It’s going so much better this time! I made a stencil out of hardboard using a jigsaw and scroll saw. Then I routered it into oak. Now I’m using a chisel to carve out the pieces my router couldn’t reach, and to make rounded parts pointy. I have completed this bottom corner. Carving is my favorite thing about woodworking. I like to listen to podcasts and just be in my own little zone.
Depends on the mirror in a lot of ways, if you want to simply frame it, a dark stain might work nicely. If you really want people to stop and look at it, find something that accentuates the contrast in the grain.