How to Decorate a Mirror at Christmas
Christmas is an exciting time for those of us who enjoy expressing ourselves through interior décor. Exploring the options when it comes to festive seasonal decoration will take you far beyond the realms of the tree, though that is nevertheless the star of the show!
Mirrors are usually key features of many rooms already. They are often there for practical reasons such as checking your reflection, to create a focal point, and to bring light and a sense of space into a room. Therefore, they will naturally still be important to the look of your room during the festive season.
Which Mirrors To Decorate?
Mantelpiece
The fireplace is often the fundamental focal point of what is itself the hub of the home (especially at Christmas). As such, this creates a prime opportunity to build on the theme set in motion by your Christmas tree. You might use off-cuts from the tree (or a foliage garland) to layer below and around the mirror and run some fairy lights through the warm, rich greens of the spruce, fir or pine. Just think: this is where Father Christmas will traditionally be entering the home, so it will only be right to offer him a cosy festive scene as a welcome!
Dining Room
Another key aspect of Christmas is sitting down to a big festive meal. Often the dining room has to pull out all the stops at this time of year (it may not have been used for that purpose very much the rest of the time). So if you have a mirror in the dining room, then enhancing this with some extra Christmas decorations can give the room a lift and tie in with your table decorations too.
Hallway
The hallway mirror is also a prime location for some festive touches, as an entrance point this is where you will first get that Christmassy feeling when you come in the door. If you have any family or visitors popping over, then this will also be a perfect first bit of decorative magic to welcome them into your home in the right fashion.
Bedrooms
On the other hand, decorations are not just for others who are welcomed into your home, but also for you! As such, bedroom mirrors can be great for adding some decorations, as this will get you into the Christmas mood as you are getting ready before the big meal!
How to Decorate Mirrors
Candles
So, now you have selected which mirrors you might use, it comes to the small matter of choosing how you will decorate them. It is lovely to work with light when you are decorating mirrors, since the reflection of lights is going to be able to create a mood of magic and joy. You might, therefore, consider reflecting candles in your mirror. This works especially well on the mantelpiece, spreading the light and doubling the effect of the candles.
Fairy Lights
Similarly, this effect can be created with Christmas fairy lights. This has the benefit of being safer and easier to set up as a longer term decoration. You can then enhance the decoration of fairy lights with candles when you are relaxing in the room in question. As well as setting them up on the mantelpiece, you can also wrap fairy lights round the frame of your mirror. You should also bear in mind that a portable fairy lights will be the best to use, since you can hide the battery pack relatively easily. If you have a small mirror then consider the microwire LED string lights that are available as a more discreet option.
Festive Foliage
Lights on their own, however, can sometimes miss a touch of warmth and splendour if you don't also combine them with some foliage-based decorations. Whether, as mentioned above, you use real off cuts from your tree, or you opt for artificial garlands or wreaths, a touch of green or snowy white tends to go gloriously well with your lights around the edge of mirrors. With some holly and berries, your mirror might be transformed into a stunning Christmas feature.
Baubles, Ribbons & More
Don't overlook the possibilities that might be opened up with baubles and ribbons too! These - along with other Christmas decorations such as snowflakes and removable Christmas glass stickers - ought not to be over-used. But they can add a nice additional element to your mirror decorations that will serve as the cherry on the cake! Try using a few baubles or decorations on ribbon, hanging down infront of the mirror to play with the reflective qualities. Of course, don't obstructed the whole mirror - leave some space for people to check their reflection too!
Tips For Festive Mirror Decorations
Safety First
As with all Christmas decorations, one should always check first whether things are safe before going ahead. With mirrors, the key thing to ensure is that the mirror is securely attached to the wall before adding any additional weight in the form of decorations. Also, if you have got the family around for Christmas, the house may well be busier than normal, so space can be an issue.
Keep Out of Reach of Pets & Children
Make sure that your mirror decorations therefore don't become a dangerous obstacle! As with all Christmas decorations, if they stick out or overhang too much, they may be likely to get caught on people's clothes and come down as they go past. If you do have younger children in the house (or pets for that matter!) then you should also make sure that the decorations are well out of reach, where possible.
Take Care With Candles & Lights
Also, in terms of safety, it should be paramount that any candles you have burning next to your mirrors are never left burning unattended. For the sake of energy usage more than anything else, electronic lights should also not be left running whilst no one is around.
Look After Your Mirror Too
Additionally, you should also be sure that the mirror itself is under no risk of getting damaged. Be careful when you are attaching anything to a mirror and opting for string or ribbon is probably a better choice than glue or tape. If you have a particularly ornate and expensive mirror with a decorative frame, it is always an option to decorate around and near it, rather than attaching anything onto the frame and risking damaging some of the detailing or the surface finish.