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Hello home, girl!

making a home on a tiny budget.

10/21/2021

How to hang a heavy mirror (measurements included)

round gold mirror on pink patterned wallpaper with a banana leaf plant and rattan divider
How to hang a heavy mirror

After staring at the interesting wallpaper in our guest bedroom, I knew that there needed to be another natural element in the room. A more organic shape. Something that would bounce around light. Got it — a mirror!

The guest room is small in my opinion. A mere 11×11 room leaves not much space to move around. As a result, I chose the optical illusion created by a mirror to trick the eye into believing it’s a larger space.

I didn’t have an exact style of mirror in mind at first; I just knew it had to be circular. My quest for the perfect mirror began.

Check out my other One Room Challenge posts! week 1 | week 2 | week 3

Shopping for the perfect mirror

Brown mirror with the reflection of a woman in black Nike running shoes.

I first tried this mirror, but I felt the pattern was in competition with the wallpaper.

Simple mirror on a blue sky.

This cutie was a viable option, but it didn’t create that visual interest I wanted.

Gold mirror on a pink patterned wallpaper wall. Rattan room divider. Messy bed with pillows thrown on top.
Hi Mom!

This mirror felt juuuuust right. The subtle motif for the frame spoke back to the pattern found in the wallpaper. Thus, they didn’t conflict but rather, they worked in harmony with each other!

Steps to hanging a heavy mirror

Cutting a paper template  for hanging a picture
Cutting a template

First, to find the perfect placement, I cut a template of the mirror and labeled it with its diameter. It does not need to be perfect!

Measurements for the perfect placement

A white paper template, pink ikat patterned wallpaper Art via Artfully Walls.
If you look closely, you can see the sticky note showing the location of the stud.

Next, to find the middle, I measured the length of my headboard and divided that in two. I placed a sticky note there for reference. Then, I used my stud finder to see if a stud was where I placed my sticky note. Surprise — the stud was 4 inches off. Lucky me! (Side note — this is usually the case with any DIYer. The stud is never where you need it!) I moved the sticky note to the stud and the template in the middle of the headboard.

I decided to hang the mirror approximately 8 inches above the headboard so that it did not look like it was floating on the wall. Therefore, I added 8 plus the diameter of the mirror, which in my case, was 26 inches. I then measured that amount — 34 inches — above the mirror and moved my sticky note there. That mark is where the top of my mirror would land.

Yellow measuring tape on a gold mirror
Measuring the top of the hanging hook on the back on the mirror

Of course, if I were to drill a hole at 34 inches, the mirror would be hung too high. As a result, I needed to measure the hanging hook on the back of the mirror for the most accurate placement. To do this, I flipped the mirror over and measured from the top of the mirror to the top of the hook. I measured 1 in. for my mirror.

Yellow measuring tape and pink wallpaper.

Next, I made the same mark on the template as well.

Securing the mirror

  • hammering in a pink wall anchor

After that, I hammered in a wall anchor capable of supporting 102 lbs! My mirror isn’t quite as heavy as 102 lbs., but it’s better to do too much than to not do enough! To create a hole wide enough to hammer in the anchor, I began to drill a hole using a 7/54th drill bit, working my way up to the 1/4th bit. Then I tapped in the anchor and drilled in the screw.

drilling in a screw to the wall anchor

Here comes the not-so-easy part! Even though this mirror was heavy, I was still able to hang it myself because of all of the measurements and prep I did before. I made sure to watch from the side to make sure the mirror hung on the screw before I let it go!

This bad boy was heavy, so I definitely was sweating (and cussing) while hanging it myself!

I love the beauty and depth the mirror adds to my wallpapered accent wall! Overall, the time and energy was worth hanging this heavy mirror all by myself! I hope you learned some tips that helps you do the same with any type of heavy wall hanging. You’re now ready for heavy mirrors, pictures, and even TVs! Math upfront makes everything easier.

Sincerely,

Felicia

P.S.: Take a look at the other ORC week 4 posts for more great ideas!

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Reader Interactions

8 comments

  1. Jamala says

    10/22/2021 at 12:58 am

    I love that mirror!! It’s perfect with the wallpaper

    Reply
    • Felicia | hellohomegirl says

      10/22/2021 at 6:14 am

      Thank you, Jamala! It’s so cool how they pair so well together!

      Reply
  2. Carly says

    10/26/2021 at 10:28 am

    LOVE the mirror you chose! The lines on that frame are so good, and draw your eye right back to that amazing wallpaper! And you’re so right about those anchors – I don’t think I’ve EVER had a stud where I needed one!

    Reply
    • Felicia | hellohomegirl says

      10/27/2021 at 7:02 am

      Thanks, Carly! It’s great how the mirror and wallpaper play off of each other.

      Reply

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