DIY Frames from Inexpensive IKEA Mirrors

Just a little note: I’m playing around with settings on my new phone, trying to figure out how to make my pictures look good.  Obviously I haven’t quite gotten the hang of it, so bear with me.

In 2010, I purchased this beautiful calendar from ChelseaVictoria on etsy.  It has been on the wall in my husband’s office and I finally decided to take it down since it has been out-of-date for a good 6 months now, and I wanted to frame the pictures and hang them in a grouping.  Each month was printed out on 5x7 photo paper, and the pictures themselves were 5”x5”.  I wanted to hang a grouping of 9, so I went to IKEA in search of frames.  I knew they had square frames that were matted to 5”x5”, so I looked there first, and I couldn’t believe the IKEA Ribba frames were $10 each!  I’m pretty cheap, and there is no way I was spending $90 on frames.  So I looked around, trying to find some cheaper frames.  I found several that were $5, but no square frames.  I had pretty much given up on my IKEA frame search and was wandering into the mirror section when I saw these MALMA mirrors for only $2.99 each. 

I estimated that the mirror opening was about 4” wide (I could’ve gone and gotten one of the handy dandy tape measures, I know), which means I would have to trim a bit off the pictures, but at $3 each, they were definitely budget-friendly and I loved the big thick black frame that would surround each little picture. 

So, I got 9 frames for less than $30! First, I measured the square opening (which actually ended up being closer to 3.75” square) and made a template out of chipboard that I could use as a cutting guide.  I then cut around the chipboard guide after I determined how I wanted the picture to look, since I had to cut off a good bit on each side.  

All the pictures cut to 3.75" squares.

Next I had to add the hanging hardware that came with the MALMA mirrors.  They come with two little eyelet screws and a length of white string, and I didn’t want to hang mine by string, so I just measured the middle of the frame and used my drill to make a small starter hole (I have no idea how you would get the screw started if you didn’t have a drill, IKEA always makes things difficult), then inserted the eyelet screw. 

Then I fit each picture to the opening of its specific frame (some needed to be trimmed a little more to fit) and just attached them to the mirror with painter’s tape.  So if I decide to change the pictures or if I want the mirrors intact, I won’t have an issue.  

I decided to hang the pictures on an empty wall in my bathroom.  I used a level and a tape measure to hang the nails 14” apart (if I had it to do again, I probably would’ve done it an inch or 2 closer).  Since I just used the one eyelet to hang the frames, they were pretty crooked to begin with, they didn’t want to hang straight, so I used some painter’s tape on the back of the frame and used my level to make them straight and stuck them to the wall.  One has already come loose, so I may need to use some Velcro or something with a little more friction to keep it in place.  

 And, voila! I paid $15 for the calendar (it was on sale), and around $30 for the frames, so I got a whole wall of art that packs a big punch for $45!