The fairest of them all - natural mirror frames

Sunset, Nov, 1997 by Peter Whiteley

Use willow branches, oak leaves, cornhusks, or palm bark to create natural mirror frames

* These ornamental mirrors, framed by Mother Nature, beautify any room. You help her out a little by making the frames from fiberboard or plywood, then covering them with dried natural materials whose subtle colors, rough textures, and distinctive forms complement the mirrors' smooth, reflective surfaces.

Each frame is designed for a 12-inch square mirror tile (sold at many home centers for about $1). You can give the frame any shape, as long as its perimeter is larger than the tile and its interior opening is no more than 10 inches across.

We glued palm bark, willow branches, glycerin-dried oak leaves, and cornhusks (used to make tamales) to the frames, but other materials may inspire your own creations. Many florists' supply stores sell bundles of cattails, wheat, and dried grasses, stalks of lavender, twigs, mosses, and dried flowers. In your garden or on walks in your neighborhood, you might find eucalyptus bark, pinecones or needles, and distinctively shaped leaves (flax or magnolia, for instance). And grocery stores sell cinnamon sticks, sunflower seeds, and dried beans, grains, and peas, all of which can be used to add delicate forms. The steps described below for making the cornhusk frame can be followed for any of these materials.

TIPS

If you don't have access to a saber saw, ask the lumberyard to cut the fiberboard or plywood to the frame shape you want.

If you use twigs or other narrow, uneven material that can't completely cover the frame board, you may want to paint the frame to match the material you're gluing onto it. And if you're using small materials, like beans or seeds, use white glue to attach them.

Regardless of what material you use, it's important to cover the frame's inner edges first because the mirror surface will reflect the inside edge and even a little of the back side of the frame -especially if you're using a thick or rough-textured material. Also, wrap the frame's perimeter before covering its face.

Natural frames step-by-step

WHAT YOU NEED

* 1/4-inch fiberboard or plywood

* Tape measure or yardstick

* Pencil

* Saber saw

* Electric drill

* Paint that matches covering material (optional)

* Material of choice to cover frame

* Glue gun

* Craft glue or white glue to attach small objects

* Scissors or craft knife

* Clear silicone adhesive (sold by the tube in hardware stores)

* Mirror tile

* Eye screws and picture-hanging wire

1. Using a saber saw, cut a 14-inch square of 1/4-inch fiberboard or plywood. In the center, draw a square for the opening (it's 6 inches here). Drill a hole inside the lines to start, then cut out opening.

2. Using a glue gun, adhere pieces of cornhusk (or other materials) along the inner and outer edges of the frame's sides. Fold husks over and glue to back side of frame to mask edges.

3. Working from the top down (top is at left in photos), glue husks to front of frame, extending beyond top and bottom edges. Wrap over top and bottom edges and glue to back.

4. Add extra layers of husks with pointed tops exposed to build up density and give the frame the look of "flames" dancing upward from the bottom.

5. Turn frame over. Trim off excess husks to expose board. Squeeze bead of silicone adhesive on board, keeping it away from center opening and outer edges.

6. Center and lower mirror tile onto glue, press firmly only on areas over the frame, then set aside to dry. Add small eye screws and wire to hang.