Origami Mirror Frame From Paper

In this tutorial I will show you how to make this beautiful mirror frame. It's inspired by origami technique and minimalist geometric design.The frame is made from folded metallic card stock. It's lightweight, easy to make and it's not expensive. It looks very impressive. The metallic surface reflects light beautifully and compliments the geometric design.

Metallic card stock 50x70cm (275-300gsm density)
Cardboard (paper chipboard) 100x70cm (the same thickness as your mirror)

Mirror 20cm in diameter

Tacky glue

Tracing paper

Metal ruler

Scissors

Compass

Utility knife

Ballpoint pen or paper scoring tool

Pencil

A small piece of wire or thread to hang the frame. You can also use a frame hanger of your choice.

I used Geogebra to make a drawing of my idea. It's a free and user-friendly online tool. You can easily make a 3D drawing and get all the dimensions you need.

The next step is to make the drawing in real size. In this case, I will provide you with all the measurements (they are in centimeters for more accuracy), but if you want another size, you will need to do some calculations.

Here's an example how to do this:

If the diameter of your mirror is 30cm. and the diameter in Geogebra drawing is 5cm, then divide 30 by 5. The result is 6. Now multiply all measurements from the sketch by 6. This will give you the measurements in real size.

For my frame I used a metallic card stock with 275gsm density. It's sturdy enough, but still easy to fold. It reflects the light beautifully and compliments the geometric shape.

Draw a circle with the diameter of the mirror and divide it into 12 parts. Draw the design with a pencil on tracing paper (one segment is enough). Place it on the card stock with the graphite facing down. Now trace the drawing with a pen. This way the graphite will be transferred on the card stock. You can only copy the dots and connect them afterwards. Repeat twelve times, ones for each section. Use a ballpoint pen to connect the dots. You can use an empty pen refill, but in this case it doesn't really matter, because this will be the back side. Apply some pressure. This will help to fold the card stock easily.

I made a diagram to show you how to fold and where to cut the card stock. See the pictures above. Keep in mind that the inner diameter will decrease after the folding. Ex. The diameter of 17cm will become 14.5cm.

Get cardboard the same thickness as your mirror. Cut a circle with the diameter of the mirror in the middle. Apply glue to the backside of the folded card stock, as shown in the photo. I used tacky glue, which dries fast, but still has enough open time for applying it properly. It stays a little flexible even after drying. I don't apply glue on the mirror. The front card stock will hold it in place. This way it can be used for another project in future.

Place the folded frame on top of the cardboard with the cut circle. After the glue has dried out cut the excess cardboard with a utility knife.

Turn the frame upside down and place the mirror in the hole. Cut another circle with a diameter of 30cm from the excess cardboard. Make two little holes for the hanging. Pass a wire or a thread through them. Secure it with a little glue. After it's dry apply glue to the circle and to the back of the frame as shown in the photo and stick the parts together. Now the mirror is ready for hanging.