Flamingo Toes

A Starburst Mirror for the Dining Room

202 Comments

I’ve been ‘oohing’ and ‘ahhing” over all the Starburst Mirrors out there. I think they’re just gorgeous.

But I couldn’t really find one to fit my style.
I’ve been wanting one for our dining room – I have the perfect little 1/4 wall for it. ;)
Well after looking and plotting and trying to figure out materials – I had the idea that since it was for the dining room, it might look cute made from Silverware!

After much debate on layout (Mr. F.T. absolutely LOVES being a craft adviser, haha) and lots of glue, this is what I came up with!!

And a closeup:

It was soooo easy to make.

Here’s a quick tutorial in case you’d like one too!!

You’ll need:

Round Mirror – this one is 7″
(I picked it up at Joann’s)
Plate, a few inches larger than the mirror
Cardboard
Silverware (Depends on your layout. I used 12 knives, 8 forks, & 12 spoons)
Beads (enough to go around mirror)
Glue (I used hot glue)

Start by cutting 2 circles out of cardboard. Measure halfway between the bottom rim of the plate and edge to make your circle.

Glue the two circles together with hot glue. This will give you a stable base for your silverware.
You could also use wood or something else as a base, I was just going for cheap. ;)


(You thought I was kidding when I said I had terrible paper cutting skills didn’t you?
Evidently it also extents to cardboard. Don’t judge.)

Press the rim of the plate down onto the circle, then trace this with a pen. That way you know how to place your silverware.

Start working on your layout. I recommend laying out all the silverware, then gluing it on.

I started with knives. They were the fattest in width so I didn’t want them under the plate at all.
I lined them up with the traced rim line.

Then I added in forks. . .

And then spoons. Use whatever pattern and layout you like.
I played with a lot of different looks before I settled on this one.

Place your plate on the layout and make sure that it lays as flat as possible. Make any spacing adjustments you need to.

Start gluing on the silverware, working your way around the circle.

***Update: After a year and a half I have had a couple of items loosen because of the hot glue. Rather than risk the entire shebang crashing to the floor, I pried off the plate and stabilized everything with E-6000. That should hold it through minor earthquakes and teenagers. I’ll keep you posted though.

Check your layout with your plate as you go. You might need to redo a couple pieces.
(I did. And doesn’t that look so nice and tidy.)

Finish all the silverware. It won’t look too pretty but the plate covers up the mess.

Add a good layer of glue to the cardboard to hold your plate on.

Ahhh. That’s better.

Add a layer of glue to the back of your mirror and glue that to the center of the plate.

Before you glue on any beads, take a minute and clean any smudges or fingerprints off your mirror.

Glue a ring of beads or pearls around the mirror’s edge.

And that finishes it off!!
So easy right??

I hung it on the wall by putting three nails at the bottom of the cardboard, in a curve,
and one nail at the top of the cardboard, so the nail head holds it on.

I really love the combination of the vintage plate and silverware with the mirror and pearls – but I want to hear what you think!!

*** UPDATES – I am not having a problem with the hanging method – but I think that I’m going to reinforce it a bit. I don’t want the cardboard to weaken over time and crash.
Also – I would consider spray painting your cardboard a color close to your walls. Where I’ve got it hanging you can see the cardboard from one angle. It would blend with the wall better if it was painted. ;) ***

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Comments

  2. Super cute! I love old silverware. I just saw one that used only knives and had the handles sticking out. You made this totally different and full of personality.

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  15. Super cool idea! Too bad I have NO space left on the wall in my dining room! Hmmm…may have to re-arrange some things! :) Tiffany, I learned a long time ago (from my own Mama) that it’s easier to get forgiveness than permission…she’s right! Go ahead & do it if you love it & iron out his objections later! HA!!

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  16. Swoon!! I’m thinking that I need me some old silverware….thrift stores… Thanks for the wonderful inspiration again Bev!! i heart your creativity!

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  17. What a lovely idea dear. like the way you have arranged the spoons and the forks together with the beads. So good, and so unique, I will definitely try to do the same son, and will tell you about the feed backs. I am amazed by your artistic skills.

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  22. That really is a great looking piece of wall art. I’m not sure I could do that though unless I managed to locate a really ugly plate. LOL
    I have a large collection of plates that was my Mom’s hanging in my kitchen. There are so many that they run the entire circumferance around my kitchen. I’m always looking for others to add to the collection so it. would be hard for me to do this to one. BUT……….as I was typing that it dawned on me this also would be the perfect wall art piece to add to my kitchen wall to tie in the plates with one of these like you’ve made. hmmmmmm might have to think more on this one. I’ve also got a large amount of her silverware in a box that’s not used ever which would be awesome to use but yea, probably not since it isn’t used because it tarnishes. I’m not sure how easy that wall art would be to clean once it’s put together that way. I’m thinking you’d want to steer clear of the type of silverware that could tarnish. lol

    oops. sorry that got kinda long. :)
    It is VERY cool though. Thank you for the as always, awesome tutorial Bev. Maybe when you’re tired of looking at that you could just send yours to me so I won’t have to go through that agony of covering up a plate that way. HAHA

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    • Just an observation. If you have a reallly pretty plate leave off the mirror. Maybe just place a pretty piece of jewelry in the center.

  25. I made a sunburst mirror this week too. I’m see all kinds of DIY ones lately. I love yours! My only suggestion is to use a better glue – perhaps liquid nails. I find that hot glue holds just great until one Tuesday afternoon when it fails, then you’ll find silverware all over your dining room floor.

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  28. I LOVE this and I am going to try it next chance I get…I have a stash of vintage silverware that would look amazing. Thank you so much for sharing.

    -Aaron {the girl with the boy’s name}

    mudpiesandmarigolds.blogspot.com

    Reply

  29. I really really love this – – checking out spots in my kitchen right now to see if I can hang one somewhere….

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  30. That is just too cute! Very creative! Dropping by from Met Monday. When you have a few minutes, I’d love for you to come see my recovered chairs.

    Allison
    Atticmag

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  32. Just Love this silverware mirror! Have to make one! I say that so many times when I read your posts. I have a file of things I want to make just from your site. You are so very, very talented. I never leave comments, not because I don’t think the things are cute, but I make a lot of art quilt journals and if I get caught up on the computer, the hours can fly. I am currently making a quilted flamingo tote bag. I really Love Flamingoes, too.
    Keep up all your geat work. You are very creative and so generous to share your time, by making the tutorials, for all of us.

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  33. Holy crafting, Bev! This is AMAZING (and slightly dangerous looking, hehe!). It looks absolutely fabulous on your wall. Love the plate you used, too. Great colors. The beading really sets off the mirror. Love, love, love this!!

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  40. WOW!——————The things we do with things that are not what suppose . Love it. Gets the creative juices flowing—————possilby substite other things . The silverware could all knives fork ect. I even thought about using mix match of some. Any way great project.

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  41. Oh my gosh. I love your creative mind. How did you ever think of that. It is so stinkin cute. I bet it is heavy. Love it. Watch out Pottery Barn or Anthro. will be stealing your idea.
    So sorry that I have been such an awful blogging friend. I am really trying to shape up. Thanks for all your encouraging comments. ((((HUGS))))0

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  45. sooo cute bev! You should email it to Anthropologie and become famous ;) I too can’t BELIEVE we didn’t take any pics on Thursday – what kind of bloggers are we?! I guess the kind who were just having to much fun to stop for a pic :) Thanks for all your advice too – I’m up on Facebook and trying to work on the Stumble thing…

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  58. I love, love, love, love this (LOVE)! I want to make one NOW!!! But, I kinda need to go to bed so I can get up at the crack of dawn for work… I’m soooooooo making this though!

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  71. Hi Beverly, you’ve done it again. I believe this style of mirror will sweep the blogosphere! It’s just not fair to the rest of us that you have so much talent. I really like the finishing touch of the beads as I hate those raw-edged mirrors. Hugs, girl! Kim

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  77. I might have to make this, but instead of a mirror I’m thinking it would make a fantastic kitchen clock. Now if I could just bring myself to try drilling through a plate. I’ll admit I’m slightly wary of power tools.

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  80. I love it! i made a sunburst mirror for my bedroom, but this idea for the dinning area would never have occurred to me. So thank you because I finally know what to put in the bag, blank spot on my dining area wall…AWESOME!!

    ~bernadette (agirlandherhome.blogspot.com)

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  88. Amazing! I love sunburst mirrors, but was always afraid they would look too contemporary among my non-contemporary digs. But this is a perfect blending. I WILL be creating one…thanks so much for the tutorial!

    kathleen

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  95. OMG – this is AMAZING!! I love sunburst “anything” but I think this is the best I’ve seen yet. I followed the link from oneprettying.com to see it. Love your blog and RSS fed it to my computer. :)

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  103. I love using silverware for kitchen and dining decor, so I freaking ADORE your mirror! I’m totally making one for my house, too! Thanks so much for the idea!!

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  107. OMG, That is so beautiful. I am amazed by your skills, I mean from where you got this idea? That is perfect. I will try this with the wooden spoons and forks. Amazing, just amazing

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  111. Wow, I’m off to a good start this morning…lol I left a comment for you over at Blue Cricket Design{like you would see it…duh} Here goes…This is just Adorable! I love how you took the inspirations out there and interpreted it to match “you” {ha I sound like an American Idol Judge} but really! I love it! You did a great job with the littel tutorial too…TGIF! Have a great weekend!

    Reply

  113. I LOVE the uniqueness of this!!! I am going to make one as I love and have vintage flatware,etc. Just one thought though to give you a heads up if this should be a possibility: After time, could your cardboard start to weaken from gravity and the weight of your mirror and give way or bend a little, thus letting your mirror fall forward and crash to the floor??? Just concerned…unless I didn’t understand how you stated you hung it with using the nail heads to hold on to the mirror. :^}

    Reply

    • Yeah, Merry, I realized that after the fact. I think it would be better to reinforce it a little more on the bottom and add some hanging hardware to the top. I’m haven’t done that yet but it’s a good idea.
      Thanks!!!

  116. I love this project! This is hands down the coolest sunburst mirror I’ve ever seen! I love how creative this project is, and how well it fits in a dining room. Such a great tutorial, too! I have an old box of silver that might look great, although, I’d have to get over needing to keep it polished. I’m off to go play with my box of silver. Thanks for sharing.

    I’m hosting a Throwback Thursdays Party, and would love it if you swung by and linked up something you made/bought/did from before blogging. I can’t wait to see what you bring.

    Reply

  117. OMG!! I am in awe of your creativity!! Simply amazing! I will be watching for you to be featured on the Today show, I swear! Fabulous job!
    Thanks for linking up to Making It With Allie! I can’t wait to see what you have for next week!
    AllieMakes.Blogspot.com

    Reply

  120. bev–i am so close to having enough silverware to make my own one of these. a girlfriend and i are going to have a crafting day and make them. i am so excited!

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  125. I just dropped by via Funky Junk Interiors (hadn’t gotten to Gail’s yet…) and I must say I LOVE this mirror. And what’s even better is my 11 yr old son loves it also!! Now if only we had a place to put one like it…. Hmmm I see a project coming on once we have the addition built! Woo hoo!

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  128. This is such a cool idea. And like you’ve I have liked the sunburst mirrors that are popping up these day but hadn’t found one I really loved. I LOVE yours. Thanks for sharing how to make it.

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  134. Love this idea! I have a drawer full of flatware that I picked up from an antiques/juntiques store for a penny each! This might be a project for them! I think it would be cute to make into a clock!

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  137. I NEVER leave comments if people have more than like 30 or so, but I had to tell you … CUTEST. SUNBURST MIRROR. EVER. Seriously. Amazing!!!!!!!! jules

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  140. I LOVE THIS!! Absolutely the cutest thing ever. And it actually looks like something I might make :)

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  144. Holy cow I did;t know if I would find the end of all these comments! But I don’t blame everyone for commenting. THIS IS AWESOME! What an awesome idea.. ILOVE IT! no I am not yelling but I am excited! Great work I am excited to look around your blog.
    Lindsay
    countrygirlhome

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  153. This is a great idea! I got a plastic Coke clock for Christmas…this would be great to dress it up! Instead of the mirror I will put my clock. Thanks for the idea!

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  162. Bonjour , je viens d’arriver sur votre site , cette Å“uvre est superbe !! Vraiment une excellente idée ! Bravo , cela me donne une idée !! Belle journée Marie-Claire.

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  163. I’m visiting…over from JustSomethingIMade & Cathe, and I’m here to say; “Holy Smokes!” What a creative, wonderful starburst! I confess, I wondered about how to hang it and couldn’t picture your solution, as described…I’m going on “the hunt” for something stronger than cardboard per your concern about “crashing over time”…I LOVE your starburst…from pearls to plate to (silverware) pattern!

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  167. oh come ON! this is seriously fantastic! I am moving into my own house in the summer, and I am SO making this. thanks so much for sharing

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  168. I love it! I bought some forks from an antique store like 4 years ago and I hadn’t know what to do with them…this would be perfect…now I need to buy spoons and knives. :) Thanks for the inspiration.

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  169. This is so super cute! Ive been looking for some cheap awesome art for my massive dinning area. This is perfect!
    I also love the little table you have under it ( I know it has a cool name but i can’t think of it haha)

    Id be interested in seeing your whole dinning room area- i like your style.

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  171. Love this! Very ingenious! I’ve added a link to my Squidoo article Silverware Crafts. May I use a photo to add to the article? Thanks, Peggy

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  173. That is the unique and beautiful mirror placed on the wall. The mirror makes the look of your kitchen unique and beautiful. I haven’t ever expected before that it is made on your own. You are really creative person.

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  176. I love this but I tried to make one, I don’t understand how big to cut the cardboard, I just kep reading it and still didn’t get it. Also, when you glue the plate on do you just leave the space open between the silverware and the plate? I would love to see what the back looks like when it’s done. Thanks for the great idea.

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  179. Love the starburst!! I’m thinking it will make a pretty centerpiece with maybe a candle or something on the mirror. My daughter is getting married in June and is using simplicity in decorations. Very nice!!

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  180. I had this TERRIFIC idea to turn silverware into a clock or mirror… so I googled it and of course I shouldn’t be surprised, up pops Flamingo Toes! You always have such awesome projects. Love this! Great job. :)

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  181. I fell in love with this mirror and set out to recreate it with materials from IKEA. I found that the hot glue didn’t set properly — between the cardboard and the flatware, I don’t know if it has too much “give” — but after gluing all of them down, when I lifted it, about 8 of the 20 pieces just popped right off. I thought I used more than enough glue. I’m planning to try it again with an epoxy-type glue and a larger plate instead of the cardboard. Thanks so much for the inspiration!

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  182. WOW! What a great idea! I think I am going to try this project but with a larger mirror. I would love something like this for my formal dining room :) Thanks, and GREAT job!

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  183. I love this going to try it but with old silverware…i love new ideas for recycling any thrown away objects…..

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  184. When it first popped up on my screen I thought – what a great kitchen clock this would make. Instead of the mirror – use a clock mechanism (available at craft stores) for the center.

    Or…..just use the plate, omitting the mirror. It’s pretty enough as is.

    Any way you look at it, I think it needs something more substantial than a cardboard base which will deteriorate, especially given the weight of the silverware. A very light weight wood base should hold up and be able to support both the silverware and a hanger device. Epoxy or E-6000 will hold better than hot glue, as you already discovered.

    What I’m thinking about now is how to conceal the space between the silverware and the mirror or clock mechanism so you don’t see a big gap when viewing it from the side. Will keep thinking.

    Great idea! Your layout is quite attractive.

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  185. Love the idea. I just moved to new place and am looking for decorating ideas.
    I’m going to try this but replace the mirror with a clock face and use the silverware as emphasis of numbers.
    Knives 12, 3, 6, 9 etc.
    Will go great in dining room.

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  188. I like this idea and I have lots of old knives, forks @spoons I can use. But the plate would have hang by itself, it is too pretty to cover . Now to find a place to hang.
    Thanks, janet

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  189. I wanted to send a picture of how we hung our starburst mirror! My husband put to screws into a piece of scrap wood and wound a piece of wire around the screws, creating a hanging cord. He then glued the wood to the cardboard backing so that it would hang with the appropriate knife at 12 o’clock. It seems to be working out well! Thanks for the inspiration! http://nearlyfearless.blogspot.com/2013/03/afternoon-crafty.html

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  192. I am going to try this but I have a ton of silverware that I want to make look vintage and don’t know how. I tried the overnight egg yolk covering but nothing. Any suggestions?????

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  193. I love, love, love this!!! Am going to try it with clear plastic cutlery that I will spray paint first.

    Thank you for sharing this great project.

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  196. I love your creativity. I just scored a bag of silverware for a $1.00, and I love your wreath. I may have to modify it somewhat since I want to place it on my fence behind the garden. But, yours is a great inspiration. Thanks for sharing.

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  197. Could you please show a picture of the back of the silverware mirror so that we can see how you hung it on the wall? I love this idea for a mirror!!
    Thank you much,
    Amanda

    Reply

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