TikTok Is Freaking Out Over This Surprising (and Budget-Friendly!) IKEA RIBBA Frame DIY

One of the biggest art trends I’ve picked up on this year? Textured three-dimensional DIY pieces, especially abstract plaster paintings or designs that feature some form of brushstroke in relief. I’m all for this easy-to-replicate, budget-friendly style taking shape (pun intended), considering anyone can create their own one-of-a-kind, high-end-looking art that feels fancy. One TikTok user in particular, though, has gone the extra creative mile with her own affordable, sculptural project, which doubles as an IKEA hack and has a particularly surprising component: wadded-up paper.

Norway-based interior designer Camilla Bakken shared a TikTok video (shown below) detailing her step-by-step process of making a tactile piece of art, which uses only five materials: a large IKEA RIBBA frame as the backdrop, a paintbrush, black paint, a hot glue gun, and pieces of white crumpled up paper. Just wait until you see the end result!

To start, Bakken took everything out of the white RIBBA picture frame, including the matting and plastic front, then re-inserted the fiberboard backing only — which, if you’ve ever bought an IKEA frame, you know involves a lot of tedious fastening. Once that was situated, she actually painted the backside of the frame entirely black. Pro tip: Bakken also worked on top of a piece of plastic to protect her floors, and I’d highly recommend doing the same, even with a tarp or old top sheet.

Now, here’s where this art piece gets particularly interesting: once the paint dried, Bakken hung the now-black canvas up on her wall, then gathered wads of white paper and hot-glued them to the frame in a cool, asymmetrical shape that resembles a flat but artfully folded, oversized papier mâché sculpture. The video ends with her standing back and admiring her unique, high-contrast work, which she styled above a small white storage cabinet in between two windows.

Admittedly, the finished product was somewhat polarizing among TikTok users, with the comments ranging from “Ok this is fabulous,” to “Nothing quite like leftover packing paper to spice up your house.” Of course, if you can support an artist by buying a handmade creation in this vein, that’s certainly preferable, but there’s no harm in giving a project like this a go if you can’t splurge. While the design might not be for everyone, there’s no denying that it’s a simple, creative, and super-interesting-looking IKEA hack that pulls off that sought-after 3D style art trend — for way less than a new store-bought new painting or print. Best of all, aside from the frame, you probably already have the supplies for this project at home, and you can use any kind of leftover paper (yay for recycling!).

You’re not limited on customization options, too, if you decide to do it yourself. Play around with different paint background and colored paper pairings, for one. While the original poster didn’t indicate which specific frame size she used, IKEA’s RIBBA series comes in a range of options — from 4 by 6 inches to 24 by 35 ¾ inches — so you can choose the best version(s) for your own wall space. New weekend project, anyone?