Ikea Wall Art Upcycle
4 Materials
$50
3 Hours
Advanced
BEWARE This post contains way to much excitement for the average heart, please sit down with a cup of tea or wine before proceeding with caution... I am so very excited about this hack! Firstly you must know it has always been a dream of mine to own the Restoration Hardware Giant French Letter Wall Art priced at $1500.00 BUT my vintage up-cycling soul just cannot fork over the dough when I know I can re-create it myself! FINALLY I have a space for it.
Here is the situation...In the living room of my 2014 home we have these weird windows on either side of the fireplace. The entire back wall of the house is ALL windows and we have a west facing backyard so there is no shortage of light here! I actually hate these small windows. They take up wall space and leave no room for art, anything you place above or below the window just doesn't look right, and any decor you place in the window will be sun bleached or melted by the direct sun.
I decided I need to cover them and so the search began on all the kijiji/swap and buy sites for 2 frames. GASP....I found two Ikea vilshult pictures were the exact size I needed, and they were hardboard type wood, framed and $25!!! My up-cycling/re-purposing mind exploded!!
I carry an AMAZING line of paint called Fusion Mineral Paint that has a built in top coat and this was definitely the perfect project for it! I grabbed the Fusion Ultra Grip, it helps on any surface that is a bit fussy when it comes to adhesion. This was exactly what this shiny hardboard project needed. Once dry I painted the whole thing in this dreamy soft Fusion Cathedral Taupe and the outside of the frame in Coal Black. BAM, paint and done! I then grabbed a vintage postcard AND a dated 1820's French Letter from my trusted site The Graphics Fairy. I transferred some of the image and some parts I freehand drew it onto the painted picture. Are you ready?? Here is the first one...
Here is a close up...The postage stamp is also from graphics fairy but from a different postcard but I wanted a pop of color on this one.
Here is the DATED 1820's letter. 1820's?!?! Be still my beating heart!
The Bordeaux stamp on the top right of the letter is added by me from a different graphics site.
July 1820....Running On The Spot Excited!!!!!
Never mind that the 2 pictures are my re-creation Ikea and Restoration Hardware Hack DREAMS COME TRUE but just look at my new living room now! SWOON is not a big enough word!!! P.S. the brick on my fireplace is from the Chicago Subway System Tunnels. Triple Back Flip!!
Before & After together. OH MY WORD, I am seriously in Love!! What do you think? THANK YOU for stopping by Super Love Jenny xoxo
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
Comments
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2 of 39 comments
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Lovely! Well done!
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Great creative idea! Where did you get the artwork?
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
is it possible to copy an existing postcard onto a wall size frame like the above? I have a postcard from Great Grandmother from 1916.
Why did you use an image on the right that isn't vertical? That one would normally be placed horizontally. Love the look on the left. Always open to the the thought process of crative Hometalkers.
Did you cover the windows first? I’m wondering about the light shining through in an odd little square or fading/discoloration of the print from the back. Also what does it look like from the outside? I love the finished look, just wondering about the minor details.