I came across an old mirror reflecting the opposite view of a Boston neighborhood sidewalk with a note attached to it–“FREE”. Where else but America, or possibly Canada, can one find a fabulous antique framed mirror just hanging out on the side of the street waiting to begin a new life.
I immediately had a plan for this find: a pin board.
First, I had to remove the old mirror which wasn’t much of a hassle. I discovered the frame was actually wood replete with layers and layers of paint from over the decades. I’m not a huge fan of paint thinners and strippers so I decided to clean up the frame and paint over it with high gloss white. I wasn’t interested in trying to perfectly sand every blemish–the defects are part of the charm! Right?
After painting the frame I needed to create the pin backing. I found a large sheet of 1″ thick pink insulation board at Home Depot. (Very inexpensive.) I cut this down to size and then wrapped the board in black felt. (Also very inexpensive.) I popped the felt-covered board into the frame and used a few finishing nails on the backside to keep it in place. Honestly the board fit so snug into the frame I probably didn’t need to do this.
If you are looking for a creative way to pin up inspiration, ephemera or Boston parking tickets, this is an inexpensive solution–you just gotta find a mirror on the sidewalk.
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