Makeover Of A DIY Boho Wall Mirror Wreath

Do you remember the craft and design trend from several years ago for DIY Boho wreaths made with white rope strands, wood beads, and a mirror in the middle?

It was a simple process of separating the strands of a cotton fiber rope and using those strands to tie shortened strands around a wire wreath form, accented by wood beads glued to a mirror in the middle.

I never made one of these popular unraveled rope wreaths because the Boho style was not on my design style radar for a long time.  But I have recently discovered that I appreciate the new trend of modern boho trend, often referred to as Urban Boho.  More on that in another post.

Even though I didn’t attempt to make a mirror boho wreath myself, I did have someone close to me who attempted to make one for fun and as a much-needed creative outlet for stress relief one day. Needless to say, she became utterly frustrated with the process and the lack of the right materials and tools for what she envisioned the outcome to be.

That is how it came to sit in a closet at my house for years after she gave me directions to either fix it or throw it away, but she didn’t want to use it in her house after all.  It was now my opportunity to embrace the boho style.

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THIS POST IS PART OF THE ‘DO IT OVER’ DESIGNERS LINK PARTY.  A GROUP OF DESIGNERS WHO TAKE SOMETHING OLD AND/OR UNUSED AND ‘DO IT OVER’ INTO SOMETHING NEW. THESE ITEMS CAN BE FOUND IN CLOSETS, BARNS, GARAGES, YARD SALES, THRIFT STORES, YOU NAME IT!

Receiving a craft project from someone else to fix it.

Purposely not pointing out what I realized were some simple rookie crafting mistakes – haven’t we all been there? I accepted the challenge of fixing it.

And I failed in my first and second attempts and ended up breaking the mirror.  Frustrated with my struggle to revamp the boho wall hanging, I shoved it back into the closet, vowing to throw it out eventually.

Because it was not my style – remember? 

But I never did.  I couldn’t.  The boho mirror had some good vibes, and I just knew I could figure out how to fix all of the mistakes we both made—one day.  A lot of work had already gone into this project to just throw it out. 

Fast forward about two more years.

Every time I had to move the mirror out of my way to reach something else in my craft room, I would once again look it over and try to think of a way to remake it.

Today, I can excitedly share that I finally tackled the makeover of this boho macrame mirror with success!

Creative Problems With The Mirror Wreath

The first problem with the mirror wreath was that it was heavy. Not only did she start out with a metal wire frame, but she also glued the entire frame to a collapsed and heavy cardboard box as a backing to hold the mirror in place. This was a good idea in theory, but it was much too heavy to hang safely on the wall.  I would need to make the wreath lighter.

Second, the rope strands were cut so long that instead of flaring out like a sunburst mirror should look, the strands overlapped the mirror and fell on top of each of the lower strands below.

Third, without the use of a hot glue gun or craft glue, she couldn’t get the wood beads to stay in place unless she glued them on the flatter side with the holes exposed on the top.  The exposed holes were not the right look for the wreath.

 Fourth, she used the wrong glue and used too much of it, so it eventually discolored some of the very well-attached rope strands.

Even now, I feel bad pointing out the rookie mistakes because she did have a great design style planned.  She does not do this often, and I was impressed with her efforts. The wreath was a keeper that just needed some TLC and a makeover.

macramé wall hangings such as these roped wreaths are some of the more popular wall accents in boho décor.

The first thing I wanted to do was figure out how to fix the problem with the beads.

I thought it would be an easy fix to fill in the holes on the beads with wood filler and paint them.  That didn’t work out like I thought.   Even with the wood filler, I didn’t like the look of the beads. 

So I decided ever so slowly to pry them off. 

And that worked perfectly – until it didn’t. 

One by one, I used a metal scrapper to loosen the glue and pop each bead off the mirror. I was so proud of myself, and I meticulously worked around the circle of the mirror, successfully removing each bead.

On the last bead, I broke the mirror!

I had already figured that I would never get the glue off the mirror anyway. 

In frustration, I gave up on remaking the mirror wreath – again – and put it back in the craft room with a vow to finally discard it. 

Until this last time, while I was cleaning out my craft room at the start of a new year, I came across it again.

As I mentioned, I have developed an appreciation for the Modern Boho style. This year, I will probably introduce the style to a room in our home during the makeover of our guest bedroom.

It differs slightly from classic boho decor, which features layers of natural elements, such as rattan or sisel for texture, and natural materials, such as hemp and raw wood, used in macrame wall hangings. These are then infused with vibrant colors and ethnic patterns on pillows and rugs.

Modern Boho and Urban Boho have become more updated versions of the style. They combine natural materials and ethnic patterns with the clean lines of mid-century modern furniture and vintage accents. The colors are more subdued, often in black and white and neutral colors.  

When I pulled out the mirror wreath this last time, I realized that a makeover version of the wreath would be a perfect accessory for a future modern boho-style bedroom. 

So, I gave the wreath makeover idea another try.

Makeover Of A DIY Boho Wall Mirror Wreath – Take Two

I decided to remove the excess weight and add some black paint.

I decided I was overthinking how to overcome the problems with the original design.  When that happens, sometimes it is best to start over.

The first thing I did the second time I started working on the wreath makeover was give the rope strands a haircut.  With the shorter lengths, the mirror was already looking much better.

Since I broke the mirror the last time I tried to work on the wreath, I removed the mirror and the cardboard backing completely. 

Next, I tackled the problem with the discoloration of the rope from the glue. The easiest solution for that was to paint the inner rope circles black. 

Finally, I was able to use some fun, boho-inspired black-and-white ribbon that I have had in my craft stash for some time. Initially included in the package with my other favorite black-and-white ribbon, which features the ink-sketched houses seen on other wreaths, this ribbon was perfect for an accent bow for the remade boho rope wreath. 

Pin For Later

I won’t embrace a full bohemian look in the guest bedroom. Instead, I’ll lean more toward my modern style, which features clean lines and vintage finds, while adding decorative elements with a touch of bohemian style in the mix.

Hanging this new version of the wreath, with its boho charm, will add that needed touch of whimsy to our future Modern boho bedroom.  

More boho wall decor ideas:

Please visit the other talented bloggers who are participating in the ‘Do It Over’ challenge this month listed below.

Pandora’s Box

Purple Hues & Me

Southern Sunflowers

Unique Creations by Anita

Sum of Their Stories

Birdz of a Feather

Tea and Forget-Me-Nots

Vintage Style Gal

The Apple Street Cottage

Exquisitely Unremarkable

Little Vintage Cottage

Hugs,

2 Samuel 7:29: “Now therefore, let it please You to bless the house of Your servant, that it may continue before You forever.” 

Discover new ideas:

DIY Boho Inspired Rope Bowls

Dowel Rod Sunburst Mirror

Monticello Mentions – Weekend of March 29th

30 Minute DIY Robe Wreath

Americana Inspired Wreath For Summer Decor