School-Themed Art: Ikea Paper Source Fusion

I have been wanting to do a school-inspired space probably since I was old enough to play school as a child. There's something magical about playing teacher that opened up my imagination. Since that time I've been thinking about ways to incorporate school-themed style into my home but I couldn't quite figure out how to bring in those elements into any of the previous homes we've rented or owned.

But in our new home we have a lovely, large downstairs family room that's perfect for a teen hangout and playroom combination. For one of the walls in this space we're creating a large gallery of art. I once read that to give a gallery a high-end look you can mix in a few really large pieces with some smaller pieces. I needed some larger art pieces to start this project but didn't quite know where to start.

With all of these ideas spinning in my mind, I started with my usual sourcing resource: Pinterest. I looked for playroom art, teen space art, and more trying to find some inspiration. I happened to pin the following image and when I followed it to the source I discovered the most awesome thing: it's a $4 sheet of paper from Paper Source. Yes. You read that correctly: $4!!

Paper Source Penmanship Wrapping Paper

That got me wondering what other magical items the Paper Source might have that would work for our space. I also found this incredible world map sheet of paper also for just $4. Both prints are 20" x 28" and comes as one single sheet rolled up in a shipping tube.

Cavallini World Map Wrapping Paper

Wanting to give them both a great deal of impact, I visited IKEA (on a birthday trip) to shop for some frames. To my great joy, I discovered two different frames that work perfectly with these prints. Note that one has a mat large enough for the print to peek through and the other perfectly fits the print with the mat removed.

IKEA Ribba Frame (27 1/2" x 39 1/4")

IKEA Ribba Frame (19 3/4" x 27 1/2")

Both frames come with the option of white, black, or silver. Both also include a framing mat which can be removed if you desire (which I did with the map print). You can see here how they look framed. What's interesting is that both prints are the same size. But by simply changing out the size of the frame and whether or not you use a mat you get a completely different look.

These two prints will form the foundation for my large gallery wall. For a total of about $50, I got two fantastic art installations for our family room/play room. You have to feel good about a bargain like that! Watch for additional sneak peeks of this space coming soon.