Simple Ikea Ribba Hack for Lace Souvenir

Not so long ago, the Daddy and I sans little ones went on a short trip to Europe. One of the stop was a day-trip to Bruges aka Brugge, Belgium. In all my recent travels, I would try to bring home an affordable artwork made by a local artist. However, when we were in Brugge, I can't find any artist selling their wares by the street. Well there was one...but I was not loving his pieces. But guess what Brugge is famous for? Yes yes...Waffles...and also LACE! 

In an effort not to make my home into rumah makcik-makcik (old lady home) (my mom will kill me here....), I just wanted a modern looking lace that would represent Brugge on our future travel painting wall. And....I found EXACTLY what I wanted. 

Back home...it took me months to do it but finally I went to IKEA (of course) for a frame. Came home with more than one frame (of course) and took a couple more weeks before actually doing anything to the frame or lace (of course). Which meant a trip to the hardware store to look for ONE colour but ended up contributing around 6 more cans to my spray paint library even more. Whyyyy am I so weak?! Gah gah gah. 

Most DIY freaks like me would spray paint the actual frame and use fabric / coloured paper / felt for the background. I like to make life difficult (of course), so I chose to SPRAY PAINT THE INSIDE of the frame instead. 

In hindsight...it also gave me a chance to try out yellow spray paints. Why yellow? I felt like it represented Brugge to me....and I never spray painted anything yellow before. Yes, I am giving excuses for my spray painting addiction. 

Let's begin....

SIMPLE IKEA RIBBA HACK FOR LACE SOUVENIR

via Ikea.com.my 

Tools

1. Chosen frame - IKEA RIBBA RM 29.90

2. Item to mount in frame - Handmade Brugge lace Euro 10-15 ....i think

Yes, I needed THREE spray paints for ONE teeny tiny frame.

This is why I cannot be in a hardware store.

3. Spray paints - my favourite pocket friendly Nippon Pylox Lazer Spray Paint, RM 5 and Cap Matahari Spray Paint, RM 6...really. You really don't have to go all Rustoleum on this. 

4. Craft glue - already available

5. Safety tools - ya know, disposable gloves so you won't be spending hours scrubbing your unnaturally coloured fingers and hands and a good breathing mask to minimise hallucinations post-spraying frenzy

To start...take whatever you want to destroy  paint and place it on your designated painting area which should be clean (hahaha), no dust (hahahahahaha), good air circulation, not indoor and no wind.  

 See my lazy DIY method. I didn't even separate the pieces of the inside frame....which was the wrong thing to do. But gawddangit, I just wanted to spray somethingggggg, now now now!

I then did a quick colour test with the spray paint on the frame hardpaper. The frame of the frame? I don't know what to call it. As you can see, Nippon Pylox's Deep Yellow and Cap Matahari's Yellow is very similar. I should have trusted the cap colours as they were both similar! And the lighter yellow of Cap Matahari's Yellow....well it was yellow. Banana yellow. Let's call the other yellow Mango yellow. I'm feeling fruity yellow.

Paint-off!

Once colour test was done, I resumed to stack all three pieces of the inside frame together. Brain was still not working. ....

I proceeded to spray paint the top half of the frame with Banana Yellow and the bottom half of the frame with Mango Yellow. 

Once I did the first layer (Behold! my heavy handedness with spray painting!), I realise....ehh ehhh the middle layer is getting soaked! It is called paper, Mummylicious. Spray painting = wetness = why instructions mention drying time = requirement to be wet in order to dry = super thin paper...can't handle the awesomeness of spray paint. 

Super wet paper after two coats of spray paints.

The colour gradient is more obvious in real life, I promise! 

So after around 30 minutes of frying time, I got rid of the middle layer, and did another quick coat on the frame of the frame and the back of the Ribba frame. which by the way, I need to mention is made out of porous material. *slap head on table

But I patiently waited for it to dry before destroying this project even more. By patiently, I mean really patiently 24 hours-left it overnight-I-can't-think-now leave it.

Plus, it helps to get rid of any extra fumes and that freshly painted smell.

And it turned out as I wanted it. Multiple gradient of yellowness and painting directly on the backing of the frame gives it a grainy texture.

Then I put it the two pieces backward onto the Ribba frame, just so I know the lines lines up, align the lace where I want it to be, and grab my glue.

I just dab a drop around the edges, and since this Ribba frame is a picture box frame, I needed to make sure all the pointy bits of the lace won't drop to the pressure of gravity. So dap dap, the glue goes to pointy tops. This took less than a couple of minutes.

Once dried, I just flip the frame of the frame, backing and glued on lace bit around. Secure it and....tadaaah. easy peasy new travel souvenir aka art piece on display. You may now be with Kiki the wooden handcrafted doll from Kyoto, Japan and sauce cups in a cup from Morocco.

.....Now what else can I spray paint?

Bibliophile dream

As i said in the last post, i like to divulge in a little house porn, which sadly includes furniture design porn. One post, ONE! by Liz about this bookcase (pic below) got me going through Google search results for types of bookcases and shelves that i dream about. 

Lizzie As A Mummy is looking for this bookcase

Seems familiar but can't remember where where I saw it.

What am i looking for? The list below basically covers what i want my home to look like. 

Be prepared..be very prepared, for looking at gorgeous bookshelves for the bibliophile in you.

For the kids (or the kid in you)

Lizzie might be looking for that bookcase. I found this one but just can't afford the shipping fee. 

 Ps: I waaaannnnt both! 

If anyone knows a carpenter than can make these, let me know.

 I dont have a home to put these but I am beyond caring

Perfect for those little tots to learn alphabets right? or for adults to remember the alphabets.

AAKKOSET Bookcase by Kawiya via I New Idea 

The tree of knowledge! Geddit? 

Hahaha this is made out of flexible steel btw to minimise environmental impact.

"A tree becomes a tree becomes a tree" by a Korean designer, Shwon Soh

Via AbigailPurcell

Bibliophile dream home

(the attainable kind)

Cute corner to store books.

Especially for a the dry kitchen area if you are a recipe books collector perhaps?

Via New Home Interior Design

Most likely to have this in my dry kitchen/family area

Via Apartment Therapy

 Curtained bookcase

Think having ceiling to floor bookcase looks too crowded when entertaining?

Hide them! But just having the curtains at the side look so stylish and adds much needed dash of colour to a neutral room. I like! Via Harrison House

Stair bookshelf.

Limited space? Try this. Although personally i don't like 'stepping on' books. I think its an Asian thing no? Stepping on books is like equivalent of stepping on knowledge. But its interesting concept and you can make it a storage space for other things. Via BoingBoing

Since stepping on books doesn't feel good to me, i prefer this. Storing books on ceiling rafters acting as shelves. Brilliant! Except being short would be a problem. sigh Via ApartmentTherapy

A simple bookshelf with big punctuations!!!

By Marcos Breder via I New Idea

Bookcase entryway

I just love this. Is this possible? So very possible. 

White room with a dash of black to accentuate the neutral and the colours from the books. 

via Patricia Grey You can find more photos at Patricia Grey's website

This is just the ultimate dream bookshelves arrangement.

Floor to ceiling with ladder to access top books. Ultimate. Another photo via Patricia Grey 

Now to have a house to put my bookcases and shelves in ....sigh

Mummylicious love for all things pretty

Randomly going blog surfing the usual suspects, I stumbled upon a close friend's post about her search for a house for investment. So naturally, looking at houses means looking at SHOWHOUSES! Collective UUhhhHHHHh now. 

Let me tell you a not so big secret. I love doing house porn.

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Don't get dirty minded la, I meant I just love looking at houses. Decorated houses, empty houses, friends houses and of course, show houses. Looking at every nook and cranny that has or has not been done. Thinking of possibilities. I have done this since I was in primary school...that means yes...breaking in into showhouses or empty unoccupied houses. Just so I could see the layout. And imagine how my house would be like. Even drawing housing blueprints and made them into a simple 2D doll houses. With self drawn cut out of paper dolls that were..3CM tall. That was my obsession during primary school.

If there is one biggest mistake in my life, is me not pursuing architecture degree.

Anyway I digress, as i got older, there are two websites I always look drool over their house designs and decorations ideas. 

1. Apartment Therapy which also includes Oh Dee Doh  and Re-Nest

Apartment Therapy "Saving the world, one room at a time"

For all general home designs ideas, from fixing things in rooms that need fixing to 

MORE HOUSE PORN!

OhDeeDoh "Home, Design, Children"

When I was pregnant, I seriously surf this page more than Apartment Therapy. It focus more on designing your home, your room with children in mind. 

Re-Nest "Abundant designs for green homes"

What to do with old spaghetti jars? What to do with packing crates? What to do with old doors?

Anything with green home designing can be answered here. And it is done with so much style, one wonders why more Malaysians don't go green and save tonnes on garbage. 

2. Design*Sponge with great before and after features. 

Design*Sponge

Perfect for self torture and DIY tips and how-tos

Today I kinda found 2 new ones

3. Patricia Gray an interior decorator with lots of samples of what your home could look like! Swoonn

Patricia Gray

4. Hooked On Houses ...another Design*Sponge-esque, another house porn lover. Rejoice!

Hooked On Houses

Go on, check them out and do a bit of house porn watching yourself :)

Also, introducing a new category for the blog that is 90% NOT baby related :: Home Designs