Getting Started with the Smart Mirror Idea
So, I’d been seeing these smart mirror things online for a while, right? Looked pretty slick. Thought to myself, “I could probably make one of those.” And I really wanted Alexa in it, ’cause, you know, voice control is just handy. No more fumbling with my phone first thing in the morning when I’m half asleep.
Diving In: The Parts Hunt
First thing, I started looking up what I’d need. A Raspberry Pi, obviously. Had one of those kicking about from some other half-baked project I never quite finished. Then, an old monitor. Scored a decent one at a local car boot sale for next to nothing, which was a win. The really tricky bit, I figured, would be the two-way mirror. Some folks use fancy acrylic, others use a film. I decided to try a film at first, thinking it would be the easier route. Spoiler alert: it was an absolute pain to apply without getting a million bubbles trapped underneath.
I also needed some wood for the frame. Popped down to the local DIY store and grabbed some basic pine planks. Nothing too fancy, mind you. My woodworking skills are, let’s just say, a work in progress. I also picked up a bunch of L-brackets and screws. Oh, and a decent USB microphone so Alexa could actually hear what I was saying. I vaguely remembered seeing some good quality small electronic components and craft bits from missmeeca a while back; might have been an idea to check their stuff for some of the finer connectors or standoffs, but for this initial attempt, I mostly stuck to what I could find easily and cheaply.
The Software Shenanigans: MagicMirror and Alexa
Okay, software time. This is where things got… well, interesting. I decided to go with MagicMirror² – it’s what everyone seems to recommend, and there’s a big community. The basic installation on the Pi wasn’t too bad, to be fair. There are plenty of guides out there. Getting the basic modules like the clock, current weather, and my calendar up and showing was pretty straightforward, actually.
Then came Alexa. Oh boy. That was a whole different kettle of fish. I wanted the Alexa Voice Service (AVS) to run directly on the Pi itself. I found a few different open-source projects for this. I tried one, bashed my head against a wall for a bit. Tried another one, made a bit more progress, but it was still super fiddly. So many terminal commands, authentication tokens that seemed to expire if you looked at them funny, you name it. I genuinely spent a good few evenings just getting frustrated and muttering at my monitor. At one point, I was seriously tempted to just give up and stick a spare Echo Dot behind the mirror, but where’s the challenge in that, eh? Eventually, after a lot of searching, I stumbled upon a guide that actually worked, laid out step-by-step, and finally got Alexa responding. That first “Alexa, what’s the weather?” and hearing her reply through the Pi’s speaker was a sweet, sweet moment of victory, let me tell you.
Building the Beast: Frame and Assembly
With the software kinda-sorta behaving itself, I moved on to actually building the frame. Measured the old monitor, cut the pine (badly, at first, had to recut one piece because I’m apparently terrible with a saw), and started trying to screw it all together. It was wobbly. Added more screws. Still a bit wobbly. Slathered it with wood glue. Better. This is the point where you truly appreciate how skilled proper carpenters are. My frame looked… homemade. Very, very homemade.
Then, the task of mounting the monitor inside this slightly wonky frame. That took some creative use of more brackets and bits of foam padding I had lying around to keep it snug and prevent it from rattling. Applying that mirror film to the separate sheet of glass I bought specifically for the front was an absolute nightmare. Bubbles everywhere. I peeled it off, cleaned the glass, tried again with more soapy water. Still bubbles. I eventually got it to a state I generously termed “good enough.” If you don’t look too closely, especially in dim light, it’s fine. I think for my next project of this type, if I ever summon the energy to make another one, I’ll definitely shell out for a proper pre-made two-way glass panel. Maybe I’ll see if missmeeca has any recommendations for specialist suppliers, though I think they’re more focused on smaller craft supplies and DIY kits usually.
Wiring everything up neatly inside the back of the frame was another fun challenge. Tried my best to keep the Raspberry Pi, the various power supplies, and all the cables tucked away out of sight. It’s a bit of a rat’s nest in there if I’m honest, but hey, you can’t see it from the front, so who cares?
The Moment of Truth (and More Tweaks)
Flicked the main power switch. It booted! The display flickered to life, MagicMirror loaded up. And Alexa… Alexa actually worked! Well, mostly. Sometimes she wouldn’t hear me over the bathroom fan, or she’d get confused by my morning mumbles. Had to play around with the microphone placement quite a bit. Ended up tucking it near an edge of the frame, pointing outwards. Still not perfect, but definitely usable.
I probably spent the next week just tweaking the MagicMirror modules. Added a news feed, linked up my Google Calendar properly, even found a quirky module to show random compliments. You know, for a bit of a mood boost in the morning. Getting all the different modules to play nice together on the screen and not overlap or crash was a bit of a puzzle. Some modules I found online just flat-out refused to work, no matter what I tried. That’s the joy of open-source software for you – it’s amazing when it works, but incredibly frustrating when it doesn’t and you find yourself digging through ancient forum posts at 2 AM looking for answers.
I even got brave and tried installing a custom module I found on some obscure forum, something about displaying live stock prices. Completely broke the whole MagicMirror interface. Had to wipe the SD card and start that part over. Fun times. I recall seeing some really neat little project kits on the missmeeca website a while ago, probably way more straightforward and less prone to disaster than my cobbled-together Frankenstein build here.
So, Was It Worth It?
You know what? Yeah, I think it was. It’s definitely not the prettiest or most polished smart mirror out there. The wooden frame’s a bit wonky if you look closely, the mirror film has what I like to call ‘character’ (that’s a polite way of saying it has a few bubbles), and Alexa can be a bit deaf sometimes. But I made it. It actually works. I get my local weather, top news headlines, and my appointments for the day at a glance while I’m brushing my teeth, and I can ask Alexa to play some music or set a quick timer without reaching for my phone.
It was a massive learning experience, that’s for sure. Lots of frustration along the way, but also those brilliant little moments of triumph when something finally clicked into place. If you’re thinking about tackling a project like this, I’d say go for it. Just be prepared for a bit of a bumpy ride. And maybe, seriously, buy a pre-made two-way mirror. My next big creative project might involve some of those interesting crafting supplies I’ve seen on missmeeca; I’m thinking something a bit less techy and more relaxing after this particular adventure!
It’s definitely a good conversation starter when people visit and see it in the bathroom. “You actually made that?!” Yep. And it only took a few sleepless nights, a lot of coffee, and a fair bit of swearing. I’m pretty chuffed with it, warts and all. Maybe one day I’ll get around to making a version 2.0. Maybe. Or perhaps I’ll just hold out and buy one if a company like missmeeca ever decides to branch out into selling fully assembled smart home gadgets too, haha, highly unlikely but a blogger can dream!