Crank up the glitter with little mirror pieces

Fans of the old “WKRP in Cincinnati” sitcom may remember the episode in which Dr. Johnny Fever, the brain-fried morning DJ, uttered the phrase, “Disco is dead, thank God!”

We said a hearty “Amen!” to his statement, but though disco was never our bag, we did like those big, glittery spheres that used to hang over the dance floor.

We love mirrors. We don’t particularly like looking into them, but we love the way they work magic with light and make small spaces appear spacious.

What you’ll need

Mirror pieces in assorted shapes

* Picture frame with flat edge

* Hinged double picture frame

* Decorative planter with flat area

* Quick-dry tacky glue

When we found packages of little mirror pieces in circles, ovals and squares at the craft store, we knew we had to do something with them.

The mirrors come in packages containing a single piece, up to 15 or 20 pieces, depending on size. They cost right around $1 per package.

After loading up our cart with a variety of shapes and sizes, we set off in search of inspiration for this week’s Craft Corner project.

Our first choice was a small, diamond-shaped, metal, hanging planter. It had a flat space above the planter which was perfect for adding little mirrors, and was on sale for $1.99.

We decided to add round mirror pieces to the planter, which we did by applying a small amount of quick-dry tacky glue to each mirror piece and arranging them in rows of increasing number (beginning with one at the tip, two in the next row, and so on).

The finished planter made a nice addition to our deck, with the mirrors reflecting both the flower in the bowl and the surrounding trees.

For our second project, we decided to decorate a picture frame that had been collecting dust on our craft shelves.

The frame was wide and flat, just the thing for arranging various-sized square mirror pieces in a repetitive design.

Beginning at the center of one side, we laid out the mirror pieces in a pattern, working toward each corner. Once the first side was complete, the other three sides were simple to finish.

We haven’t decided exactly which photograph to put in the frame permanently – a close-up portrait of some kind will probably work best – so, for the time being, we’ve angled a 4- by 6-inch snapshot of an old friend in the photo space.

Our final idea was to use a hinged, double-photo frame as a votive candle reflector.

A dark-wood frame caught our eye, and we selected a pumpkin-pie scented and colored votive candle in a clear glass holder to be the reflectee.

To make the reflector, we removed the backing and glass from each side of the frame, laid out 1-inch mirror squares on the backing, glued them in place, let dry, then put the backing in place and secured, with the mirrors showing through the photo spaces.

Don’t put the glass back in the frame, keep it for another project.

As with our other two projects, we were very happy with the results. When the candle was placed in front of the frame, it looked like several candles and reflected the light and surroundings just as we had envisioned.

Note: Whichever project you plan to try, or if you have one of your own in mind, be sure to lay the mirrors out before you start gluing. Tacky glue allows for some rearranging if necessary, but it’s much easier to make sure your pattern works in the first place to avoid having a sticky mess on your hands – and on the mirror pieces.

If you do end up with glue on the mirrors, wait until the glue is completely dry, then gently wipe off with a soft cloth and a little bit of window cleaner. You can scrape more stubborn glue residue off with your fingernail or a craft knife – just be careful not to scratch the mirror surface.

E-mail Jonetta Coffin at jrocoffin@aol.com.

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