Don’t know if anyone else struggles with mirrors but unless I can use tiny, precut mirrored tiles then I have found that real mirror is a pain to cut and depending on the size can be too heavy for my dollhouse pieces.
When I worked on La Maison Tordue most of the mirrors were done in the Versailles style when mirrored glass was still difficult to make in larger sizes, so the rich used many small mirrors in a tiled fashion to create large expanses. It is true to the period and very easy to do as a miniaturist.
However when you don’t want that look then getting glass in the size you want is a problem – you can have a professional cut you a piece to size of course, but that gets pricey quickly – you can cut some yourself using a glass cutting tool which is fine for straight lines but good luck cutting curves and most mirror is quite thick and heavy for for miniature. I cant tell you how many times I have cut myself cleaning up all the little shards after the fact. Blood everywhere and I worry that if i miss a piece my dogs might ingest it and hello giant vet bill.
So when I needed a larger mirror, I reluctantly went with the self adhesive film that was easy to use, but the reflection is not true at all – lots of distortion. Worked fine in my tiny Laduree store behind the shelves but not good for much else.
Recently, I discovered a mirrored acrylic from MakerStock and I love it so much!!!! It it lightweight, the reflection is perfect and it cuts like a dream in my laser (you could use a scroll saw too) I am so thrilled with the result (the photo does not do it justice) and have added the link to my materials page. Try it out and let me know what you think.
