here’s a few in action shots of how we (meaning my good sport husband) put up gallery photo wall we recently put up at our house.
now, i just need to finish filling up all my frames. i figure we’ll add a few of the family with our new little guy set to arrive any day now.
here’s a breakdown of the frames we used and the process:
we decided on how we wanted the frames layed out, and we spaced them about three inches apart. as you can see from the pictures, we started by hanging the largest frame that would be in the center first, and worked our way from there. it wasn’t too hard, because a lot of the frames lined up at the top and bottom with the one next to it, so we just had to measure out three inches. i’m sure there is an easier way to do this, but it ended up not being too bad.
we used all ikea ribba frames: (listed from small to large, 9 frames total)
the only thing i don’t like about ikea frames, is the sizes can be a little weird since they are from europe. but, we just made it work.
here’s a breakdown of the frames you need:
(3)- 9″ x 11″ (mat fits 5×7 print), $4.99 each
(2)- 12 1/2″ x 16 1/2″ (mat fits 7 1/2″ x 9 1/2″) (i printed 8×10), $9.99 each
(3)- 15 3/4″ x 19 3/4″ (mat fits 11 1/2″ x 15 1/4″) (i printed a 16×12), $14.99 each
(1)- 19 3/4″ x 27 1/2″ (mat fits 15 1/4 x 19 3/4″), $19.99
total price for frames, about $100.00, not too bad!
I have seen a lot of great Ikea hacks with the Ikea rast small dresser turned bedside table or nightstand. After i saw this one, i kept it in my “to do” files and i knew it would be a great option for some new bedside tables / nightstands we were in desperate need of.
It really is the perfect size and offers some great storage. It is also nice that it comes un-painted so that you can customize your piece to any color you would like.
So, we started out with two ikea rast dressers.
This is what they looked like before:
And, here’s the after, painted white with new hardware:
I’ve had a lot of questions about my painting process, so here’s a little rundown of how i usually paint or re-paint any kind of furniture.
How to paint furniture:
1. Clean/ wipe down the furniture really well, especially if it is used. i usually just use baby wipes or clorox wipes, but just make sure there aren’t any fibers hanging around.
2. Apply two coats of kiltz primer (i prefer the latex kind) with a good quality foam brush from a good paint or hardware store, not the craft store kind. the foam brush is key, it is what makes the end result nice and smooth. this dries really fast, so i usually wait about 20 minutes or so between coats if i am in a hurry. and, no i do not sand. i feel like it is a waste of time and i don’t want to inhale all those weird bits of paint. so, i just use primer over everything and it has worked very well. even for veneer finishes, like on the ikea malm bed i just painted. the primer helps the paint stick to pretty much anything i’ve tried.
3. Next, apply two to three coats of the color of your choice with a foam brush (i usually wait at least an hour between coats, or until it is dry) but, look at the instructions on your paint. i like the furniture paint found locally at four chairs furniture, they use old village paint, but i have also used stuff from lowes or home depot, and it has been fine too. also, since the foam brushes are pretty cheap, i just throw them out each coat and use a new one.
4. Next, i let the piece dry at least over night before putting on the two to three coats* (depending on how shiny you want it) of the top coat. i prefer to used the water based minwax polyurethane finish. i usually let it dry at least an hour or more between coats. *for the top finish, i don’t use the foam brushes, because it sucks up the finish. i use a synthetic brush like this one, i think it’s made of nylon or polyester. i paint it on quickly with nice long strokes. it seems the more you go back over a layer, the more it seems to add a weird texture, so i try to work fast. if you do find some clumpy-ness then just let it dry and sand it with a very very fine sand paper then re-apply. when finished with each coat make sure to clean the brush really well with really, really hot water between coats, or you can get some stickiness and build up on your piece.
5. Let it dry a day, then add the hardware!
Hopefully this helps! I have painted a lot of stuff the last little while, and this process is what has worked best for me!
I found the hardware for my nightstands here. size 51 mm x 43 mm in burnished bronze.
so, we finally settled on an ikea malm twin bed for my little ezra for his new big boy bed.
of course, i had to complicate things and want to paint it to match the rest of the furniture in his room that we recently painted gray.
but, i am so glad we did. it gives it a custom look, but without the huge price tag.
so, as you can see, it was white before, shown above.
and, here is the after:
i still haven’t had a chance to decorate his room at all, but i am feeling good that the main pieces are in there.
i’ll share soon on the progress. i have some prints ordered, and a quilt ready to make and the rest of the trimmings. so, stay tuned.
and, hopefully throughout the next little bit, i’ll share a few house projects we’ve been working on around here.
let’s just say my husband is sick of painting stuff.
oh the joys of nesting.
**update: the gray paint color i used is called- mark twain house ombra gray by valspar from lowes.
also, for more full instructions on my painting process click here.
