Hultet-framed Clock

Materials: 18" Hultet dish, Discontinued Ikea clock, drill, wire, dowels

Description: I needed a nice clock for my bamboo-themed bathroom, but nothing seemed quite grand enough. My boyfriend happened to have an old round wall clock he had purchased from Ikea a few years ago (I forget the name of it now, it has since been discontinued). As fate would have it, I had also recently purchased a few bamboo Hultet dishes to hang in the bathroom as decoration. I got the idea to frame the too-small clock with one of the 18" dishes...but how to do this while still being able to access the battery on the back of the clock?

1. Figure out where to drill your holes based on where the hanger is on the back of the clock and where it aligns with your dish.

2. Flip the dish over and drill two holes from the back. The two holes should be an inch or two higher than the location of the clock hanger.

3. Using a malleable wire (like frame-hanging wire)string it through the clock hanger. Thread the two ends of the wire through the two holes you just drilled.

4. Using a small dowel or stick (I just used a leftover Ikea dowel), tie the wire to the dowel and used it to tighten the wire until the clock hangs in the center of the dish.

5. Once you have the clock in place, figure out where the top of the clock is and lean the dish upright against a sturdy surface, oriented with the clock upright.

6. Slowly and carefully drill another small hole in the "lip" of the back of the dish.

7. Thread a loop of wire through this hole. This is for hanging it on a nail in the wall. Secure the wire with another dowel or stick.

To replace the battery, simply unwind the wire holding the clock to access the back.

~ Stephanie S, Berkeley, CA

Wall art: My IKEA hack

1. Buy a HULTET bamboo dish 45cm.
2. Cover it with golden acrylic paint, front and back.
3. Look for a picture or a drawing of a hibiscus flower you like put it in the size you like and print it out, then cut it out trace it on the dish.
4. Look for tendrils samples you like, or draw the lines freehand on the dish.
5. Fill in the black background with acrylic paint.
6. For the tendrils, you need 3D glue for foils (it dries up transparently, but it remains sticky).
7. Cover the tendrils completely let it dry!!
8. Apply the décor foil irregular (I've used a little red and bronze at the edge and covered the rest with gold). Important: the metallic or coloured side has to be above! Press on well and peel it off, repeat this step as often as necessary. 
9. Paint out the flower with red acrylic paint, add some golden paint at the center.
10. Nail a hook on the back edge and another one at the wall of your choice… and don't forget to put a light on it!!

Example for 3D glue and foils.


~ Silvia, Germany