How To Install A Big, Frameless Mirror (Without Adhesive) | Merrypad

If you’ve ever wanted to hang a mirror without a frame, I can help. Here’s a tutorial on how to install a frameless mirror to any wall, and securely at that.

Fun fact: This mirror was f-r-e-e, pulled from the garbage and impressively large at 68″x20″. It would have made for a great full-length mirror in my bedroom, but I really saw it bringing light and utility to our updated bathroom, and light and utility, it has. The bathroom is now bright, and the mirror reflects the entire length of the room making it feel remarkably large. Spacial-enlarging tricks FTW.

How to install a mirror without a frame.

My old mirror? It was small in comparison, just something I picked up at a yard sale not long after I bought my house. It was originally a cabinet door of some sort, but it had a pretty floral frame. I painted it white and made it work. This simple upgrade was, at the time, much larger than the medicine cabinet mirror that was installed over the sink.

The old bathroom mirror was merely a mirrored cabinet door.

Learn how to hang a heavy, frameless mirror of any size following these simple steps.

You’ll need:

• Mirror
• Tape measure
• Painter’s tape
• Frameless mirror mounting clips
• Stud finder
• Toggle bolts
• Drill and drill bits
• Power drill
• Level

1. Plan Where You Want to Hang Your Rimless Mirror

A DIY mirror install does require a bit of planning and know-how but anyone should be able to tackle it themselves. Unless, of course, the mirror is too heavy, large, or fragile to lift alone. If you suspect so, recruit a friend to help. I started planning my new mirror placement on the same day that I installed the vanity, and taped out where I wanted the mirror to fit on the wall using a tape measure and painter’s tape.

Planning where to hang a mirror in a bathroom.

I left the tape there for several days. There’s only one thing worse than a too-small mirror–no mirror–but it was important to me to try and visualize the placement and make sure it was right. What I realized during this time is that I actually did want to make the mirror shorter in length. I took it to a glass cutting shop to have 1-foot cut off the end so the final mirror measures 56″ x 20″. If you know how to cut glass you could certainly cut the mirror the DIY way, but this was very thick glass, and I wasn’t willing to try it myself.

2. Purchase Mirror Mounting Clips

To install a mirror without a frame, I bought a set of metal mirror clips.

Mirror holders with screws and anchors are metal clips that make it easy to hang a mirror without a frame.

I favored the metal style more than the plastic clip variety because they rest flush with the mirror. They are so slim, in fact, that you could even add a frame atop the clips if you wanted.

3. Find the Studs or Measure For Anchors

Using a stud finder, I marked each stud along the wall and learned that I would be able to install my clips directly into studs. It’s important to make sure your clips align evenly along the mirror and it’s possible that the stud placement would leave the mirror looking off-center.

If your studs do fall in a position where you do not want to place the clips, use strong toggle bolts to attach the clips to the wall. Toggle anchors are my ultimate go-to.

4. Install the Bottom Clips

I started by installing the lower two clips first, measuring directly up from the already-level vanity. The mirror sits solidly in the cradle of the clip while the bottom clips hold the entire weight of the mirror.

Mirror clips installed on the bottom support the full weight of the mirror.

5. Install the Upper Clips

The upper brackets keep the mirror upright against the wall. The design of the clip allows for a little sliding along the screw, and this wiggle room is essential. It allows you to raise the clip up when you lean the mirror in place. Once the mirror is upright and against the wall, slide the clip down and it’ll wrap around the top edge of the mirror.

Top mirror clips clasp around the top edge of an unframed mirror and hold it against the wall.

The mirror mounting clips are strong and eliminate the need for extra wall adhesives or mastics. Hanging a heavy mirror couldn’t be easier. Without adhesive, it is much easier to remove or replace the mirror in the future if necessary.

With the mirror in place, the room is suddenly functional again as a place to put on makeup and brush my hair. While 20″ might not seem like a big enough mirror, you’d be surprised just how much head and torso you can see without a problem.

Frameless mirror installed in a bathroom.

We’re loving the space and how much reflective light the mirror adds.

To read more stories about this renovation:

Shopping for materials

Day 1: Demo day 

Day 2: Installing the bathtub

Day 3: Building custom shower shelves, moisture barriers, and cement board

Day 4: Replacing the shower valve and finishing the cement board

Days 5, 6, 7, 8: A 4-day tiling marathon

Day 9: Focusing on the walls

Day 10: Underlayment day

Day 11: Tiling AND grouting

Day 12: Floor and door trim, beginning to end.

Day 13: Hacking the vanity and hooking up the sink