DIY Ikea Art

I Love Ikea. Friends from Chicago roll their eyes when I say that. So what...I'm touristy, and I love Ikea.

Maybe I love Ikea because it's something different and special. The nearest store is 5 hours away, so it's not often I get to shop the 3 levels of awesomeness. Maybe I love Ikea because when the bf is at hockey games in Chicago (more on that later), I get to wander aimlessly looking at all the wonderful home decor ideas. Maybe (definitely) I love Ikea because it is so darn affordable!

On my last trip to Chicago, I wandered around Ikea looking for inspiration and ideas for my new place. I came across a teal, brown, and black room, complete with an Audrey Hepburn picture and floor to ceiling drapes.

While I don't plan on doing my living room in this color scheme, I immediately fell in love with the art on the wall. Each pre-framed piece was $30, which is not too bad....I guess. But, I knew I could do it myself. One and a half yards of fabric and three frames later, I did it myself!

If you have never searched through the fabric section at Ikea, you are missing out. This particular print is called Tradklover, and it is $7.99/yd.

I kicked myself for not purchasing the frames at Ikea (for about $12 each), but I found some at Walmart for $10 a piece, with the matting.

I spread the fabric out flat and placed my frames over various parts of the print. After cutting, ironing, and framing the fabric, I spend longer than I should have struggling to hang them level and even. So many holes....

The final product above my couch turned out pretty much exactly like I hoped it would! I know it looks off-center....I was standing at a weird angle for some reason.

I'm a fan...and a bigger fan of the money I saved!

Ikea Fabric: $12.00

Walmart  Frames: $30 (for all three)
Total: $42.00 and about an hour 

When decorating, I hope you will consider using framed fabric! It really opens up your options, and looks great by itself or as part of a gallery wall!!

Please...share if you like it, or comment with constructive criticism if you don't!!

let's give this a try....

I guess I'm jumping on the Blog Bandwagon a little late in the game. I'm a Business teacher and love all things technology, so it would have made sense for me start a blog long ago. For some reason, however, I've always thought "who really wants to hear what I have to say?" That's probably still true. 

Maybe I'm starting to blog because I feel like I finally actually have something important to say. 

I'm a teacher in a suburban St. Louis school district, which I love. Some of my experiences are hilarious, and are worth sharing. A lot of my classroom decorations and ideas are totally DIY, and I think some young teachers on a budget could really use the inspiration.

I recently moved out of a tiny, old one-bedroom apartment, into a nice, two story, two bedroom, three living room (yes, three. unreal.) condo. I am spending this summer decorating this empty canvas, one room at a time. Again, I think a lot of my DIY projects are doable for anyone....because why on earth would you spend money on something if you can just do it yourself?

So, I'm still trying to figure out how to put all the fancy gadgets (widgets?) on my blog to link you to my various social media pages, as well as coming up with things to write about and ways to capture my life (I downloaded the PicStitch app just for you...).

Please...share my blog if you like it, comment with constructive criticism if you don't.