Make a Monogrammed Mirror

Personalized gifts reflect your craftsmanship and creativity

During my first few months as an apprentice at the JD Lohr School of Woodworking, I was assigned the job of making a few unique hand mirrors for a local salon. Being new to the craft, it was an intimidating task, but a perfect project because it demanded imagination and a wide range of core machine- and hand-tool skills. When the mirrors proved a hit, I was inspired to make a few more as gifts. They were well received, and provided the perfect use for small boards of figured wood I had squirreled away. As my woodworking chops developed, so did my ambitions. Inspired by classic, Victorian-style mirrors, I wanted to create more unique versions by adding personalized details. My love of the plunge router dovetailed nicely with this plan. I started using V-groove bits to cut initials and tidings into my mirrors to create gifts and keepsakes for holidays, weddings, and special occasions. Making a mirror doesn’t take long, and it’s fun to play with handle shapes of various sorts. You’ll find the mirror itself to be a well-loved gift. Add someone’s initials to it, and you’ve just given them something they can’t get anywhere