Expedit Box Canvases for Lively Storage

Materials: Expedit Shelves 2X2

Description: We needed to create some storage in the flat and wanted something more exciting than traditional shelving units so created the box canvas concept which is both fun and helps to conceal some of our excess junk.

Method: We had some pre-primed canvas left over from a previous project. This was stretched across the front face of the Expedit unit and glued using 'extra strong all purpose' adhesive onto both side faces of the unit. A staple gun was used to staple round the edge of the box to ensure the canvas stayed tight whilst the glue set. The trick is to start by getting one side glued and stapled and then stretching from the other.

Baby Karlstad corner sofa

Materials: 2 seater Karlstad, 3 seater Karlstad, 2 x brackets, drills and screws

Description: We have a small space in our lounge and wanted to put a corner Karlstad sofa. The problem was that the corner sofa available at Ikea was too big. We decided to make a smaller version of the Karlstad corner sofa.

Essentially this sofa is created by butting up a 2 seater sofa next to a 3 seater. We only wanted one arm on the 2 seater, obviously, so as the sofa legs are attached to the arm piece, we had to 'hack' our own solution to this.

Hyllis Catwalk

Materials: Hyllis shelving units

Description: Use Hyllis shelving units to create a literal "catwalk" for your cats!

Writing up a good set of directions to do this is almost as hard as hanging the catwalks themselves. I'll do my best to make it clear but if you undertake this project then know that it will take a lot of patience, sweat, a good eye/mind for hacking.

Step 1: Take a look at your ceiling and determine where you want the catwalk to run. I did this on a flat drywall ceiling which was hard enough. You could conceivably do it on other ceiling material like wood but I'll leave that up to you.

Step 2: Get your Hyllis shelving units. Each Hyllis unit gives you just under 8ft of catwalk length when the four shelves are laid out end-to-end. If you are making a corner turn that will cut it down roughly a foot per turn.

Step 3: Gather all the other materials you will need. You will need a lot of threaded bolts. I used 1/4 but you could use anything from that size or larger to keep the walks steady. If you can, buy the threaded bolts in lengths that you can cut in half so you can get two poles out of one, but make sure they are long enough to reach into the drywall with a toggle bolt hanger and still give enough height clearance for the cats to walk beneath the ceiling. I used at minimum two bolts per shelf sometimes using three or four if I was making a turn and need extra stability or at an end point. You will also need toggle bolts that match the thread of your bolts. Get a lot of appropriately sized nuts and washers. Each hanging pole will require: 1 threaded bolt, 1 toggle bolt, three washers, three nuts. You will also need some sort of light weight board to place inside each Hyllis shelf (the shelves are flipped upside down and the boards placed inside them). I used cheap particle board. You will also need some low adhesive spray and lots of drawer liner for the final grip pads on the walk.

Very Effektiv Garbage & Recycling Bins

Materials: Effektiv Cabinets, Varde Countertop, Chrome trim rings, garbage cans

Description: One of my clients needed a clean solution for their garbage, so I came up with this.

Step One - Remove the back panel from one Effektiv cabinet to allow room for the garbage cans.

Step two - Pull the cabinet forward from the wall, cut removed back panel to use on the end to hide the space behind.

Custom Crazy Clock

Materials: TAJMA wall clock ($9.99), Scissors, fabric glue, fabric, an inexpensive paintbrush, paper adhesive (such as double-sided tape), computer drawing program (such as Photoshop, Paint, GIMP, etc.), a box cutter, and small hand saw.

Description: Hi! I wanted a bright, fun clock for the pop-art inspired home office we decorated (a previous Ikea Hacker post), but didn't find anything I really liked. After making curtains and pillows from Ikea fabric, I had some left over and though it would be the perfect pattern on the clock.

Rexpedit!

Materials: Expedit shelving unit

Description: I transformed a Expedit shelving unit in a desk with a lateral horizontal shelving unit.

I disassembled the long side of Expedit.
I took off the central shelves in order to make the space for the legs (human legs).

I took the central vertical piece of wood and I cut (at a DIY Shop) two pieces large 5cm. I cut the lateral part of the piece, that has the four holes to put the nails.

I assembled the two 5cm piece to the two "short legs" of the desk in order to have the same height of the the main legs.

Closet isn't LACKing anything as a Bar

Materials: 4x4 Expedit, Lack shelves, Hutten, Counter lamps, wine glass holders

Description: Not the first Expedit bar hack, but hopefully you all will still appreciate our interpretation....

Our old place had a multipurpose room we converted into a dining room. The closet wasn't really being utilized, and looked strange with dated bi-fold doors so we stripped it down and converted it into a dry bar.

Using an Expedit and Lack shelves, we create the base layout for our bar.

Upside down roller blinds

Materials: Isdans or Tupplur, Aluminum rod, Rod holder, screws, saw, screwdriver

Description: I wanted a blind, which covered the bottom part of the window, so people couldn't look in, but I could still look out. I saw this really neat roller blind which could be opened from the bottom, but also from the top. Unfortunately these blinds were prohibitively expensive. Then I figured the same effect could be achieved with much cheaper Ikea blinds.

You can do this with Isdans or Tupplur blinds (you could also use Enje blinds, but since the rod is attached to this blind, you have to cut it off and sew a pocket for the new rod). If you still want light through the blind choose Isdans, otherwise choose Tupplur.

Statement stainless steel wall art

Materials: Ikea Fastbo wallpanel (use the stainless steel side of the panel), wall sticker/decal (I used silver coloured), hook to the backside to hang

Description: Want to make statement wall art? Want to do it fast and easy? Here's a great way to have a stainless steel wall art with etched look.

1.Remove the cover plastic
2.Attach the wall sticker to the panel. Silver coloured sticker makes an etched/engraved look.
3.Insert the hook to the back side
4.READY!

See more of the etched wall art.

~ Johanna

Lack Ottomans

Materials: Lack side table, high density foam (21 5/8" x 21 5/8" x 4"), upholstery fabric (72" x 72"), craft glue, staple gun, jigsaw

Description: I wanted a couple of custom made ottomans that could also double as a coffee table or even extra seating in a pinch.

Using a jigsaw, I cut 4 inches off of each leg so that the finished height of the ottoman would be the same height as my couch.

I attached the foam square to the table top using craft glue (just so it wouldn't be sliding all over the place when I went to actually upholster it).

Scanner cart from Molger

Materials: Molger cart, tools, "L" brackets

Description: I needed a cart for my flatbed scanner that would give adequate ventilation and a lower work surface than a standard table. The Molger cart was "almost there", with slatted shelves and locking wheels. However, the railing/handle around the top presented a problem.

I cut off the extensions that would have held the handle in place and assembled therest of the cart as per the instructions.

Hackers help: how to reduce Besta Jagra depth to 40 centimeters?

Materials: Besta Jagra TV stand

Description: I am planning a Besta Jagra hack, inspired by this Ikea Hackers post.

Currently, under the TV, I have a Besta Jagra TV stand, which is 60 centimeters in depth. My idea is to cut it, so that its depth becomes 40 centimeters: in this way the Besta Jagra would fit more nicely when associated with some other Besta series cabinets I already have (and whose standard depth is 40 centimeters).

It seems to me that reducing the depth of the Besta Jagra structure should not be very difficult... but what about the drawers?

Unfortunately standard Besta series drawers do not fit inside the Besta Jagra structure (and anyway Besta Jagra drawers slides works much better).

Did someone already tried such an hack?
Do you have suggestions on how to reduce the depth of the drawers, and how to deal with the drawers slides (which must be reduced too)?

Thank you very much in advance!

~ Sara, Italy

PS Maskros Floor Lamp

Materials: PS MASKROS (901.474.65) + RODD (701.924.06)

Description: This is a simple hack that combines a PS MASKROS pendant lamp and RODD floor lamp base into a gorgeous floor lamp.

The hack is plain dead simple and literally takes 10 minutes to complete:

Top Cabinet Pull-out

Materials: Akurum pantry & drawer kits

Description: We took the Akurum WRD refrigerator cabinet & Akurum HD pantry & modified them to use Rationell pull-out drawers for storage items. these cabinets typically don't have drawers in the top, just shelf storage. we figured, we won't be getting up there very often, but when we do, we want it to be somewhat convenient.

The pantry was pretty easy since it already used the Rationell drawers for the main storage. We just ordered an extra drawer & fit it into the top.

FÖRHÖJA Kitchen cart with Wine Crate Fronts

Materials: FÖRHÖJA Kitchen cart

Description: Bought a Birch FÖRHÖJA Kitchen cart from Ikea.

We took the top of the cart and stained it with a dark stain from Home Depot.

We then went to our local wine shop and purchased the fronts of a few wine crates which we cut down to the size of the drawers and stained them with the same stain as the top.

Posh gloss

Materials: Lack shelves, Besta Burs CD storage, Besta Burs door, hammer, saw, drill, carpenter's square, metal squares, screws, wood, fine sanding paper

Description: This is a very discreet hack! I wanted to create a smart, built-in-look bookcase with storage underneath. I didn't want it to look like an Ikea shelving 'system'.

I went for the full length Lack shelves (190cm wide) and underneath, two rows of Besta Burs CD-storage units (180cm wide). I mounted the besta Burs on a plinth the same height as the skirting board in the room. Once everything was mounted, I had a 10cm gap on one side of the Besta Burs. I hacked an extra Besta Burs door (which you can buy individually) to fit the small space.

I sawed two pieces of the door to fit the space and mounted them together from the inside with wood and metal squares. I then mounted a piece of wood on the outside of the Besta Burs storage rack and placed the two pieces on top and screwed it fixed from the inside of the the storage rack, through to the wooden support of the two pieces.

Stainless Steel Kitchen Island Cart

Materials: Ikea Hyttan Table Top (1 large, 2 small), 4 Vika Moliden Legs

Description: Ikea ($390)
1x Ikea Hyttan Table Top, 59" x 29 1/2" x 1 5/8". http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/40115532/
2x Ikea Hyttan Table Top, 47 1/2" x 23 5/8" x 1 5/8". http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/20115533/
4x Ikea Vika Moliden Legs, 1 5/8" x 1 5/8" x 27 1/2". http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/30177912/
General hardware ($15)
8x L-Brackets
Nuts, bolts, and washers for connecting the L-Brackets to the legs. The number you'll need will depend on how many holes the L-Brackets have.
Wood screws for connecting the L-Brackets to the shelves
(The Ikea legs come with wood screws for mounting them to the top, so you won't need to get those.)

REKTANGEL Knife Stand

Materials: REKTANGEL Vase and few packs of bamboo skewers

Description: Since there is too much room for my knives to play in a kitchen drawer, I created a place for it to standstill out in the open.

First, you need to get an IKEA vase of your choice matching the longest length of your knife....(Mine is called "REKTANGEL". It is rectangular shape and heavy at the bottom.)

Secondly, you need some skewers on your way home / order it online in advance. Alternatively you can get some chopsticks for the same effect.

Third, go stick your knife in there.

The End

~ SoloC, United States

Personalised Lack TV unit

Materials: Lack TV bench, Perfekt plinth, Faktum legs

Description: Unscrewed the legs that come with the TV bench
- Set the legs to desired position
- Saw Perfekt plinth, sand edges
- Bolt the ends to the set
- Frame and then glued with acoustic cloth (stapled)
- DONE! :)

DIY Arcade Machine Coffee Table

Materials: BESTA Bench, INREDA Drawers

Description: I've always loved old skool arcade games for the quick 'jump in/jump out' gaming and wanted to build a MAME cabinet. But I had no room nor have approval from the wifey to embark on the project, so it just sat there in the back of my mind.

Then I saw the Double7 Arcade Table by Surface Tension, and I thought it was a really nice design and even wifey thought it looked great, so the plan was hatched to build something similar as a DIY project as I didn't think it was worth the £2,799.00 GBP sticker shock price tag for it. Not being a woodworking expert, I spent a month just researching what I had to do, and then also had an idea to use stuff sourced from IKEA to hack something together, but it never went beyond a few conceptual sketches and links to items on IKEA.

Kitchen Handle iPad Stand

Materials: Curtain Rod, Kitchen Handle

Description: A kitchen handle, a curtain rod holder and some hot glues makes one cool iPad stand, which works in both portrait and landscape mode. It maintains a clean minimal look with something of the modernist mid-20th century, don't you think?

All you need are these two elements:

A white Ikea kitchen door handle
A silver/chrome Ikea curtain rod holder

Unfortunately the two particular items that I used do not seem to be on Ikea catalogue this year. But you could lookout for similar items that would work to create the same basic hack.

The tiny kitchen island

Materials: Expedit 2x2, Vika Amon, Expedit drawers and legs from other shop

Description: I have a small area in my kitchen/livingroom so I decided to do this by using Ikea stuff which are cheap and easy to work with. Those legs I bought somewhere else. I'm very satisfied :)

~ Sabina, Tampere Finland

Hacker help: Expedit Working-Desk - good idea?

Materials: Expedit 2x4

Description: Following idea I had just by looking my Expedit shelf and my iMac.

By "cutting" the upper 2x2 items out there must be enough space for the computer. The only problem is, that I have to turn my 27" iMac if I want to put in a CD/DVD... Another board in the middle will provide enough space for working.

Had anybody tried this before? Will this hack work? Problem with temperature of the iMac?

The picture is a just a digital photoshop-hack :)

~ Thomas

How to: Add tension to Dignitet wire curtain

Materials: Dignitet corner bracket, hacksaw, file

Description: While the Dignitet curtain wire looks nice, it is not the most functional since it tends to sag (even when tensioned properly taut, it will sag). The corner bracket alleviates that, but gives a problem when you have 2 curtains on either side of the corner bracket: you then need to undo one of the fixings with an allen key whenever you want to put the curtains in the laundry.

solution: make a cut in the Dignitet corner bracket (on the top, obviously) so that it is a slit rather than a hole.. use a file to get rid of sharp edges.

It's so small, it's barely a hack, but it does make is sooooooo much easier to take off the curtains.

-It took about 5 minutes per bracket. You should fix the bracket to something like a work bench when cutting it, since using a vice is most likely going to scratch it.

~ Jake, Dublin

Stefan Chairs turned into art installation

Materials: Stefan chair, Acrylic paints, varnish, mixed media

Description: We had so much fun transforming 100 Stefan chairs into Art installation in the annual festival of Chingay 2011, Singapore.

See more of the Stefan chair art.

~ Rus Teo, Singapore

Geometric Pebbles on the Ramvik

Materials: Ramvik Coffee Table, acrylic craft paint (grey black white silver) painters tape, sea sponge.

Description: This is a very inexpensive hack. Took me about 4 hours and 20 bucks to transform this second hand Ramvik Coffee table. I originally wanted to tile the service but it would have set me back $100 bucks.

1) Clean of table top so tape will stick
2) Create an outer border and inner square using painters tape

Ikea shoe rack transformed into DJ-furniture

Materials: Stolmen shoe rack (110 cm), Stolmen suspension fitting (or end fitting), Vika Adils leg + wheel paint

Description: I came over two Pioneer CDJ-850 a while ago. Due to lack of space I soon realized I needed some kind of shelf for the cd-players. As the original Pioneer installation plates and arms would end up at $450 I decided to go the DIY way.

After a trip to Ikea I returned with a Stolmen shoe rack, a set of suspension fittings and two, black Vika Adils legs. I later completed the Ikea parts with a spray bottle with black, quick-drying wheel paint.

Bed slat jewelry organizer

Materials: Slatted bed frame, nails, hammer, thumbtacks, piece of old spandex tank top

Description: Convert part of an IKEA wooden bed frame into a behind-the-door jewelry organizer.

Simply hammer one nail on each slat in 2 or 3 parallel rows. Thumbtack a piece of stretchy cloth across the bottom (I cut an old tank top, but a screen would work well too). Hang necklaces on the nails, and jab earrings into the cloth. Add a row of nails across the bottom of the slats for storing extra-long necklaces. Mount on back of door.

Bonus: Find your bed frame base in a discard pile in the basement of your new apartment and this hack is completely free!

~ Lyndsey, Philadelphia

Kitchen cabinets as a bar

Materials: FAKTUM, PRÄGEL, HÄRLIG, PERFEKT APPLÅD

Description: We built out own bar with FAKTUM kitchen wall cabinets, since they aren't as deep as regular cupboards. This bar is 120 cm wide, and we found four already used 30 cm cabinets for a fourth of the regular price at the store, at the "bargain corner" (don't know what that's called in English..).

Then we used a regular countertop (PRÄGEL)and PERFEKT APPLÅD (for high cabinets) cover panel for the side of the bar.

For the front we used two 60x125 HÄRLIG doors since they were cheaper than a cover panel that size. Since the bar uses regular FAKTUM legs it's exactly 125 cm high, so the doors were perfect in size.

High Expedit computer desk

Materials: 2 Expedit vertical 5x1 bookshelves (701.162.76), Capita Legs (000.545.64), Billy additional shelf (802.087.51), keyboard tray slides, jigsaw, drill, super strong glue for wood

Description: Our living room does not have much space and already has an Utby buffet, which is rather high and perpendicular to the wall. I needed a desk for my computer next to the Utby. It had to be as high as the Utby and quite narrow in order not to take too much room. Storage space would be a bonus.

I bought two Expedit columns that I sawed in order to get two 2x1 small columns that would serve as desk support. I added two Capita legs on each and used the sawed off long board of the second Expedit shelf as the desk itself. I added a keyboard tray underneath using a Billy shelf and railings bought from a local hardware store chain.

Pax Clothes Rail

Materials: 3-4 Ekby Lerberg, Pax Door, Curtain Rod, Screws (long (8cm at least) and short)

Description: I wanted to stash my clothing somewhere but didn't like the conventional wardrobes. A shelf combined with a clothes-rail was a concept I had in mind...

MOPPE Magazine Rack

Materials: 1 large drawer from Moppe mini chest of drawers, Saw, Tacks, Sandpaper, Paint, Drill, Screws and Rawl Plugs

Description: My husband had been wanting a magazine rack for the downstairs toilet for ages, I'd been looking for something to hack but with no luck. One day he pulled the front off the large drawer from a set of Moppe mini drawers that had been used in the shed for a few years and had become a bit swollen with damp. I thought to myself I could hack the drawer to make a rack!!

Curtains made of IKEA-catalogs!

Materials: The IKEA-catalogue

Description: I found this crazycool Ikea-hack on the Swedish interior blog Var dags rum: The blogowner made curtains of two ikea-catalogs.

Photos and step by step instruction in the blog.

~ Peter Johansson, Sweden

Ikea retro gaming console

Photo: IKEA.com

Materials: Rationell Variera

Description: I was planning to put my retro gaming console in a pleasant enclosure, that was compact and comfortable enough to be used with ease. My console is based on Hackvision, a retro gaming platform based on the super famous Arduino.

I went to the Ikea store and eventually discovered the Rationell Variera box (24x17cm). It is really nice to be handled and beautiful in white gloss.

I've bought a retro gaming joystick and three retro gaming push buttons, too (one of them is lit up by an internal LED - I'll use it as a power-on indicator). Two linear potentiometers (10K) with knob complete the hardware needed to interact with this retro gaming consolle.

More info here.

~ John_J

Upholstered Latt Chairs

Materials: Latt children's table, plywood, foam, spray paint, and screws

Description: We got the Latt table for our two year old but the edge of the chairs looked so uncomfortable for chubby little toddler thighs so I decided to upholster it. I didn't really know how to go about this so I flipped over one of my dining room chairs to see how they were done and just copied that.

Non-Rast Playkitchen from kitchen doors

Materials: Valla kitchen doors, Sätta handle, Placemat (black and red)

Description: I planned to make a play-kitchen for my daughter and searched for some inspiration on IKEAHackers. I found several play-kitchen based on the RAST bedside table (like this and this) and thought that this would be a great idea. So I drove to my local Ikea store for "playkitchen-shopping" and bought the play pots (DUKTIG), plastic kitchen spoons (AKUT) and the wooden stand for those spoons (MAGASIN). Then I went to the self-service area to pick up the RAST table. But as I saw it, it appeared sooo tiny to me!! I didn't want to make such a tiny play kitchen, since kids will play with it until an age of 5-6 years.

I was a little out of concept, since my plans had vanished. Then I discovered the VALLA kitchen doors which where sold for 2 Euro piece. I chose the format 70cm x 40cm, perfect for the play-kitchen. I bought 4 doors and a larger panel (70cm x 60cm) for the back. And I also found a 60cm x 13cm drawer front which I would use as a small shelf on the back panel.

JOSEF Sideboard

Photo: IKEA.com

Materials: Josef (3x), wooden board

Description: Varde and Stenstorp were to deep (+ no front).

So we took 3 JOSEF Lockers and went straight to the carpenter for a wooden board. A few screws a holding the units together. So simple!

Depth only 35cm, makes a perfect kitchen sideboard!

~ Jean Claude, Munich

Wave controlled Table Lamp

Materials: GRONO Table Lamp

Description: This hack intends to transform a simple and cheap IKEA lamp into an awesome lamp!

This lamp was modified so it could be turned on or off by waving your hand in top of the lamp. The end effect is pretty cool. Inspired by this Make project.

A video demonstrating the lamp in action below:

~ Pedro Diogo, Portugal

Toddler Captains bed

Materials: 1 x Gulliver bed. 6 x Vikare Guard Rails. 2 x Besta cabinets. 2 x Besta Cabinet doors. 2 x drawer kits. Drill. Screwdrivers. Fine toothed saw. Optional - Kreg Pocket hole drill jig.

Description: After no luck finding any company that makes a toddler sized platform bed, I decided to make one. There are lots of full-size storage/platform/captains beds, but no kiddie ones. My little girl is just about to turn two, and she's a climber, jumper, and all round monkey. She also has no issues rolling out of bed. If you make this for you kid, make sure they are ok climbing in, out, and sleeping in it. The height from the floor to the top of the mattress pad is 21".

Faux vintage steel sideboard from Rast chest

Materials: 2.5 IKEA Rast, gloss paint, various brackets, legs and handles furniture, stainless steel sheet

Description: I really like a lot of the vintage industrial furniture that appears to be around at the moment, however it's very expensive AND seems to be a lot larger than will fit in my small flat. So....

Having seen various RAST hacks, I thought I'd have a go at my own. (with a couple of prerequisites)

- it had to look like a single solid piece of furniture (not 2 random pieces stuck together)

- I didn't want it to look like a "chest of drawers" with new legs stuck on it. Or bedroom furniture.

A spot of green moss on the wall

Materials: Hampen carpet

Description: First you have to drill thin boards of wood on your wall. Then you have to glue the carpet on the boards of wood. (I used 12 little carpets - 80 on 80 cm) Use a strong glue. (in combination with tape roll that sticks on the two sides).

Good luck!

~ Soetkin, Gent, Belgium

Kura & Maskros Hacks are the highlight of the new room for our 4 girls!

Photo: IKEA.com

Materials: Kura Beds & Maskros Light

Description: When we were looking for ideas for our girls' new room I was inspired by another hack I saw on Ikea Hackers for the Kura beds.

We started with two Kura beds (both found on Craigslist!), painted them black while they were unassembled and built the platforms and drawers out of painted plywood.

The drawers are on wheels and go all the way to the back of the bed so they provide a LOT of storage! The curtains for the bottom bunks are just held on with tension rods.