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DIY Mirror Closet Makeover Idea: How to Turn Sliding Doors into Japanese Shoji Screens

October 17, 2017 by Ashley Mann 9 Comments

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Makeover for mirror closet sliding doors to turn them into Japanese style shoji screens

I've had the idea for a while now of making the mirrored closet doors in my RV bedroom look like Japanese shoji screens, and I finally decided to try it.  I've seen blog posts before about how to frost mirror doors to create this effect, but I was looking for something that looked more realistic.  Finally, I found this rice paper window privacy film, and I knew it was what I had been needing.

As an added bonus, this project is very easy to undo with no damage to the closet doors if you decide you don't like the look or don't want to make any permanent changes in your camper or motorhome.

Materials Needed:

  • adhesive vinyl rice paper window film
  • wood veneer edging
  • wood stain (optional)
  • tape measure
  • utility knife
  • scissors
  • an iron
  • a cooking spatula or other tool with a straight edge

How I did it:

The first step was to measure to find out how much window film and veneer edging was needed, which depends on the design.  Here are some ideas:

I decided to just do a very basic design to keep it simple.  Keep in mind that if the window film you purchase is not wide enough to cover an entire mirror, you may want to plan to have enough film so that you can cut and arrange it in a way that the seams will be covered by the wood strips.

ALSO READ:
RV Owners Who Painted Their Cabinets

The window film I bought had a very helpful grid and number measurements marked on the back to make cutting easier.  Time to cut out the pieces.

Using grid marked on back of window film to cut it to correct size

To apply the window film, I peeled the backing away from one corner and carefully positioned that corner so that it would be lined up properly, then I stuck it down as I slowly peeled off the backing.

The brand of window film I used was very forgiving–sturdy and easy to peel off and reposition if needed–so I didn't worry about bubbles at first; I just lined up the top edge and stuck the rest on loosely.

Carefully positioning the window film

Then I lifted one half at a time and used a cooking spatula to smooth it out as I laid it back down.

I used a spatula to smooth out the adhesive.

After working out all of the bubbles, I used a utility knife to trim the edges.

Using a utility knife to trim the edges

Piece one finished!

First piece successfully in place

Skipping ahead an hour or two, this is what it looked like when I got all of the window film on.

The next step is the wood veneer.  First I cut all of the veneer pieces to roughly the correct size so that they would be easier to work with.  I cut them a bit longer to be safe; I figured I could trim them to be exact later.

Measuring the lengths for the wood veneer

I decided to stain my veneer strips to give them a more finished look.  You can leave yours unfinished, or stain them whatever color you want.

I used Minwax wood stain on the veneer pieces.

To stain them, I cut an old wash cloth in half, and used half of the cloth to dip in the stain and wipe it on thickly, and the other half to wipe off the excess.

Staining process

These veneer strips have a heat-activated glue on the back.

The wood strips have heat-activated glue on the back.

The wood veneer is designed to be ironed, but I was a bit worried about the window film and didn't want to ruin it or my iron, so I covered the wood strips with a piece of paper while I ironed them on.

Using my iron to activate the glue

Here is the finished look.

Finished!
Shoji screen mirror closet doors


This project took a few hours to complete, but nothing was difficult about it.  I like the effect in my bedroom.  And, in case you're wondering how I live without a mirror, I purchased a new floor-length mirror that hangs over the door in my bathroom.

ALSO READ:
Shoe Organization Hacks for Your RV

Want to see more ideas for closet door makeovers?  Check out my blog post, 12 Mirror Closet Sliding Door Makeover Ideas!  Need ideas for organizing your closet?  Read my article 15+ Clothes Storage and Closet Organization Ideas!

DIY Mirror Closet Makeover Idea
Mirror Closet Makeover Idea Pinterest Image
DIY Mirror Closet Makeover Idea: How to Turn Sliding Doors into Japanese Shoji Screens (without any permanent damage!)

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Filed Under: Decorating Your RV, Renovating Your RV, RV Decor Tagged With: closet, RV Makeover

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. John says

    July 5, 2020 at 7:14 pm

    Thank you!!! I’ve been wanting to do this exact same project but I couldn’t figure out how to simplify it. I kept thinking I would have to build sliding doors from scratch and make them in the shoji style, I was so pleased to see all I needed was little more than contact paper and some creativity!

    Reply
    • Ashley Mann says

      July 6, 2020 at 11:32 am

      Yay, glad you like the idea! 🙂

      Reply
  2. Anika Rahman says

    July 18, 2021 at 8:33 pm

    Hi there,
    Great Idea! Planning to use your idea to cover my mirrored closet doors. I was wondering, how has it held up so far? Did they edge banding work on top of the film and mirror?

    Reply
    • Ashley Mann says

      July 20, 2021 at 11:23 am

      It held up pretty well. Some of the veneer strips loosened and so I just pulled out my iron to re-activate the glue and it stayed put after that. 🙂

      Reply
      • Anika says

        July 23, 2021 at 7:27 pm

        Thanks. I made mine over mostly following your post here. So thank you so much!

        Reply
        • Anika says

          July 23, 2021 at 7:29 pm

          Here’s a picture. Need to get more edge banding for the lower quarter

        • Ashley Mann says

          July 27, 2021 at 10:37 pm

          You’re welcome! I’d love to see a photo of how yours turned out! 🙂

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