How to Make a Horse Collar Mirror

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Although the Greek and Roman cultures created many inventions such as metal mirrors, they could not harness the full power of a horse. It wasn't until A.D. 800 that the Chinese developed the modern horse collar, which better distributed the pressure from pulling heavy loads. By combining both the horse collar and mirror, a beautiful and functional art piece is created.

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Make a fashionable horse collar mirror for your home.

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Things You'll Need

  • Goggles

  • Cardboard

  • Scissors

  • Hot Glue Gun

  • Utility Knife

  • 1/8-Inch Mirror

  • Glass Wax

  • Measuring Tape

  • Glass Cutter

  • Horse Collar

  • Marker

  • Work Gloves

  • Silicone Caulk

Step 1

Place the horse collar on a piece of cardboard. Mark the inside hole of the horse collar onto the cardboard piece, using a marker. Cut the outline on the cardboard using a utility knife.

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Step 2

Place the outline of the cardboard onto a mirror. Trace the outline of the cardboard onto the mirror using glass wax. Cut the outline from the mirror using glass cutters. Place the edge of the glass cutter on the surface of the mirror. Apply pressure along the outline. The tip of the glass cutter is sharp and cuts through the entire mirror without damaging it.

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Step 3

Insert the mirror into the center of the horse collar. Push the mirror gently from the back of the horse collar toward the front. When the mirror is in the center of the hole, fill the edges between the horse collar and mirror with adhesive, using a hot glue gun.

Step 4

Reinforce the edges of the mirror with silicone caulk. Squeeze silicone caulk around the edges of the mirror. Let the silicone caulk dry for four hours.

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Step 5

Measure the distance from the back of the mirror to the back of the horse collar, usually about 1 inch.

Step 6

Cut 1-inch pieces of cardboard using scissors. Glue the edges of the cardboard to the cardboard outline made in Step 2. The 1-inch pieces make a barrier between the mirror and back cardboard piece. Insert the cardboard outline into the back of the horse collar with the 1-inch pieces facing the mirror.

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Step 7

Glue the edges of the cardboard outline with a hot glue gun. Seal the edges of the cardboard outline with silicone caulk to complete your horse collar mirror.

Tip

The silicone caulk helps hold the mirror in place and also protects the horse collar from debris and moisture coming in from the edges.

Warning

Wear protective gloves and goggles when cutting mirrors. The cut edges of the mirror are extremely sharp.

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