Easy, Fail Proof Way To Hang A Mirror


At the end of this post, please share the home improvement project that stresses you out the most.

If your anything like me, you don't like waiting for someone to help you with a task.  When I ask for help, I have to consider the other persons timing and opinions.  Timing based on their schedule and opinions on how they think I should complete the task.  After many years of dealing with this issue, I've developed solutions for completing certain two person tasks all by myself.

Today, I'd like to share how I am able to determine the proper placement of a large, heavy, odd-shaped mirror all by myself.   





I'll use my most recent project as an example.
I purchased this great mirror (Kristen Arch Mirror from Rugs USA) for my Home Office Dining Room. When it came, I was so excited to get it up on the wall.  It was large, heavy and odd shaped.  I needed to either hang it in the studs or use large dry wall anchors.  Therefore, I wanted to do it right the first time.  
What to do...I wanted it done now, but wanted it done right.



Here is how I tackled the project...
The mirror was delivered in a large cardboard box packed in styrofoam. 
I removed the styrofoam and traced the shape of the mirror on the cardboard box with a sharpie.







  I carefully cut the box into the shape of the mirror.  






I now had a cardboard template to use as a guide.  I was able to hold the light-weight shape up on the wall to determine the proper placement (all by myself).  I could see exactly how it would look before making any holes.

I used a hammer and nail to tap an indentation into the drywall (right through the cardboard) to mark the placement of the hangers (always follow the manufacturers instructions on how to hang or mount large objects.  Every product is different).





Prior to this solution, I would have to have someone hold up the big heavy mirror and duck so I could stand back and judge the height/placement.  This process almost always resulted in a scuffle of some sort.

You know what I mean, it sounds something like this...
Me: "Can you duck a little more so I can see it better",  Them: "I can't duck any more, I have to put my head somewhere",  Me: "Can you put it up a little higher",  Them: "I can't, my arms are only so long", Me: "Can you move it over to the right a little",  Them: "Can you hurry up and decide already, it's flipping heavy".








The cardboard trick allowed me to do the judging easily, all by myself.  This mirror is  heavy.  After determining the placement by myself, my sister helped me lift the mirror for the actual hanging.  A good title for this post would have been, "How to hurry up and hang a brand new mirror all by yourself before your husband gets home and vetoes it".   







That was just,  wrong.

How about, "How to hang a brand new mirror all by yourself to surprise your husband when he gets home"?  Yes, much better.  



What decor projects stress you out the most?
Or better yet, what solutions do you have for avoiding home improvement project scuffles?

**For information on my affordable online design services, please click here.

20 comments:

  1. Oh my goodness,.this is the case in our household!! And along these same lines...placement of furniture goes something like this..."Do you like it there?" and my response "not sure, give me a minute"and the other response "ok, but I'm not moving this a million times"......SO.....I purchased this fabulous set of moving sliders, they are the best invention, they are a pack of 4, foam on one side and slippery plastic on the other, just place them under the legs of any piece of furniture and slide to where you want it! I believe we (I) purchased them at Lowe's!

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  2. Great post! Having recently had a large mirror hung over my fireplace I can definitely relate! LOL!

    LBDH

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  3. You are a smart girl. I bet you could use a newspaper cut out if you didn't have the cardboard. It would be easier with stiff cardboard, but just in case you didn't have the cardboard.
    The hardest part of my projects is making myself start. I plan, purchase, sketch, think, ..... and I am afraid to "just do it".
    The other extreme is, I jump in without the planning and thinking and then realize I'm over my head and need to start over again.
    Also living with the mess when I can't finish the project for days (weeks).
    I love your posts and design ideas. Thank you. Debra

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  4. Such a great tip! Now you also have a great template for some other kind of project! ;)

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  5. I like to get free furniture from Craigslist that I have great ideas for. However, I forget that I HATE to paint. So I have a garage full waiting for finishing.

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  6. stressors?? hanging ceiling fans....that always throws us over the edge. We have all new fans so we are good for now. He doesn't always embrace my vision at first, he does come around,but it takes a few days/ weeks.

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  7. I love this post! (it is very educational and informative) but mostly because this is EXACTLY how it goes down in our house! My husband doesn't understand why one must stand back and evaluate placement in the first place! I just read the dialog portion to him and we both had a good laugh! I told him "See! We are not the only ones!" hehe!

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  8. What a smart idea! Love that mirror btw, it's stunning!

    My stress is my dad building furniture for me. I don't have the money nor want to spend the money on a brand new table so I always enlist my Dad to make it. He is SO SLOW, and not building, he is slow to even get started. I'm grateful but I have a hard time being patient lol. So I guess that means I am going to have to learn to build furniture myself. Lol!

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  9. Fantastic tip, Sarah! Your mirror looks stunning, btw. Than for sharing, Kerri, A Pop of Pretty

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  10. Hanging ANYTHING stresses me out. We have plaster walls...hanging anything is a pain!

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  11. Choosing the right paint color for the walls I am having such a hard time with it! I want to paint the main living areas gray, but everything seems to look purple. Even taupe and green based grays!

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  12. This is a brilliant idea! Thanks for sharing. By the way, the mirror and whole dining room look amazing!

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  13. great room, great tips. This mirror really completes this space and the placement is perfect!

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  14. I can relate to Brenda in Sunny...I have the same problem. Choosing paint colors is so stressful depending on the lighting in the room all times of day. I chose what I thought was the perfect gray only to paint my dining room with it and end up having different colored walls depending on the way the sun shined in. One wall appeared gray the other a dark khaki color. After two hours comparing paint chips in the store and then more time painting with samples at home I finally found my perfect gray at Lowes by Allen Roth called Shaken Not Stirred, no purple or green undertones...love it! Jeni

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  15. Permanent things stress me out...flooring, furniture etc. I am 57 and theoretically, when I choose a piece of furniture, I'm choosing for the rest of my life!! I bought a Wesley Allen bed a couple of years ago and almost had a heart attack...do I want this bed forever?? So I made peace with it, prayed, and guess what, I love it!

    Re: your mirror. What did you do, screw it into a stud or use the hollow anchors?? I always worry about heavy items.

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  16. I love the paint color in this room- do you know the brand/name? Looking to use this in my dining room once we are fully remodeled!

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  17. My husband is always coming home to "surprises." I know better than to tell him what I plan on doing because he'll think it's not a good idea. So then he finds a completed project or a mess where I'm in the middle of one and what can you do about it then. :)

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  18. "How to hurry up and hang a brand new mirror all by yourself before your husband gets home and vetoes it" perfectly describes how I think about a lot of things around my house.

    He argues with the process - from concept until almost completion...it's only when things are finally pulled together he'll mumble "you were right." Music to my ears.

    I try to get a lot done without him so I don't have to hear it throughout a project I've thought long and hard about.

    Your first revised title made me laugh, out loud!

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  19. I totally use the "Duck, husband" technique, too!

    What stresses me? What to do with the fish scale patterned plaster ceilings in every single room. I love to use tongue & groove wood over them, but I'm not a millionaire.

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