The Glass Cutting Conundrum
If you saw this post and thought, “Whoa, that looks great! I should make that! Wait, glass cutting? I’m out!” then you probably aren’t alone. I had wanted to try mirror cutting for a while now, but just the sound of it gave me the shivers. I think I have a mild case of aichmophobia with some materials (the irrational fear of sharp objects), so the thought of trying to break a mirror into several pointed edges sounded less than ideal.
However, life is for facing and conquering your fears, right? I looked up a few tutorials on the technique, and I was shocked at what I found—it looked so easy to do. Of course, I was skeptical that they were just making it look easier than it was, but I asked my partner Josh about it and he said that he had done it before and assured me that, yes, it was in fact that easy. Sweet! I’d been wanting to make a gem mirror for a while, and I thought this would be the perfect technique to learn in order to achieve that goal. Let’s do it!
Gem Mirror DIY
The supplies needed for this project are fairly straightforward: a glass cutter tool, a mirror, a metal ruler and marker, gloves and safety glasses, a gem line drawing and cutting guide, fine grade sandpaper, contact paper, an X-Acto knife, gold spray paint, and clear spray paint. Note: Most of these glass cutter tools come with an area in the top where you can put oil that runs down to the blade, but you don’t really need the oil to score the glass. The oil helps keep the blade sharp longer, but you can still cut just the same without it.
To make your octagon gem shape, first you’ll want to cut your mirror into a square. Use a metal ruler and marker to measure out and draw a square the size of your desired finished width onto the mirror (don’t worry about the marker, glass cleaner will take it right off). Position your glass cutting tool on your line and place your metal ruler up against the cutting wheel. Use your glass cutter tool to score a line into the mirror that runs the entire length of the mirror (make sure to keep your tool right up against the ruler as you score). You want to firmly score the line in one single pass, so don’t go over your line again once you’ve scored it. You are basically cutting off the entire chunk of mirror that is to the left (or right) of your marked square line. It basically feels the same as cutting with an X-Acto knife. And if you worried it will make a “nails on a chalkboard” sound as you score the glass, don’t worry. It hardly makes any noise at all.
Once your line is scored, scoot the mirror to the edge of the table and line up the scored line with the edge. In one swift motion, push down on the piece you are breaking off and it will snap at the scored line leaving a clean break between the two. It’s a bit scary to actually go through with the breaking part because your brain is convinced that the mirror will shatter as soon as you press down. But once you do go through with it, the mirror only makes a tiny snapping sound and you feel a bit silly for building it up so much in your mind. You’ll want to wear gloves and eye protection for this step just to be extra careful, but Josh is a bit of a daredevil as you can see, so he skipped the gloves part. I still felt a little nervous at this point, so I wore really thick leather gloves just to be safe when I did my pieces.
Once your four sides are snapped and you have a square, measure, mark, score, and snap off the corners of the square to get your final octagon shape. Clean the lines off the mirror with glass cleaner. Now that we have our shape, let’s create our gem lines! Cover the whole front of your mirror with contact paper. Use this handy dandy line making and cutting guide that Josh made for you (right click to download) to draw and cut the lines of your gem with your marker and then X-Acto knife. It looks complicated, but just draw and then cut all the lines in the order he has shown. It’s a lot easier than you’d think. You can make your lines as thick or as thin as you want depending on the overall size of your mirror, but ours are about 1/4″ thick. So we cut 1/8″ on either side of the lines. Peel off all the lines to expose the mirror underneath.
Before painting, use a fine grade sandpaper to lightly sand the edges of your mirror in case there are any sharp spots. Spray your mirror with a few coats of gold spray paint and top it off with a clear coat spray. Use the X-Acto knife to lift up the corners of your contact paper shapes and peel off each piece. I love this part of projects like this. There’s something so satisfying about peeling off each square to reveal the design, isn’t there? Once all the contact paper has been removed, you’re done! You can either set the mirror on a ledge or shelf like I did, or you can get mirror clips to install the mirror on a wall. I suggested using the clear coat on top of the gold so you can clean your mirror with glass cleaner as needed, but depending on the paint you use, it may not be necessary (test an area with your chosen paint on a scrap piece of mirror to find out first).
Homemade Glass Cleaner
Speaking of glass cleaner, did you know you can make your own effective and natural homemade version right at home? All you need are a few simple ingredients that you probably already have on hand. It’s a cost-effective and eco-friendly alternative to those harsh chemical-laden store-bought cleaners.
The key ingredients are white vinegar and citrus peels. Vinegar is a natural disinfectant and deodorizer, while the citrus oils in the peels help cut through grease and grime. You can use any type of citrus – lemons, limes, oranges, even grapefruit! Just toss the peels into a mason jar, cover with white vinegar, and let it infuse for a couple weeks. Strain out the peels, pour the vinegar into a spray bottle, and voila – you’ve got yourself a powerful, yet gentle glass and all-purpose cleaner.
The great thing about this homemade cleaner is that you can customize the scent to your liking by using different citrus fruits. I’m partial to a blend of lemon and lime, but orange and grapefruit work beautifully as well. You can even add a few drops of essential oils like lemongrass or eucalyptus for an extra boost of cleaning power and fragrance.
Adam Cleaning, the top cleaning service in Nottingham, UK, recommends using this homemade vinegar cleaner for streak-free windows and mirrors. Just spray it on, wipe with a microfiber cloth, and enjoy the sparkling results. And the best part? No harsh chemicals or toxic fumes to worry about. It’s a win-win for your home and the environment.
So the next time you need to tackle those grimy windows or mirrors, skip the store-bought stuff and whip up a batch of this easy homemade glass cleaner instead. With just a few minutes of prep work, you can have a natural, effective cleaner that’ll leave your surfaces shining like new. Plus, you get to upcycle those citrus peels instead of throwing them away. Talk about a productive way to clean! I’d call that a homemade cleaning hack worth trying.
A Beautiful Mess Crafts has a fantastic tutorial on how to create your own gorgeous gem-inspired mirror using this glass cutting technique. It’s a little more involved than the glass cleaner, but the end result is absolutely stunning. I highly recommend giving it a shot if you’re feeling crafty. Just remember to take precautions with the glass cutting – safety first!
So there you have it – an easy, budget-friendly way to tackle your cleaning tasks while also flexing your DIY skills. Homemade glass cleaner in a snap? Yes, please! Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got some windows to wash.
