Reshaping a Warped Acrylic Mirror Using Sunlight and Glass Panes

Framed, acrylic mirrors are common.

Decorating a room with acrylic mirrors is quick and budget-friendly. Unlike glass, acrylic won't shatter, and it weighs considerably less. The trade-off is that heat causes acrylic to bend easily. If your acrylic mirror has warped, there's no need to toss it — you can press it flat and hang it up again.

Step 1

Take off the backing. When the mirror sits in a frame, put on your safety gloves and carefully pull the mirror out from the rear by hand.

Step 2

Select two panes of smooth glass that are both longer and wider than the mirror.

Step 3

Set one glass pane on a protected surface in direct sunlight. Center the warped mirror on the glass with its reflective side facing down.

Step 4

Place the second glass pane over the mirror, aligning its edges with those of the bottom pane.

Step 5

Let the sun warm the glass. Once the mirror has softened and lies flat, transfer the glass sheets and mirror to a protected surface in the shade and leave them there until the acrylic cools and hardens.

Step 6

Take the mirror out from between the glass sheets. Put it back in the frame and reattach the backing.