This DIY Sunburst Mirror project is amazing!

For years, I have been obsessed with vintage sunburst mirrors. They are a perfect wall accessory for any room in the house, but they are pretty hard to find in the secondary market without paying an exorbitant price. This DIY Sunburst mirror project is the ideal way to get the look without the crazy price!

What is a sunburst mirror? A sunburst mirror is a decorative mirror that features a circular or oval frame with spokes radiating outwards like the rays of the sun.

The frame is typically made of metal, wood, or resin, and the spokes may be straight or curved.

Sunburst mirrors can come in a variety of sizes and styles, and are often used as a focal point in a room or as a decorative accent on a wall. They have become extremely popular in mid-century modern and Hollywood Regency interior design styles.

Sunburst mirrors have been around for centuries, with some of the earliest examples dating back to ancient Egypt and Greece. These early versions often featured a circular frame adorned with radiating rays, and were typically made of bronze or other metals.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, sunburst mirrors became fashionable in Europe as decorative items in palaces and wealthy homes.

During the mid-20th century, sunburst mirrors experienced a resurgence in popularity, particularly in the United States during the Hollywood Regency era. Today, sunburst mirrors remain a favored decorative item in many different styles of interior design.

Finding a vintage or antique sunburst mirror in the market today is very difficult, and if one is found, the price may take your breath away. So, today I’m showing you how to DIY a sunburst mirror!

I saw this idea on Pinterest years ago and saved it to my “future project” list. I’m not sure who originally created it, but hats off to them for their creativity!

Here’s a list of what you will need to create this project:

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• 15″ Wood Shims
• 12″ Wood Shims
• 8″ Wood Shims
• Glue Gun with Glue Sticks (I prefer the Gorilla Glue brand for strength)
• A thin round wood craft 12″ circle
• A gold framed round 12″ mirror (I used this one from Hobby Lobby)
• Gorilla Wood Glue
• Gold Leaf Spray Paint
• Gold Leaf

For this project, I used a variety of shims in the three different sizes.

I started by creating large and small sections with the wood shims, gluing them together with the Gorilla glue gun and glue sticks. 

For each of the large sections, I used 9 of the 15″ shims, and 8 of the 12″ shims. For each of the small sections, I used 11 of the 8″ shims

Tip: Place the smooth edge up.

The shims will have one edge that’s rougher than the other. Be sure and use the smooth edge for the front side, and when you glue them together, make sure that they are even.

I wanted a nice size mirror so I created 11 large sections, and 11 small sections. My mirror ended up being just under 36″ in diameter so it’s a nice size and makes quite a statement.

Once I had all the sections made, I placed them on the floor to get an idea of how it was going to go together. Using a soup can as a center placeholder, I placed all of the shim sections in a circle to get an idea on how it would look. 

See those small gaps? I needed to fill those in, so using the 12″ and 8″ shims, I place extras in the gaps to fill in. There was one spot where I actually had to place the shim in backwards in order to fill the gap. But that’s ok, because once it’s painted and gold leafed, you won’t even notice. 

Once I had all of the gaps filled in, I glued all of the sections together, forming my sunburst. 

After it was all glued together, hubby gave the front side a good sanding to give it a smooth finish.

Then, I gave it two good coats of paint using the Gold Leaf spray paint.

On the back side I glued the round wood circle on to the sunburst to stabilize it.

I used Gorilla wood glue for this because I wanted to make sure that nothing moved and it was completely stable. Unfortunately I didn’t get a picture of this step. 

Once the back was dry, I glued the mirror onto the front, using the Gorilla wood glue. I found the perfect mirror at Hobby Lobby and it was on sale at 50% off and already came framed in a gold leaf frame so it was ideal for this project.

To give the sunburst more of an old world vintage look, I added gold leaf to the front.

Adding gold leaf is such a messy process, but it made all the difference in the finish. After I finished adding the gold leaf, I used a fine grit sanding block and went back over the top to distress the gold leaf.

And, here is the mirror after it was finished!

This  mirror turned out exactly like I wanted! At just under 35″, it’s a great size and will get lots of attention.

I staged it in the foyer so that I could photograph it, however I will be using it in my renovated home office which I’m currently working on.

The great thing about this mirror is that it can be used in any room! And if you want a smaller size, it’s easy to do using the wood shims.

It would be fun to do several in different sizes!

The details are so pretty and the gold leaf gives it so much texture and movement.