Whether for bathrooms, bedrooms, the hall or our living areas, mirrors are a functional and decorative addition to every home. But knowing how to hang a mirror safely on a wall or even a door is essential.
Mirrors let us do essential jobs like putting on make-up, hair styling and checking our appearances, but framed versions can also be a fabulous alternative to artwork on a wall or above a mantel. They can also lighten and brighten rooms and even trick the eye into seeing a space as larger than it really is.
How to hang a mirror
Hanging a mirror is a simple DIY job. But what is crucial is using fixings that are strong enough to bear its weight – which can be relatively substantial depending on the size of your mirror and what the frame is made out of. Because size and weight impact the mirror-hanging process, we've broken out best-practices for different types of mirrors, below.
, and take a look below for how to hang framed and frameless mirrors of all dimensions.
Don’t forget that you might want to display small mirrors on a shelf – and, if that’s the case, you should know how to put up a shelf with brackets.
How to hang a smaller framed mirror
To hang a smaller framed mirror, you will need:
- Cable, pipe and stud detector
- Picture cord or wire
- Pencil
- Picture hook
- Tape measure
- Hammer
If you’re hanging a framed mirror that’s light or even medium weight, you can use a pin-style picture hook.
Before you begin, make sure there aren’t any electric cables running through the wall where you’ll be putting in the nail. Use a cable, pipe and stud detector to check.
For a light or medium-weight mirror with D rings, use picture cord or wire (which may be supplied), and thread this through the rings. Secure cord with a knot that won’t slip, or wire by twisting it securely.
To ensure the wire or cord won’t show, hold the mirror in position and use a pencil to mark where the top corners will go plus the centre of the top edge.
Put the mirror face down on a flat surface and mark the top centre. Use the picture hook to pull the wire or cord towards this mark until it’s taut. Measure between the top of the hook and top centre of the frame.
On the wall, measure the same distance down from the mark you made where the centre of top edge lies. Mark the spot with a pencil.
Use a hammer to knock the picture hook into the wall with the top at the marked position.
Tip: A wide mirror should be hung from two picture hooks near the end of the wire or cord rather than just one.
How to hang a mirror on a stud wall
Ideally, you would hang your mirror from the studs in a wall made from plasterboard or drywall. You can use a pipe, cable and stud detector to find them.
However, it may well be the case that the studs are not in a convenient position. In that scenario, you will need to use an anchor in the form of a rawlplug or sheath suitable for the type of wall plus a screw to hang the mirror from.
- Check out the fabulous selection in our buyer’s guide to the best mirrors,
How to hang a heavy framed mirror
To hang a heavy mirror, you will need:
- Pipe, cable and stud detector
- Pencil
- Tape measure
- Mirror fixings, if not supplied
- Wall fixings
- Screws
- Screwdriver
- Spirit level
- Drill
- Wall anchors
If you’re hanging a heavy mirror, you should call on a second person to help you. Always check the weight of the mirror (you can do this on bathroom scales if necessary) so you can be sure the fixings are suitable for its weight as well as the type of wall.
Use a pipe, cable and stud detector to check the wall before drilling into it.
Hold the mirror in position on the wall and mark the centre of the top edge.
If the mirror does not already have fixings on the back, attach heavy duty hangers either side of the frame a little way down from the top at the rear. Measure the distance between them.
Put one of the wall fixings on the mirror fixing and measure from the screw position to the top of the mirror.
Use both of these measurements to mark where the fixings should go on the wall and check they’re level.
Drill holes into the wall where marked and install the wall anchors followed by the heavy duty wall fixings. Hang the mirror
How to hang a frameless mirror
To hang a frameless mirror, you will need:
- Pipe, cable and stud detector
- Spirit level
- Straight edge
- Pencil
- Tape measure
- Mirror clips
- Drill
- Screwdriver
For a mirror without screw holes use two fixed clips for the bottom of the mirror and two sliding clips at the top. For a large frameless mirror, use three at the top and bottom.
Check the wall first with the pipe, cable and stud detector.
Use the spirit level and the straight edge to mark the position of the bottom of the mirror on the wall with a pencil.
Hold the mirror in place and mark the corners plus the top edge.
About 50mm in from the corners, drill holes for the bottom clips. Fit the clips plus plastic washers on the screw heads.
For the top sliding clips position them about 50mm in from the top corners. Allow for the distance from the top of the clip to the top of the screw slot and drill holes.
Position the screw at the base of the slot when attaching the top clips.
Fit the mirror into the bottom clips and hold while sliding the top clips down to firmly secure the mirror in place.
Tip: An unframed mirror with ready drilled holes can be hung using mirror screws with domed chrome covers.
How to hang a mirror on a door
To hang a mirror on a door, you will need:
- Pencil
- Tape measure
- Mirror clips
- Spirit level
A mirror for a door should be lightweight.
Hold the mirror in place and mark the position of the top edge.
Measure the door and mark its centre on the top edge line. Do the same with the mirror, marking its centre on its top edge. Then hold the mirror to the door, aligning the centres and mark the bottom edge of the mirror and its centre.
On the bottom edge, screw two plastic mirror clips halfway in, evenly spaced from the centre. Get someone to hold the mirror in place in the clips.
Mark either side of the mirror around halfway up it, checking the marks with a spirit level. Screw in two more mirror clips at these points. Fully screw in the bottom clips.
Spacing the clips evenly from the centre, screw in two mirror clips at the top of the door to fix the mirror.
Mirror mirror on the wall... Or door!