All it takes is a picture frame and Christmas lights to brighten your room. Graphic designer Melly Fong shows how in five simple steps

I took a trip to IKEA one weekend to pick up some Christmas lights (I’m all about lights and lamps). Initially, I wanted to display them – running them along my shelves, beside my books or next to my hamster cage, none of which looked good. I improvised by using an old picture frame, coiling up the lights and placing them in the centre.

1 Get your hands on some Christmas lights. I bought mine at IKEA .
2 Dig out the old photo frame gathering dust in your spare room. And if you don’t have one, you can easily pick one up at IKEA, Art Friend or antique stores like Charlie Junkie (17 Telok Kurau Rd; 9791 2607).
3 Coil the lights and place them in the centre of the frame. I didn’t use any adhesives or wire to hold them down; fastening the back of the frame is good enough.
4 If you’re a perfectionist, cut a hole in the centre of the frame using a mini-saw available at most hardware stores to run the electrical cord through. You can also let the cord dangle at the bottom of the frame, similar to a wall lamp.
5 Plug in your lights, flip the switch and voilà! If you are up for part two of this simple project, add doodles or decorations to the inner frame (the backing of the frame) so it brightens up the room during the day as well as at night.

For more quirky projects by Fong, go to www.greenlaundry.net.