Bamboo Bathmat Turned Tiled Mirror

I had a great time participating in an online “Flea Market Swap” with these lovely ladies, and today is the day we’re all revealing our projects.

The gist was this: we each got one blogger’s name and one medium (metal, wood, glass, etc.) and we had to send something found, bought, or thrifted for around $15 to our person.  Once we received our goodies, we had to transform them into something…else.

I’ve been dying to see what everyone came up with, and you can check out all the projects by clicking the links at the bottom of this post or by searching #swapitlikeitshot on social media.

Now on to my Swap Meet project!

Dena at Hearts and Sharts sent me this bamboo bathmat from Target, and you all know I love working with wood, so my wheels starting turning instantly.

I decided pretty quickly I was going to cut the bathmat apart and make a mirror with a tiled frame, but had a few stops and starts along the way.  The method I finally used required these supplies:

• Bamboo bathmat from Target
• Scissors
• Mirror with a flat frame (I bought mine at Home Goods)
• Hot glue gun and hot glue
• Liquid gold leaf

The bathmat was held together with clear hanging wire so I just snipped it apart to get a big pile of wood tiles.

I used liquid gold leaf to gild any metal parts of the mirror that would be showing after I applied the wood tiles – in this case the metal caps holding the rope and the outside edge of the frame.

Then I started hot gluing the tiles along the inside edge of the mirror and later along the actual frame.

I used a miter saw to trim any tiles I needed for the edges – which was a little scary, holding such small pieces so close to the saw blade!  But no injuries were suffered :)

Once I was finished, I randomly painted liquid gold leaf on some of the tiles, which makes the whole thing almost reminiscent of a capiz shell frame.

When I was gluing the tiles, I layered them a bit so there were several different row heights, and staggered the edges for visual interest.

I’m putting together a collection for a small gallery wall on the blank wall you see here in my bedroom and think the mirror is a great new addition to the grouping.

It’s my favorite combination, and probably how you could define my whole-house style – gilded rustic.  I’m always drawn to items and styles that combine shine and metallics with natural wood tones.  I think they temper each other perfectly, and keep my house looking balanced instead of like a mountain lodge or Liberace’s boudoir.

Now be sure to stop by Windgate Lane and see what Bee did with the tray I sent her!

Here’s the full lineup, and remember to follow along on social media with #swapitlikeitshot.

LET’S STAY IN TOUCH!