Make it: Modern Starburst Mirror

Tools and Materials:
(1) 3/16″ metal rod (36″ long)
(2) 1/8″ metal rods (36″ long)
Yardstick
Permanent marker
Bolt cutters
Wax metallic finishes
Small circular mirrors: 1/2″, 3/4″ and 1″ diameter
6″ round mirror
E-6000 glue
Scrap felt or fabric
5″ wooden disc
Paint brush
FolkArt black craft paint
Sawtooth picture hanger
Hammer

1. Use bolt cutters to cut the 3/16-inch rod into four pieces, each 9 inches long. Cut one of the 1/8-inch rods into seven 5-inch pieces, and the other into four 7-inch pieces. Apply a wax metallic finish to each of the cut rods; it may be necessary to apply two coats for a smooth finish. We used bronze for the large rods, gold for the medium rods and silver on the smallest rods.

2. Once the metallic finish is dry, glue a small, circular mirror at the end of each rod with E6000 glue. Match the size of the mirrors to the size of rods (largest with largest, for example). Let the glue dry for at least three hours.

3. While the glue dries, paint the 5-inch wooden disc black. Let the paint dry and attach a sawtooth picture hanger to one side of the disk.

4. Place the 6-inch mirror face down on a piece of felt or scrap fabric to prevent scratches. Cutout a circle of paper that is slightly smaller than your wood disk. Draw 16 even pie shapes. Center the paper circle on the mirror. Make a mark at the end of each line on the template; these are the guides for gluing the rods to the back of the mirror.

5. Once the glue is dry, make a mark on the back of each rod, 3/4 inch from the end opposite the mirror. Apply globs of glue over each of the marks on the back of the 6-inch mirror and glue the rods in place with the mirrors facing down. Each rod should be glued on a mark on the back of the mirror, with the marks on the rod at the edge of the mirror. Alternate rods around the mirror: If the mirror were a clock, we placed the longest rods at 12:00, 3:00, 6:00 and 9:00. The medium-size rods were centered between the large ones, and the smallest rods filled in the gaps.

6. Squeeze out more glue liberally over the center of all the rods. Place the wooden disc on top, centering it on the mirror and lining up the picture hanger with one of the large rods.

7. Let the glue dry for 24 hours or more. Don’t move the mirror until the glue has dried completely.