured by the interior design house Designers Guild.

For many years, a very good friend of mine was a textile designer for the Designers Guild. She used to pass on lots of their fabulous fabric scraps to me for my crafting.

I dug out the bag of Designers Guild fabric scraps and a few others, I’d collected over the years. I sorted them into the colours I wanted for this Mod Podge fabric upcycle.

The fabric scraps were mainly from upholstery fabric. But you can use craft fabric scraps for patchwork. Upcycled fabric scraps from old clothes, such as patterned blouses and shirts, are also suitable for Mod Podge fabric decoupage.

This project is what I call a double upcycle. Not only is the mirror upcycled, but it is done by upcycling other materials, such as fabric scraps. It featured in the A to Z of clever upcycling ideas.

Old oval wall mirror

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What you need

  • Old mirror or any other frame you’d like to upcycle. The oval mirror I used is quite a common one. I picked it up at my local charity shop very cheaply.
  • Fabric scraps can be upholstery, craft fabrics, or even cut-up old shirts. You can easily buy bundles of scrap fabric online too.
  • Fabric Mod Podge
  • Rotary cutter and mat.
  • Scrap paper, pen, and scissors.
  • Velvet ribbon to match your fabric scraps.
  • Sewing Pins
Pink, purple red fabric scraps

DIY Mod Podge Fabric Mirror frame

Step 1: Clean the mirror frame with soap and water and leave it to dry. Make sure that it is dust-free too. Cover the glass part of the mirror with newspaper and masking tape. This protects it from glue spills while Mod Podging the fabric to the frame.

Top Tip: If you use thin craft fabrics, you may want to paint the frame white first. As the dark wood may show through with lighter cotton fabrics.

Step 2: Once the mirror is prepared, gather all the fabric scraps you will use for the upcycle.

The patchwork mirror frame had a colour theme. I used just fabric scraps that were pink or red. I laid these pieces of fabric onto the mirror frame to see how they would look. Some I cut up into smaller pieces to fit in with the design. I was ready to Mod Podge the fabric when I was happy with the arrangement.

Laying fabric on to mirror frame.

Step 3: I cut my fabric pieces with a rotary cutter and mat to get a neat edge.

Cutting fabric scraps on mat

Step 4: I pasted the fabric’s wrong side and the mirror frame with Mod Podge. Then I stuck the fabric to the frame, one piece at a time.
 
Make sure that the edge of the fabric touches the mirror glass. Press the fabric pieces into the groves of the mirror frame.

Don’t worry if there is a bit of overhang on the outside of the mirror; this can just be tucked under and glued to the base.

Sticking fabric scraps to mirror frame using mod podge

Step 5: If your mirror frame is curved like mine, you must create a pattern template for the curves.

To do this, lay down a scrap piece of paper where the fabric will be placed and then mark the shape with a pen. Then cut out this shape and use it as a template for the next piece of scrap fabric.

Making a paper template mirror frame decoupage

Step 6: Make paper patterns for the rest of the frame’s curves. Then decoupage fabric around the edge until it is covered.

using mod podge to stick fabric to a wooden frame

Step 7: When the whole frame is covered, turn over the mirror and stick down the excess fabric overlap.

back of mod podge fabric mirror frame

Step 8: Finally, remove the newspaper and neaten up the inside edge of the Mod Podge fabric. To do this, glue a velvet ribbon around the inside edge. Holding it in place with pins as the glue dries.

(By the way, that isn’t a crack in my mirror, it’s the reflection of my washing line.)

Mod podge fabric mirror frame
Applying ribbon trim.

The colours of the mirror go well in my lounge. It matches my gorgeous sweater felt rug, which I made earlier in the year and with the Kaffe Fasset decoupaged fabric vase.

There is a tutorial for the fabric flowers next to the mirror here.

Mod Podge fabric Mirror frame & fabric flowers
Sweater felt rug in lounge
DIY faux fabric flowers
Patchwork mod podge fabric mirror frame

Upcycling Mirror Frames in Other Materials

I love how this mirror turned out and the colourful patchwork, but I also think it would look good in the denim patchwork. If you are looking for more ideas, check out these IKEA mirror hacks.

There are a lot of upcycled denim projects in my home. I can use this technique to decoupage a mirror with my old jeans. I’ve upcycled small photo frames in denim before.

Wallpaper is another excellent upcycling resource. The old IKEA mirror was updated with tropical wallpaper to add colour to a rather dull hallway in my home.

Wood can look great decoupaged with paper napkins. The best thing about napkins, they come in many unique colours and designs. I’ve even decoupaged a whole wooden tabletop with paper napkins. This hangs on my wall like a piece of art.

Check out these other cool adult decoupage projects.

Yield: Mod Podge fabric mirror frame

Decoupage A Mirror With Fabric

Mod Podge fabric Mirror frame & fabric flowers

A simple tutorial that shows you how to upcycle an old wooden framed mirror with patchwork fabric. The steps also explain how to deal with difficult curves on a frame. Use fabric scraps from your stash or even repurpose an old favorite shirt for a unique look.

Prep Time 30 minutes
Active Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Difficulty Easy
Estimated Cost $5

Materials

  • Old wooden framed mirror, or picture frame.
  • Colorful fabric scraps
  • Fabric Mod Podge
  • Pins
  • Velvet ribbon to match the fabric
  • Paper for templates

Tools

  • Rotary cutter and mat
  • Glue brush
  • Pencil

Instructions

  1. Clean the mirror frame and ensure that it is dry and dust-free.
  2. Cover the glass with newspaper to protect it.
  3. Lay the fabric scraps onto the frame to sort out the design. Cut larger fabric pieces to size.
  4. Brush both the mirror frame and the wrong side of the fabric with Mod Podge.
  5. Stick the fabric to the frame one piece at a time on the straight sides. The fabric should be flush with the glass edge. However, it doesn't matter if it overlaps the outside edge of the frame.
  6. For the curves of the mirror frame, make a paper template. Lay the paper over the frame and draw the size of the pieces with a pencil. Use this template to cut the fabric to size before decoupaging it to the frame.
  7. Carry on until the whole mirror frame is decoupaged with fabric.
  8. Neaten up the edge where the fabric meets the glass by using the velvet ribbon. Glue the ribbon around the inside edge. Use pins to keep the ribbon in place while the glue dries.
  9. Turn over the mirror and glue any overlapping fabric to the back of the frame.
Mirror upcycle with fabric


 
For other fabulous mirror ideas, visit DIYideacenter.com.
 

Rachel B Rokosz

Tuesday 30th of July 2019

This is gorgeous! Thank you for sharing such a neat idea! I am totally inspired to try this myself!

Claire Armstrong

Tuesday 30th of July 2019

Thank you so much.

Caro | The Twinkle Diaries

Monday 6th of August 2018

Aaaah I LOVE this!!! I've always seen Modge Podge on tutorials but have never used it — is it a bit like PVA? Thanks so much for linking up with #HomeEtc

Claire Armstrong

Monday 6th of August 2018

It’s is very similar to PVA and PVA can often be used instead. But Mod Podge is better designed for crafts and comes in lots of different finishes so a bit more refined than PVA.

Jodie

Monday 9th of July 2018

Hi Claire. What a fab project for using your fabric scraps! I love the ability to create your own frame of fabric memories :) Our readers will love it. I've shared your post in our latest Top 10 In Craft collection. Cheers Jodie :)

Claire Armstrong

Monday 9th of July 2018

Thsnk you so much Jodie, I look forward to seeing the feature.

Teodora

Friday 6th of July 2018

Love the colours! :)

Claire Armstrong

Friday 6th of July 2018

Thank you so much ?

creativejewishmom/sara

Thursday 5th of July 2018

GORGEOUS, Claire! You always amaze me.....and I just love this idea. Of course the oval is lovely, but just realized that i have some fun hex shaped vintage frames that would be perfect for this, thanks for the inspiration and for sharing on craft schooling Sunday!

Claire Armstrong

Friday 6th of July 2018

Thank you. The method will work on any shaped frame. My friend covered a molded square shaped mirror and it looks wonderful.

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