But first — who framed Roger Rabbit? I don’t remember how that movie ended. What I do remember is who framed our hall bathroom mirror: we did.
Framing a basic builder mirror is one of the fastest and most effective ways to upgrade a bathroom without gutting tile or doing a full renovation. Since our classic black-and-white tile was in great shape, adding a simple wooden frame was an easy way to make the space feel finished and polished.
There are companies that sell ready-made mirror frames, but we chose to build ours from scratch. It’s a straightforward weekend project and a great DIY upgrade if you want a custom fit and finish without spending much.
We decided on a clean, chunky flat frame so it would complement a nearby shelf without competing with other features like a patterned window shade or new vanity knobs. We picked up 1 x 3 pine boards cut to the lengths we needed — the whole wood cost was about $14.
You can cut miters with a miter saw for tight corners, but if you don’t own one you can still build a simple rectangular frame with butt joints and a little glue and reinforcement. We used a miter saw to cut angled corners because we wanted the finished look, but the project is flexible depending on the tools you have.
One challenge was that our mirror was mounted with plastic clips, so the frame needed shallow notches to sit flush over those clips. Ideally a router makes neat recesses, but you can achieve the same result without one. I marked where the notches needed to be and then used a few simple hand and power tools to remove material:
- Optional: use a rotary tool to score the outline of the notch for cleaner edges.
- Drill a row of shallow pilot holes inside the marked area with a small bit.
- Switch to a larger bit to enlarge the row of holes until they begin to overlap.
- Use a flathead screwdriver and a hammer to chip or pry away the remaining wood until the notch is shaped.
Those steps leave a functional, if not perfectly smooth, notch that will be hidden behind the mirror clips, so appearance isn’t critical. We made four notches total, one for each corner area where clips interfered with the frame sitting flat.
With the notches completed, we used a pocket hole jig to join the corners and assemble the frame. Before painting, we test-fitted the frame to ensure it was square and sat flush around the mirror clips.
After confirming the fit, we primed and painted the frame in a semi-gloss white for durability and a smooth look. A small foam roller gave a nice finish on the wood without brush marks.
Some people adhere frames directly to the mirror with heavy-duty adhesive or caulk, but we preferred a more secure method. We overlapped the top edge of the mirror so we could drive a couple of screws through the frame and into the wall above the mirror (on the top edge there was no tile or counter in the way). That way the frame is firmly anchored to the wall and not relying solely on adhesive on glass.
To prevent the bottom of the frame from moving, we applied a few small dots of silicone caulk between the frame and the mirror and taped the frame in place until the caulk cured. After the screws were in and the caulk had dried, we filled the screw holes with wood putty and touched them up with paint for a seamless finish.
The finished frame transformed the look of the bathroom. Even a simple, inexpensive frame can make a frameless mirror feel custom and elevate the entire room. In our case the framed mirror even seemed to draw the eye upward, making the room feel slightly taller — a pleasant visual effect that balanced an extra-tall shower curtain on the other side of the room.
Total time for cutting, notching, assembly, priming, and painting was roughly three hours, spread over a couple of days to allow paint and caulk to dry. Total cost for the frame was about $14.
We also kept a running budget for the whole mini-update so we could see how the mirror frame fit into the overall expense. The total for the update remained under our informal $200 target, with additions like a new light fixture, a small shelf, paint, artwork, knobs, and a window shade making up the rest of the room refresh.
- New light fixture: $61
- Shelf: $6
- Paint: $24
- Artwork: $30
- Knobs: $17
- Window fabric/shade: $16 (we used about $8 worth)
- Mirror frame: $14
- TOTAL: $168
For anyone thinking about similar upgrades: mirror frames, floating shelves, and new hardware are budget-friendly ways to refresh a bathroom without replacing tile. A simple frame like ours is a small investment that delivers a big visual return.
We’re calling this part of the bathroom project done for now. There’s still another bathroom on the list, but it feels good to close the chapter on this mini-makeover and enjoy a cleaner, more finished look.
Update –