Showing posts with label Mad-Made. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mad-Made. Show all posts

Monday, 5 June 2017

5 IKEA Crafts Under $50 ft. DIY Cushions

Together with Art Friend and Daiso, IKEA is one of the 3 shops that I always go to for my crafting materials every time I have an awesome idea. A trip to these 3 stores always lead to something amazing in my house so I frequently visit them at least once a month! #truestory

I previously shared 22 craft ideas using Daiso materials, which are awesome but if I want to make something of better quality yet still affordable, I head to IKEA.

Here's sharing five of my favourite DIY Craft Projects that I did for my house, made with IKEA products. The best thing? Each craft project costs less than S$50!


5 IKEA DIY CRAFTS UNDER $50:

[1] Pin Display

I have been collecting pins since I was 18 and have always kept them in tin boxes, hidden away in a drawer somewhere. However, it was such a hassle every time I wanted to look at my collection! Hence, I started to research on ways that I could display pins but couldn't find anything I liked. On one of my regular shopping trips to Daiso, I came across their cork sheets and had a brilliant idea of stacking them in IKEA frames!

Cut two layers of thin cork sheet to fit the frame. Place the cork sheets inside the frame and secure it.
Bringing out my pin collection, which used to be displayed in plastic pockets
Remove the pin backs and stick the into the cork sheet. I'm very OCD so this took the longest time for me *laughs*
My collection of pins completed! You can easily open the lid and add new ones any time =)

If you find the KASSEBY Display Box above too bulky, you can also consider using the MOSSEBO Frame. It's cheaper, lighter and better for safety pin types but requires more effort to add the pins and mount it. It really depends on your needs (and your crafting skill!) =)

My smaller pins in a smaller frame, placed on top of my bigger display box

I love the end result! Now I can show off my collection to our guests and admire them any time I want! =)

IKEA Materials Used: 
Total cost: S$13.90 and S$27.90


[2] Scrapbook Display

No one has a better selection of frames than IKEA in my opinion! You can basically use it to display almost anything!

I've used them for too many projects to name so I'm just going to use my newspaper scrapbooking display as an example (read the full details here). Scrapbooking materials are expensive so I usually source mine from shops like Popular and Art Friend where I can get member discounts. You can also consider Paper Market and even Daiso.

I'm actually a real cheapo when it comes to using scrapbooking materials, which probably explains why I'm not very good at it. I'm far more generous with paint because it is a lot cheaper! *laughs*
The final layout displayed in a black FISKBO frame
Proudly displayed on the wall of our multipurpose room =)

Let's just say when it comes to scrapbooking, the IKEA frame is the cheapest material in my opinion! *laughs*

IKEA Materials Used: 
Total cost: S$30


[3] Wallpapered Side Table

I got the idea to cover my white furniture with wallpaper after realising that they were so yellow and dirty after years of use. I got the wallpaper from Kaison (Malaysia) because they are cheap and good!

I chose a nice light blue to fit the overall blue of the house
Cut up the wallpaper to fit the furniture and slowly smooth it over a piece of furniture with a card. Be careful not to be too rough though otherwise you might rip the wallpaper.


Ta-da! My side table looks as good as new doesn't it? Best solution for white furniture I think! =D

IKEA no longer stocks my bedside table but you can consider using other similar bedside tables:
Total cost: S$18 - S$55


[4] Dollhouse Bookshelf

The moment I set eyes on the FLISAT Doll's House I knew that I had to have it! Instead of putting it together myself, as I always do because I'm the best at DIY in my household, I decided to get my girl involved so that I can train her to be good with her hands as well =)

Helping me to fix up her dollhouse
The finished dollhouse

The design of the dollhouse is really smart! It can either be a doll's house like its name suggests or it can be a pretty bookshelf! I preferred the latter as I got tired of seeing my kids' library books getting tossed untidily on the floor.

All you need are wooden letters from Art Friend costing $1.20 each to make this the perfect storage for books!
A way to encourage our kids to keep reading!
My girl couldn't resist playing with her Barbies in the dollhouse though (it is a dollhouse after all).
We re-used the free IKEA cardboard container for wine glasses to store the books while she plays so that she can easily put them back on the shelves when she was done. My girl is so in love with her dollhouse!

You can also spray paint it for a different effect if you like. For doll furniture, you can either buy the mini IKEA furniture that goes really well with the dollhouse or if you want to be creative, you can also make the furniture yourself from wood crafts that you can get from Art Friend or even Daiso. There is no end to what you can do! =)

IKEA Materials Used: 
Total cost: S$44.70


[5] Personalised Cushions

And finally, here's a brief tutorial on how you can personalise your own cushions!

The materials that you need are: an apron to protect your kid's clothes, a set of brushescushion covercushion and fabric paint
Close up photo of the materials, especially the fabric paint, which you can get from Art Friend
Draw your design on your cushion cover with a white crayon
My finished Beauty and the Beast design
Then get your kid in the protective apron so that the paint will not get on their clothes. You may also want to put a cardboard inside the cushion so that the paint will not stain the opposite side.
Very happy to be painting her very own cushion!
The brushes are fat and short, perfectly designed for little hands to grip

For those of you who are not comfortable with using a paint brush, you can also consider the fabric paint markers from Art Friend. Although they're more expensive, markers are a lot easier to use. Personally, I still prefer my brushes though =)

Once you're satisfied with your painting, you should allow your masterpiece to dry for at least 48 hours. After 48 hours, you now need to set your fabric paint by either throwing it into the dryer or ironing it (without steam). I haven't got a dryer so I had to work with my iron.

Laying it out, all ready to be ironed
Don't forget to turn it inside out. NEVER iron on the "correct side"!
Do also put a barrier such as a cardboard inside the cushion so that the fabric paint will not stick to the other side of the cushion
Iron without steam for about 3 minutes per area without lingering in any particular section for more than half a minute. This is to ensure even setting of the fabric.

Once the paint is set, you can wash the cushion! =)


I'm working on a second cushion and will probably share at a later date when I'm done.

Beauty and the Beast design part 2
The famous single rose! =)

Really love the end result and I hope you do too!

IKEA Materials Used: 
Total cost: S$12.80 (per cushion) + S$31.80 for brushes, apron and 5 bottles of fabric paint (which you can use for other projects)

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Oh and while you're at it, don't forget to grab a RASKOG Trolley! I've made it my craft trolley where all my art materials are stored neatly such that I can get to them easily and craft anywhere in the house!

My favourite craft station!

I hope this post has stimulated your creativity and given you some ideas for your next project! Do share with me your ideas! I would love to be inspired as well! =)

Happy crafting!!

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This post is part of my Mad-Made Art series that document our artistic creations!


You can also see my art on Instagram via the hashtag #madpsychmumART before I blog about them!


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Disclosure: This post was brought to you in collaboration with IKEA Singapore. We received an IKEA Gift Card for this review but I'll be using it to fund my future IKEA crafts since I paid for most of the above products myself! (*laughs*). No monetary compensation was received; all opinions are my own.

Monday, 20 March 2017

Travel Destinations Art Collection

I conceptualized this collection for the art wall that I've always wanted for our living room, after we paid the deposit for House of KMJJ. I've always mainly painted for other people because there was no room in our previous house to store my paintings.


[#1] England, Italy & Switzerland

The first painting was and still is my favourite in the collection because it was based on my favourite countries that we have visited. Italy and Switzerland hold a special place in my heart because they were the countries the hubby and I visited on our honeymoon. London was the furthest that I had ever travelled to (so far) and I enjoyed every minute of my time there. The Big Ben has always been one of my favourite iconic structures.

A post shared by Madeline Heng (@madpsychmum) on

I put together this piece based on inspirations I found on Google

I love bright colours so I was going for the bright pop-art look rather than trying to make it look realistic. I thought the final piece looks awesome =)



[#2] Vietnam, Hong Kong, Thailand, Indonesia & Malaysia

The next painting in this collection featured all our favourite neighbouring countries! Gotta love how easily accessible these beautiful countries are to us =)

Realised that it was easier to paint with an easel so I got one from Art Friend for a decent price.

On hindsight, I should have grouped Hong Kong with China but well, the idea for the Hong Kong junk wouldn't leave my head! I just had to paint it!


I probably squeezed too many countries in one canvas but well, it's still nice =)


[#3] Taiwan, South Korea & Japan

I was so inspired after returning from Tokyo Disneyland that it became the main feature of my next painting. Japan is one of my favourite countries of all time to visit! I've been there 3 times and counting! *grin*


Japan basically dominated the whole painting! Haha

It took me a long time to finish this painting because of our move into our new house. Luckily I'm OCD and didn't like to leave projects unfinished! *laughs*


My girl loves the Cinderella Castle that I painted and used it as the inspiration for her own drawing =)


[#4] Australia & Brunei

And finally, two countries which are not really related but put together because I felt like it! Anyway, Australia is located too far down under to be logically paired with any country other than New Zealand and it's unlikely that I'll visit New Zealand anytime soon (I prefer to visit Europe for the same price).


This painting was surprisingly easy; I completed it in a few nights after work =)

Oh and by the way, I like my paintings to "flow" from one to the other so I had the idea of making them link in some way.


Yes, the trains are linked too! =)

I'll be adding China, Phillipines, Scotland and France at the end of the year so watch out for it on my Instagram =)

I hope this has inspired you to come up with your own painting! You don't have to pay big bucks to go to Arteastiq to paint. You can do it at home with materials you can grab at the nearest Art Friend or even Daiso! Let me know how it goes =)


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This post is part of my Mad-Made Art series that documents our artistic creations!


You can also see more on Instagram via the hashtag #madpsychmumart

Wednesday, 15 February 2017

My DIY Musical Boxes

If you know me, you'd know that I love musical boxes. I have a whole collection of them, which I have collected from all over the world!

Who can resist the tickling sound that always makes you feel like something special is going to happen? Not me =)

I was browsing through my favourite online store, Qoo10, one day and stumbled upon DIY musical box kits! Musical boxes that I can make myself? Hell yeah! =)

Obviously I bought the first one, loved it so much that I bought two more! I really enjoyed making them, even though I made a lot of mistakes along the way! I guess that's the fun of it. They're not perfect but they're all made by me =P

[1] Nordic Fairy Tale

The first one that I bought reminded me of Christmas and snow mountains, both of which I really love!

The things found in the box for you to put your musical box together

The instructions manual is in Chinese (see #2 below for an example) but there are lots of pictures to help you. You can also get creative and not follow the manual if you are feeling particularly adventurous =)

Glueing the main house together piece by piece;
This was relatively easy for me.

A photo posted by Madeline Heng (@madpsychmum) on

Adding the light was slightly harder as I needed to ensure that the wires do not move. I was also afraid that I might get the positive and negative wrong.

But I didn't =)

Whoots and it lights up!



Next, it was the furniture, which were soooo tiny that I had to hold some of them with my fingernail!


The level of detail for something so tiny is incredible


Add the finishing touch and it's done!



[2] Carousel Happy Garden

I decided to up my skills by working with moving parts, which proved to be harder than I expected. Do not try this if you are a beginner.

The parts included in the set except the scissors and penknife
Example of how the instruction manual looks like


It was super hard to get the horses to stay on the wire. I made a mistake in not securing it well to the lid and it ended up dropping *sigh*

Be sure to secure the top wire properly or else it will keep dropping like mine did

The surrounding pieces were much easier to work with in comparison.

The pizza place
How the funfair looks from the front view
It's not easy to get this lamp to stay upright!
View from the back
The final after everything was finished =)


I love this because I love carousels and ferris wheels and once again this one reminds me of Christmas at a theme park. So lovely =)


[3] Cinderella Castle & Carriage

I chose this last one because I love Cinderella. The main castle was by far the easiest to do although it was a challenge getting the carriage to orbit around the castle.

The castle up close

The lights can change from green to blue! Very cool!

It lights up!

I tried really hard but in the end the carriage could only move a really short distance. Ah well... =(


It's still really pretty though! =)

There's an acrylic transparent box cover for both #2 and #3, which, for some reason, I didn't take photos of. It'll help to protect your final creation from dust =)

Overall, if you're new to this, don't do those with moving parts as they're a lot harder. Try it! I'm sure you'll have fun like I did =)


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This post is part of my Mad-Made Art series that documents our artistic creations!


You can also see more of our creations on Instagram via the hashtag #madpsychmumart
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