A small Ribba frame (£2.75 for a portrait version and £3.50 for a deep square) is an ideal base for a first decoupage project. In fact, we use the smallest photo frame from this range in my introductory workshops as it’s very easy for beginners to achieve a pleasing result in just a couple of hours.

For the first of these Ikea hacks you will need the following materials and tools in addition to the picture frame: either patterned paper napkins or book paper (choose a book which has thin pages, such as an encyclopaedia), flat brushes, small scissors and glue. The napkins cost 30-50 pence each and you can buy a book for £1 from a charity shop (you would have lots of pages left for other projects!). You can use PVA if you have some at home already, but I recommend a specialist adhesive just because it makes the job much easier. A small pot of 236 ml of  Modpodge matt glue, which is my preferred option here, costs £2.60. So for under £12 you could create three frames like the ones you’ll see as you scroll down, and use them to display art or family photos.

I often use decoupaged frames for my own collages: the image below shows a display from the studio.

Next time I will show you how to transform a mirror frame, and then we’ll move on to plant pots.