Meg Roussos / The BulletinThe spoon bowls in the mirror frams mimic the arrangement of flower petals.

Upcycling is all the rage these days, and most anything can have a new life for the better. This whimsical sunburst mirror is made from plastic spoons. Whether you save them from Friday night ice cream adventures out on the town, or you purchase them specifically for this project, people will take a second look at your creation in wonder.

Plastic spoons are available in clear, white and several colors, so if you’re purchasing, check the dollar store for quantities at reasonable prices. Some stores sell spoons separately, and at others they can be purchased only in sets with knives and forks, so shop around.

If you’re using colored spoons, spray the foam board to match before beginning the project. Spoons also can be spray-painted after gluing, but spray before attaching the mirror to the center. And no one says that the flower petals have to be a single color. Change colors for each row around for a shaded look, or mix and match the plastic spoons lingering in the back of your utensil drawer for eclectic colorations.

The flower mirror can also be made in almost any size you need — simply cut a larger or smaller circle, use a different size mirror and vary the number of spoons.

What you’ll need:

¼-inch-thick foam board, 15 by 15 inches

7-inch-diameter circular mirror

Approximately 100 plastic spoons (Note: The actual number of spoons needed depends on the size and shape of the bowl portion and spacing. The featured mirror uses 88 spoons.)

Hot glue gun/glue

Snips or utility scissors

Adhesive picture hanger

Craft knife with a new blade

Paper or plastic to cover work surface

Getting started:

1. Draw a 13-inch circle on the foam board. Use a plate or tray for a pattern, or draw a pattern on paper first using a circle template.

2. Carefully trim the foam circle along the drawn line using a craft knife. Cut carefully for a smooth edge.

3. Mark quarter points on the circle edge using a light pencil mark. Center the mirror and lightly trace around it.

4. Using snips or utility scissors, clip off the spoon handles at the base of the bowl, leaving about one-fourth of an inch of handle intact. (Save the handles for another craft project.)

Make the flower:

5. Heat the glue gun and secure it in a holder on a protected work surface.

6. Place a drop of glue on the spoon underside at the base of the bowl and press in place on the first quarter marking along the circle edge. The spoon bowl will “cup” upward slightly and extend slightly beyond the foam board edge.

7. Secure spoons at each quarter marking around the edge.

8. Continue to glue spoons between the quarter spoons until the sections are filled in completely around the circle. Spoons should be placed close together, but they should not overlap.

9. Working inward, continue the spoon gluing process. Row two spoons should be placed between the bowls of the first row, overlapping the previous bases slightly to mimic flower petals.

10. Add a third row of spoon bowls in the same manner as above.

11. Check the placement of the mirror in the center, and if necessary, add a fourth row of spoons to fill the area up to the mirror edge. Glue and tuck in a few extra “petals” randomly into the rows, if desired.

12. Glue the mirror in place in the circle center, either abutting or covering the handle stubs on the last row of spoon petals.

13. Adhere the picture hanger to the back side and hang the mirror.

— Reporter: gwizdesigns@aol.com