The new Smoky Mountain Center in Tunbridge/South Royalton, Vermont closes on 7/28/2017, so in the meantime Heather and I have been tinkering with other projects.
I finally had the time to complete a project I have had an eye on for a while, the Infinity Mirror! It was incredibly fun and has made on of the most useful (not to mention beautiful/trippy) items I own.
First, I went to Home Depot and bought materials to make an easy and large Infinity Mirror. The dimensions are 30″ x 24″ (32″ x 26″ with frame). I hope to turn this into a coffee table with relative ease. The results were well beyond my expectations!
Take a look at the video which explains the process and shows off the finished product.
https://www.youtube.com/edit?o=U&video_id=2uUCXeaGrf4
How to Make an Awesome Infinity Mirror!
I was able to easily make this infinity mirror from a few items available almost anywhere. Everything was gotten at the same Home Depot near my house in one trip.
Materials:
(4) $8 -“x2″x30″ for wooden frame
(2) $2 -3/4″x1″x8′ trim for interior spacer
(1) $6 – Roll of Black Duct Tape (regular will work, black is best)
(1) $20 – 24″x30″ Mirror (square, no frame, beveled is fine)
(1) $10 – 24″x30″ Pane of Glass (the thicker the better)
(1) $30 – 36″x15′ Mirror Window Film (one roll can make 7 of these)
***(1) $60 – 18” LED Color Strip Lights (with remote)
Total Cost: $136 (Made it entirely free with found materials the day after making this)
***I got the deluxe LEDs for this one, because I wanted to go all out. This piece can be a simpler LED strip, Christmas lights, etc.***
Tools Needed:
Spray Bottle with Light Dish Soap Water Mixture
1 or 2 Bath/Beach Towels on a Flat Surface
Scissors
Box Cutter
Saw (any kind really, there are only four minor cuts)
Step 1: Set Down one or two large towels on a table or flat surface as a work space. The towel gives a forgiving cushion so the glass is less likely to break.
Step 2: Clean the glass pane extensively. Make sure as little hair/smudges/dust is on it as possible. Then spray the glass with the soapy mix, do not wipe off.
Step 3: Cut a piece of the window film to roughly 26″ x 32″ (eg a few inches bigger than the pane). Remove the protective cover from the window film. Spray the soapy mix onto the adherent side of the film helps to take of the covering. It will be put straight onto the soap anyway, so feel free to douse it.
Step 4: After removing the protective cellophane-thing from the window film, very, very carefully lay it onto the pane of glass. This is hard to do well, you may want to watch a video for the technique. It helps to lay it on from the top of the 24″ side and slowly walk it down to the bottom, removing the large air-pockets as you go.
Step 5: Take a flat smooth surface (a credit card works well) and remove as many of the imperfections in the film on the window. It will be a lot of small air bubbles which may require a slight bit of readjusting corners of the film and such. Be careful it can tear and might be useless.
Step 6: Set the filmed glass to the side and let it dry. By far the hardest part is over, enjoy the rest it is a lot more fun.
Step 7: Set the mirror on the towels, this will be your work space for the rest of the project.
Step 8: Cut the 3/4″x1″8′ trim to fit on the edge of the mirror (two cut to 23″ and two cut to 30″ or whatever). This trim can be as small as your light strip will allow. I probably could have used 1/2″x1″2″x8′ and it would have been even better. The mirror will reflect the space between the two panes back and forth. The narrower the space, the more often it reflects. Therefore if the space between is 2″ deep it will replicate half as often as 1″ and a fourth as often as 1/2″. It is a matter of preference. With the tape my space is probably 7/8″.
Step 9: Apply the duct tape to the piece of trim. Only one side needs to be solidly covered (the side that will be reflected).
Step 10: Cut two of the 2″x2″x30″ pieces of wood to be 2″x”2″28″ (just cut off two inches on one end). Then make the box around the outside of the mirror and screw the ends together.
Step 11: Put the trim with the tape around the inside of the box over the lip of the mirror. The covered side should be the vertical one between the panes.
Step 12: Create a space for the LED’s wiring to enter and exit. You can use a drill or saw, or do it before fastening the frame, but there needs to be adequate space for the strip(s) to exit on one corner.
Step 13: Apply the LED Strip along the inside of the trim all the way around. Feed the wiring through the corner. If using 18′ LED’s exit at the same spot and apply the rest of the strip wherever you like (I wrapped it around the outside of the frame, which looks great and makes it a decent light-source as well).
Step 14: Back to the last annoying part. When the pane has dried take a box cutter and cut the excess film off of the pane of glass. You can cut up to 1/2″ of the film at the edges of the mirror. Using a straight edge just inside the edge of the mirror seems to work best.
Step 15: Take the filmed pane of glass and put it into the frame with the film on the inside of the mirror.
Step 16: Turn on the mirror and be amazed!
The first mirror was such a success I made a second Infinity Mirror entirely (nearly entirely) out of Recycled/Upcycled materials found around the house.
