Embellished Locker Mirror

Celebrate your style as you head back to school with this colorful embellished locker mirror. Then every time you look in the mirror, celebrate YOU!

Materials:

• 3 pieces of 4" x 4" mat board (from a frame store)
• Paper: Scrappin' Creations Power Pad; Paper Reflections Full Spectrum Color Line- Blue/Green Hue Palette Scrap Pack; Fibermark Paper- Cobblestone series
• 3" Square Mirror (we used one from Darice company)
• Silver Plate Wire, 20 gauge, The Beadsmith
• Kreinik Iron-On Braid, 6420 Sky Blue
• Mini-Iron or household iron and Teflon Presscloth
• 3/4" roll of Treasure Tape

Instructions:

1. Turn your iron on to its highest heat setting and let it heat thoroughly.
    
2. Mark out a 2.5" x 2.5" square in the center of one piece of mat board. Using an xacto knife, cut out square to make the mirror's frame. Cut your second piece of mat board into 5/8" strips.
    
3. Apply strips of 3/4" Treasure Tape to the front of your mat board frame until it is covered. Cut strips of paper in varying widths, up to 1". Peel back your red liner and begin even with the inside corner of your mat. Leaving a 1/2" overhang on the inside of your mat and 3/4" on the outside, begin applying strips of paper around the sides of your frame.
    
4. When you have covered the entire front of your frame, turn it over. Apply strips of tape to the back of the frame. Peel back the red liner and begin pressing down the INSIDE ends of your strips of paper. When all inside ends are secured, apply a second layer of tape to the back and set frame aside.
    
5. Begin constructing the rest of your mirror. Using the Treasure Tape, attach two of your cut mat board stips to the sides of your last 4x4 piece. Cut a third strip to fit between them along the bottom. Cut a fourth strip into two 1.25" pieces and place them along the top edge so that there is a small gap between them. Using your tape, attach the mirror to the center of the mat board so there is a small channel between it and each side strip.
    
6. Make your hanger. Cut a 10" length of wire. Make into a 1/4" loop and hold the loop with pliers while you twist the ends, so that you have a 1/2" twisted section directly beneath the loop. Center the loop in the gap in your top mat border and bend the ends of your wire to fit into the space between your mirror and the mat strips, Remove the wire, apply tape to the gap, peel back the liner, and press your wire hanger into place.
    
7. Peel back the red liner on the back of your frame, align edges with the matted mirror, and press them together. Apply tape to the back of your mirror along the edges. Peel back the liner and begin folding your paper strips around the back of the mirror. At the corners, make square cuts to allow folding.
    
8. Embellish the front of your mirror with Iron-On Braid. Lay the thread at a starting point, cover with the Teflon Press Cloth, and press for several seconds with your hot iron. Use your iron to make loops along each side of the frame. Iron the ends onto the back of the mirror.
    
9. Use your tape to adhere a 3.75" square of cardstock to the back of your mirror to finish it.
    

Kreinik threads available through needlework stores or www.kreinik.com.