Every year it’s the same thing. Whether it’s Mother’s Day or her birthday, you know is coming, but you and the kids just don’t know what to get her. Why not try something different this year and build Mom something special that will put a smile on her face every time she sees it.

Today we’re going to build a mirror frame that your kids can decorate. We’re going to refurbish an old mirror that was about to be thrown away. We’ll custom build the frame to fit our mirror using some power tools in our workshop, and we’ll learn how to cut miter joints and join them using pocket screws. Then we’ll turn it over to the decorating pros who will transform it into a family keepsake for years to come. So let’s get started.

The first thing we need to do is to measure the thickness of the mirror. This is the thickness we will need to recess into our mirror frame. To create this recess, we’ll use a router at a router table. We’ll set the depth of our router cut to just over ¼”, following the router manufacturer’s instructions. Then we’ll mill all of our pieces, including the rails and the stiles, at the same time from these ¾” thick by 4″ wide poplar boards that we picked up at our local home improvement retailer. The cut we made here is called a rabbit, or an “L” shaped cut in the corner of a board. This will accept our ¼” thick mirror.

Our 4″ wide poplar boards each 8-feet long, which will more than accommodate both sides (which are called stiles) and the top and bottom of the frame (which are called the rails).

Using a miter saw, we’ll cut the 45-degree miters for the corners on the top of our frame. First we’ll adjust the saw to 45 degrees. Then we’ll make our cut for the first stile. We’ll repeat the same step for the other stile.

There are three points of the cut we’ll need to reference. The long point. The short point. And the short point within the rabbit cut. Since our mirror will rest within the rabbit, we must align it with the short points of our stiles. With the mirror resting in the rabbits of both of our stiles, we can measure the length of the top rail of our mirror frame, by measuring from long point to long point with the mirror in place. It’s always a good idea to measure your pieces one at a time with the mirror in place, then cut them one piece at a time instead of all at once.

Next, we’ll measure the length of the stiles, again, with the mirror in place. Be sure to mark the direction of the miter for reference.

Place a mark where the mirror ends. This will be the short point of the miter. Then transfer this mark to the other side of the frame. Again, place an arrow in the direction of the miter cut for reference. It’s easy to cut the miter the wrong direction if you don’t have these arrows as guides.

Using a speed square, draw the actual cut line from the short point. Then cut the piece at the miter saw. You’ll repeat this same step for the other side.

To join our miters, we’ll be using this pocket hole jig and these pan head screws. For more information on joining wood using pocket hole joinery, see our video “Basic Wood Joinery Techniques.”

Just clamp the board down and drill the pocket holes. Then insert the pan head screws, add some glue, clamp it with a face frame clamp, and drill it home. Repeat the same procedure for the other four sides.

Now we’ll bring in the design crew and let them do their thing. Mom will absolutely love the personal touch. We’ll even glue on some shapes we cut out and painted from leftover scraps of wood.

Back in the shop, we’ll insert our mirror once the paint is dry and fasten it to the fame using these mirror clips we picked up at our local independent home improvement retailer. We’ll drill some pilot holes first so we don’t split the wood. Just be careful not to drill through the frame. A few clips on each side should do the trick.

We’ll also need to install picture hanging wire on the back of the mirror. We’ll start with a couple of eye screws located on both stiles, equidistant from the top. We’ll turn the eye screws with a pair of pliers. Then we’ll cut our picture hanging wire a few inches longer to account for the knots at both ends, as well as some slack. This mirror is heavy, so make sure those knots are tight. This should help keep our mirror hanging straight once it’s hung on the wall.

With a mirror this heavy, it’s a good idea to find a stud to drill our pan head screw into. We’ll use a stud finder to locate the stud. If you want to hang it between studs, you’ll need a toggle bolt rated for the weight of the mirror. For more information, see our video, “Wall Hanging Basics.”

There you have it. Now just hang it where mom will see how special she is, not just on Mother’s Day, but every time she walks past.