• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Stacy Risenmay
  • Home
  • About me
  • PRESS
  • Contact Me
  • My Book
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • About me
  • Project Gallery
  • Our House
  • PRESS
  • Contact Me
  • Privacy Policy
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Dress Up Your Bathroom Medicine Cabinet! TUTORIAL

    By Stacy 39 Comments

    I have really enjoyed my new mirror! I didn't realize how boring the old one was until I had this one. I know that the whole tri-fold thing makes this harder. This would be a lot easier if you had a singe mirror/door on your medicine cabinet. That is how my down bath one is and you KNOW it will get decked out :)

    Not that you need a reminder of what a builder's grade mirror looks like, but here is my mirror (and bathroom) before:

    (Terrible picture, I know)

    I took the doors off the cabinet and laid them on the piece of plywood. Then I traced it. And yes, my mirror is filthy. I do live with 5 boys you know :)

    Because the doors need to open, the fancy frame for the mirror can not go below the hinges  so I marked where the hinges go.

    I free handed some of the design but I did use a drinking cup for the rounded parts. I used a ruler so I could measure and mark where all the points, dips, and peaks were so they were all the same.

    I only drew the design on the bottom of the wood and one side. Then I took some white butcher paper and traced the bottom and the side separately.

    I cut the bottom one out and then the side one. I used them as a pattern for the top and the other side. This way they were all the same.

    I used my jigsaw to cut it out. In order to cut the middle, you will need to drill a hole big enough for the saws blade to fit in. Then you can cut it out. Whenever using a jigsaw, think of it like cutting something out with scissors. You will have to move and reposition sometimes.

    And here it is all cut out!!!

    Okay, the reason I do not have a picture of me using the router to do this fun edge is because by the time we got the router from an awesome neighbor it was dark. My husband had to dance in front of the motion light to keep it on so I could see. And then when my arms got tired he would take a turn and I would dance. It was pretty hilarious! Plus the sucker was so awkward. It was hard to keep it still while using the router.

    After all of that was done I sanded the crap out of it. I used a fine grit sand paper so it would be smooth and not have the scratched that grittier sandpaper can leave.

    This next step scared the soup out of me! I had to cut it up!!! One wrong cut and it was over baby! I laid the mirrors down on my kitchen table again. The I laid this frame over top of it. That way I could mark where the cuts needed to be. Then I used my miter saw to cut it.

    There is something I need to point out. The wood I used was ½" thick. I would not recommend going any thicker if you have the tri-fold. It will not have room to open if you use thicker wood. Mine works fine but any thicker and it would have not worked. If you are doing this for a single mirror feel free to go thicker.

    I put the mirrors back on the cabinet and then I used my nail gun to attach the frame pieces to the mirror. I nailed from behind so there wouldn't be any visible nail holes to worry about filling. You could easily screw it on from behind as well. I am going to calk around the seam where to two meet with paintable caulk to hind the seam and because the  caulk will act as glue.

    Can you see where the hinges are and how the frame is the same thickness as the original mirror at those places?

    Thanks for letting me share how I created my fun bathroom mirror! If you have any questions, please let me know :)

    You will also like:

    • How To Build A Simple CupboardHow To Build A Simple Cupboard
    • 2011 in review....2011 in review....
    • Painted Cabinets!!!!Painted Cabinets!!!!
    • cowboy partycowboy party
    • Meet The Blogger {Sincerely Sara D}Meet The Blogger {Sincerely Sara D}
    • Announcing: The Second Annual DIY Contest!!!Announcing: The Second Annual DIY Contest!!!
    • Freshen Up Your Moss!!!Freshen Up Your Moss!!!
    • {homemade} Costumes from Halloween past{homemade} Costumes from Halloween past

    « The "How To's" of My Bathroom
    My Home Depot Music Video Debut!!!! »

    Filed Under: DIY & Tutorials, Power Tools, Uncategorized 39 Comments

    Subscribe

    for your weekly DIY fix.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. lucia

      September 30, 2011 at 6:20 am

      You make a lovely work!!
      It´s a great idea, no one have a mirrow like yours, ehehhe. The bath seems great.

      Keep going,

      Kiss

      Reply
    2. Mandy

      September 30, 2011 at 6:33 am

      so cute and clever!!!!!! I love it! I have a flat building mirror in my masterbath and have been thinking about framing it out.

      Reply
    3. Audrey

      September 30, 2011 at 7:12 am

      Oh my goodness! What a great project! I must admit, I was scared right along with you on cutting that frame. In fact, I'm not a power tool user, so the whole project was a bit scary! Something to aspire too. It turned out beautifully, btw! :)

      Reply
    4. Brittany @ My Decoupaged Life

      September 30, 2011 at 7:16 am

      Wow this turned out amazing Stacy! I would be so nervous doing this project, but you seriously did awesome. I don't have any medicine mirrors in my house otherwise I would definitely be using this tutorial.

      Reply
    5. Gray

      September 30, 2011 at 7:35 am

      I cannot (for the life of me) get the hang of a router. Does it make any difference whether you have a plunge router or a dremmel type router or what? Thanks! I love your blog. You've given me a new perspective on my recently acquired position as a house-wife. ;)

      Reply
    6. Marianne Aanderbakk

      September 30, 2011 at 8:03 am

      I am just envisioning you and your husband dancing while the other is using the router. To have been the fly on the wall then ;)

      Reply
    7. laxsupermom

      September 30, 2011 at 8:38 am

      Awesome tutorial! The finished project looks amazing! And you make it look so easy! Thanks for sharing.

      Reply
    8. Cheri Leonard

      September 30, 2011 at 8:39 am

      I love this idea! I have a mirror similar to yours and I HATE IT! I think I may have to do somewthing with my mirror now!!! GREAT JOB!!!!

      Reply
    9. Nanalie Knotts

      September 30, 2011 at 8:49 am

      I wish I could have seen you and Shane dancing in the moonlight to keep that motion light on! The finished product is terrific!

      Reply
    10. Alyssa

      September 30, 2011 at 2:38 pm

      Holy cow, I can't believe you free-handed it! It looks amazing.

      Reply
    11. Flourchild

      September 30, 2011 at 5:36 pm

      I want to do this..Very nice! I love it!!

      Reply
    12. Heather@The Black's Best

      September 30, 2011 at 6:21 pm

      I never thought you could really do this with a medicine cabinet. It looks great and has such great curves!

      Reply
    13. Chance @ Designed by Chance

      September 30, 2011 at 7:53 pm

      What a great project. Love it.

      Reply
    14. Angela

      September 30, 2011 at 8:01 pm

      My bathroom mirror randomly just fell down (luckily my three boys were safe with me) and so my husband and I want to do a frame around the mirror now that we have to redo it. This came at perfect timing! Also, I think I will make a large frame using this idea as well just for the wall! Awesome!

      Reply
    15. Jaymie

      September 30, 2011 at 10:28 pm

      Oh, how I love this!! Thanks for sharing.

      Reply
    16. Lisa@TheHouseThatCan

      October 01, 2011 at 7:03 am

      What a great face lift! Love the shape!

      Reply
    17. Janet

      October 01, 2011 at 7:51 pm

      I have the same mirror as yours pre-fix-up, except it's oak veneer. So ready for a change. Got rid of all the other oak veneer; did you lay the cut-out over the existing thickness of frame? It doesn't look that thick.
      Janet (Website not done yet, terribly stuck in techno land :0(

      Reply
    18. Tasha

      October 03, 2011 at 5:26 pm

      I love this!! It's exactly what I have been wanting to do to all my mirrors!! Do you know the name of the type of wood you used, so when I got to the lumber store I can make sure I get the right one?! Thanks so much for the tutorial!!!
      Tasha

      Reply
    19. chris

      October 04, 2011 at 7:12 pm

      Wow! My goal is to figure out how to use a router. It makes such a difference! I love the shape of the frame, and I still can't believe you had the insight to make that! Incredible! Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
    20. kelly@imperfecthomemaking

      October 06, 2011 at 6:58 am

      Beautiful mirror! You are so creative. I wish I'd thought of this first! :)

      Reply
    21. Stephanie

      October 06, 2011 at 8:44 am

      Wow - what beautiful work and a GREAT idea. I just wanted to let you know that I'm going to feature this in my Favorite Finds Friday post tomorrow :)

      Reply
    22. gina

      October 20, 2011 at 2:32 pm

      Love the mirror! I also want to know where you got your door knobs (that is what they are right?) for your towels. Love it!

      Reply
    23. Vivienne @ The V Spot

      October 20, 2011 at 5:22 pm

      This is awesome! Pure genius! But my favorite part? The idea of you two dancing in front of a motion light to get it done! Love it! (Now that's commitment to your projects!)

      Reply
    24. Jamie Harrington

      November 02, 2011 at 7:04 am

      I LOVE this! It's adorable. Of course, when I showed my husband, the first thing he said was "The corners look like boobies!"

      Men. :P

      Reply
    25. Tammy M

      February 02, 2012 at 4:54 pm

      I just stumbled across your blog and saw that you have the same vanity mirror that we have. Mine was also just mounted on the wall, until I got crazy with the sledgehammer. Yep. The sledgehammer. Those vanities are designed to set flush with the drywall. Before removing the mirror, I traced the outline of the cabinet with a pencil. Then I removed the mirror. I used a sledgehammer to break the drywall (actually plaster, because it's an older house also). After I marked where the electrical line was at that ran to the light above the mirror, I cut out the penciled opening with my jigsaw. I had to use a handsaw to finish cutting through the studs since the jigsaw blade didn't go that deep. Just the way a window is framed out with studs, I cut 2" x 4"s to go in between the studs horizontally right below the cut out - like a ledge for the vanity to sit on. I inserted the vanity and anchored it with 2" wood screws to the studs on the top and the bottom. It made a HUGE difference not sticking out from the wall the way it did before - it really opened up the bathroom! Since you seem to be pretty fearless like I am with powertools - go for it!

      Reply
    26. Caity P

      July 06, 2012 at 7:25 pm

      Awesome idea, and it turned out so wonderful. BTW, I LOVE the old doorknobs as bath robe/towel handles, so creative!!

      Reply
    27. Trina

      May 13, 2013 at 8:34 pm

      Hmmmm. We're redoing our bathroom and have a hideous triptych medicine cabinet, but our mirror has no frame. You've given me a good idea. I think I can do the cutout and just clip it to the mirror edge. Right?

      Reply
    28. Kathleen

      May 17, 2013 at 9:22 pm

      LOVE this! I'm assuming your original frame was wood, since you screwed your new frame into the old frame. Correct? I'm wondering how to attach a cool, new frame to the frame-less mirrors on my current med. cabinets....

      Reply
    29. Jessica

      February 16, 2014 at 5:22 pm

      What wood did you use? Wich tool did you use to make the fancy edges on this frame? Love it!

      Reply
    30. Melinda

      February 27, 2015 at 11:53 pm

      Lovely. I just wish I could see how it opens and what it looks like inside. Otherwise nice job.

      Reply
    31. Nikola

      December 06, 2020 at 2:07 pm

      Beautiful work! May I ask what kind of hinges did you use?
      I'm making something similar with the door being wider than the cabinet and researching what hinges should I use to have the doors open to the side of the cabinet box and not in front of it like it does with the most common hinges.

      Best,
      Nikola

      Reply

    Trackbacks

    1. The Idea Room Linky Party 4 says:
      October 25, 2011 at 12:35 am

      [...] DIY Medicine Cabinet Mirror Frame from Stacy of Not Just a [...]

      Reply
    2. 30 Amazing DIY Decorative Mirrors - Pretty Handy Girl says:
      September 15, 2013 at 5:00 am

      […] 19. Dressed Up Bathroom Mirror at Not JUST a Housewife  Stacy shows how to add some pizazz to a medicine cabinet mirror with a custom built frame. […]

      Reply
    3. 30 Amazing DIY Decorative Mirrors | test says:
      May 27, 2014 at 4:19 pm

      […] 19. Dressed Up Bathroom Mirror at Not JUST a Housewife  Stacy shows how to add some pizazz to a medicine cabinet mirror with a custom built frame. […]

      Reply
    4. Dress Up Your Bathroom Medicine Cabinet! TUTORIAL | Not JUST A Housewife | Keep It Simple Momma says:
      January 24, 2015 at 6:28 pm

      […] http://www.notjustahousewife.net/2011/09/dress-up-your-bathroom-medicine-cabinet-tutorial.html […]

      Reply
    5. DIY Mirror Frame: 20 Ingenious Projects | Just Crafting Around says:
      November 4, 2018 at 6:03 am

      […] Medicine Cabinet Makeover Mirror Frame – This project adds a much-needed pizzazz to any tired, worn-out medicine cabinet. […]

      Reply
    6. 25 DIY Medicine Cabinet - How To Make A Medicine Storage says:
      January 28, 2021 at 9:56 am

      […] Click for more details […]

      Reply
    7. 23 Free DIY Medicine Cabinet Plans - Craftsy says:
      June 7, 2022 at 3:28 am

      […] Click Here […]

      Reply
    8. 25 DIY Medicine Cabinet Ideas To Make Today - DIY & Crafts says:
      June 21, 2022 at 2:50 am

      […] Click for more details […]

      Reply

    Comment Below! Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    stacyHey! I'm Stacy and am a DIY addict. I love to get my hands dirty, whether it's sawdust, paint, or dirt. My goal is to help YOU learn to fix up your home and yard. No matter the style or size, I think everyone should love their home. And it doesn't takes a big budget to get there. Let's DIY together!

    Subscribe to My Blog!

    Search this site

    categories

      

    Subscribe

    Footer

    Welcome! I'm sharing our adventures as we fix up our 1938 cottage. Whether it is big or small, I think everyone should love their home and I don't think it takes a lot of money to make a space your own

    About Stacy

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

    My Favorites

    copyright

    All images and content are copyrighted via Stacy Risenmay unless otherwise stated. If you'd like to share my work, please link back to this blog.
    Thank you for visiting!


    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Meet Stacy
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact

    Categories 

    • Home Decor
    • Outdoor Projects & Gardening
    • DIY & Tutorials
    • Kid Activities
    • Recipes
    • Travel
    • Cleaning
    • Houseplants
    • Staining
    • Painting
    • Power Tools
    • Holiday Ideas

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2020 Brunch Pro on the Brunch Pro Theme

     

    Privacy Policy
    Welcome! Thanks for visiting.
    Hi! I'm Stacy and I want to help YOU become a DIY rockstar! Sign up for my email list so each project, tip, and trick will go directly to your inbox :)
    Your information will *never* be shared or sold to a 3rd party. Pinky promise :)
    Welcome!
    Hi! I'm Stacy and I blog about fixing up our 1938 cottage. Join the thousand of others who get my posts sent to their inbox for FREE!
    Your information will *never* be shared or sold to a 3rd party.