Silver Sunburst Mirror

For many years I read beautiful decor magazines but never thought I could implement those looks in my home. Between a tiny budget and no skills it never even occurred to me that I could recreate any of the images or pieces I saw. Then I discovered blogs 3 years ago. It was amazing to see what was happening in peoples houses. Some bloggers were designers, some professional bloggers. But some were like me, at home raising kids except they lived in amazing spaces. Many of their projects appealed not only to my eyes but also my pocket book.

Feeling inspired a little over a year ago I attempted my very first project. I had recently purchased a new upholstered bed and didn't know what to hang above it. When I stumbled upon this tutorial I just knew I had to try it. I was a little nervous since I'd never used spray paint or a glue gun. Crazy right? Well here she is hanging above our bed.

The tutorial I followed was tweaked just a bit. I needed mine smaller so every cedar shim had to be cut. Also I used a beveled mirror since I didn't have the patience to wait for delivery of a convex plus beveled mirrors were less expensive. I loved the natural texture of raw wood and made sure to include shims with cracks.

Silver spray paint was used to tie in with the silver lamps and nailheads on the bed. I first tried a satin nickel paint but it looked beige so it was followed up with a true silver color. Here is the view when entering the room and also the first thing seen coming up the stairs.

Almost $25 was spent for all supplies to make this. I was totally out of my comfort zone with this project. The shims were cut manually with a small handheld saw. Buying the floral rings, shims, paint, glue and mirror took me to three different stores where I didn't know the lay of the land and I discovered spray painting was fun!

Once the mirror was completed I couldn't wait to try out new ideas for my home which became the catalyst for this blog. It was a great first project for a beginner since it was simple with a big impact.