How to Paint Ikea Ribba Frames

This project is far from perfect. Heck, when speaking in terms of “grace, not perfection” I’d say it barely has grace.

Several years ago we bought some black Ikea Ribba frames, and framed up some art that looked like this:

Fast forward to 2017 and I want to switch out the art and move them to our newly re-decorated guest room, but I knew they’d look sooo much better if I could figure out how to paint my Ikea Ribba frames white.

Perfection got the better of me and it ended up being a much longer process than it should have been, and I captured the whole thing on video for you:

How to Paint Ikea Ribba Frames

{If you’re reading through a feed reader you may have to click through to my original post to watch the video below}

* I mentioned a few brands by name, but none of them were paid or sponsored, they’re just products that I like to use *

For those of you that can’t watch the video, here are a few highlights:

I like to do most of my painting outside, especially spray painting. That way I don’t stink up the house and if I make a mess I can just mow the lawn. I used to just lay cardboard out on the grass and paint on top of it, but I found I was getting too many bugs in my paint so I started working on an old board laid across sawhorses.

Painting these without a separate primer, using only three coats of Rust-Oleum Painter’s Touch 2x Ultra Cover Paint + Primer in White Gloss worked like a dream. This should have been the happy ending to this story but there were a few imperfections (from where the frame had been damaged over the past few years) that I just couldn’t let go of.

I sanded down those imperfections but as soon as I tried spray painting them again it bubbled and wrinkled and made a big mess.

So I sanded down the frames again with 220 grit sandpaper (and didn’t do a very good job) but this time I primed them with Zinsser Bulls Eye 1-2-3.

After two more coats with the Rust-Oleum, things were starting to look up. They definitely weren’t as good as they were after the first round of spray painting, but there was no more bubbling or wrinkling. My inadequate sanding job didn’t result in a super smooth finish but the weather has turned cool and wet, so I’ve decided to hang them above the bed in our guest room until spring.

{Art – Left: Kettle Point, Right: In The Clouds}

And you know what? At regular viewing distance it’s hardly noticeable so I may just leave them like that.

Have any of you ever tried to paint Ikea Ribba frames? Or any other frames for that matter? Did it go a lot better for you?

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