Terrarium From Another World

Materials: Morkt Lantern

Description: For my daughter's woodland themed room I took the Morkt Lantern and used silicone and a plastic ring to seal up the bottom. I then planted succulents and placed an AT-AT for a terrarium from another world.

~ Kaylie, Seattle

 

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Design plant stand

Materials: 4 Bredskär + 8 Capita legs (21 cm) + screws

Description: I needed a sturdy and design looking plant stand that could fit to the small space I had between my windows and the curtains: 19 cm, which is the exact size of the Bredskär (normally used with kitchen sinks). So I screwed the plastic parts of the Capita legs to two Bredskär that were put upside down, to make everything stable and not slippery (since Bredskär steel is surrounded with rubber), and did the same with the metallic parts of the Capita legs that I screwed to the two other Bredskär which were aimed to sustain the plants pots. Easy and no need to make holes except in the plastic parts of the legs. I hope this idea will be helpful :-)

~ CLAL53

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Stealing Space From the Outside

Materials: PAX Clothes Closet + Sliding Doors

Description: Our Eichler Kitchen pantry was not big enough nor did we have space to add a bigger one.

We stole space from the outside. So - opened up a wall - pushed a PAX Clothes Closet with Sliding Doors through the opening - added Ikea pull out kitchen drawers - put a window on top - then enclosed the outside of the closet with cinder block.

~ mike graff, san jose

Antilop children bike adapter

Materials: Antilop chair, 3 wheels bike

Description: Take an Antilop chair, remove the legs, fix it to the bottom of the rear basket of a 3 wheel bike, child facing rear side.

Remove the basket's rear side. You are ready to enjoy country rides with your child in security (don't remove the original belt :)

~ Antoine Le Villain, Bozcaada, Turkey

FAKTUM sideboard - Revisited

Materials: Faktum, Perfekt, Rationell Variera

Description: Since I was quite satisfied with my first FAKTUM sideboard, and I wanted another cabinet in the same room, I decided to do another one, with a little twist: it should double as a herbs greenhouse.


I used:
4x FAKTUM wall cabinets, 50cm wide
2x PERFEKT grey cover panel for wall cabinet
1x PERFEKT grey cover panel for tall fridge cabinet (60x211)
4x ABSTRAKT white doors for wall cabinet, 50cm wide
4x YSTER door handle, white
2x wooden beam (height 48mm)
3x RATIONELL VARIERA kitchen cabinet tray
Wood screws

How to:
The cabinets should be put together as described in my first FAKTUM sideboard, but before putting the cabinets together, make sure to cut out the shape of the makeshift flowerpots from the cabinet sides and tops. Before adding the top cover panel, cut out holes for the flowerpots in there as well.
The cabinet is installed in my corridor to the garden, having lots of sun as the garden faces south and the corridor has a transparent roof. Perfect for fresh herbs during the winter.

~ FoxVictor, Sint-Truiden, Belgium

Stainless steel hanging bird feeder

Photo: IKEA.com

Materials: LILLHOLMEN bathroom accessories stand

Description: You will use all the components of the LILLHOLMEN bathroom accessories stand except for the small tray. This is a very easy hack that requires no tools - just some string to hang the feeder with. Assemble the bird feeder screwing them together by hand in the following order: screw on the bottom, then medium tray, then the thick stem, then the tapered stem, then the large tray (upside down), then the hook on top.

Fill with bird seed and hang safely away from squirrels and cats. The design of this feeder is similar to those of much more expensive feeders that are marketed as "squirrel safe". It's just the right size for smaller birds.

~ Mark Papamarcos

ANGEN�M birdbath

Materials: ANGEN�M plate plus 4 STR�NGN�S

Description: Four of the STR�NGN�S candle supports joined together with a threaded rod. The fountain is made with some spare copper tubes and is connected to the pump with plastic hose.

The ANGEN�M base is just the same size of candle supports. I just had to fit them.

The golden color of the ANGEN�M plate look too hard for the birds and after a week I paint the interior with black acrylic.

~ Mar Mayor

Photo: ANGEN�M and STR�NGN�S courtesy of IKEA

Small camping table

Materials: Item: Brada Laptop Support, hand saw.

Description: I have been in search for a small camping table to use on the ground. This table will be for having a flat surface to place beer & Chips, candle, drinks etc on when sitting on ground level.

I found the Brada lap top support to be both sturdy and of acceptable dimensions. Besides, since it is made from laminated wood, the only modification necessary was to chop all the legs to the same length. 5min, and ready to go!

This makes a nice little table to be used on picnics etc.

~ Hans Christian, Norway

Outdoor sofa from Fjellse bed

Materials: 2x FJELLSE, SULTAN LADE, 1 shelf 200x30, 140 cm of 2x3 pine, outdoor heavy duty stain, SULTAN FAGERAS

Description: Looking for quality outdoor furniture and not finding what I am looking for, I came up with this in the mean time. I only bought the 2 beds and the slatted base. Everything else I already had.

I assembled 1 bed but with the headboards on either side.
You then have 2 end pieces and 2 side pieces left.

The 2 end parts are cut in half and each with a Dremel at one side (top) made to fit into the slid where the 3 smaller pieces are placed.They fit in very snug, place next to the 3 smaller bits and secure it with a screw or metal corner. You could place another piece here to close it all up.

Cut 2 pieces of 50 cm and 2 pieces of 20 cm from the 2x3.
Place the 2 pieces of 50 cm at an angel that is comfortable for you on both sides and screw in to place.

Screw the 2 side pieces as backrests onto them, make sure that the mattress still fits underneath.

At the top back end screw the 2 pieces of 20 cm to rest the shelf onto. In this case the shelf just rests on the 2 side pieces and on the top backrest for easier winter storage. But could easily be secured with some screws. Stained it 2 times.

It took an hour or so to assemble the bed, another 2 hours to screw the pieces of 2x3 into place and use the Dremel for the side pieces and 2 days to stain because of drying time in between layers.

~ Carol, Granada, Spain

Lantern Hanger

Materials: EKBY H�LL Konsol, svart

Description: Instead of using it for a shelf, we used it in our balcony to hang a lantern.

~ Kaan B�r, Malm�, Sweden

Window flower pots (box)

Materials: EKBY TRYGGVE, EKBY VALTER

Description: Nice alternative to traditional window boxes. This is a Ekby shelf that I trimmed to fit the length of my window, cut three equal holes using a jig saw and inserted three planted terra cotta pots.

I used brackets purchased a another store, but the Valter brackets would work just a well. The construction includes a furring strip 1"x3" attached at a 90 degree angle to the shelf. It's through this furring strip that I attached it to my house using 5, 3.5" exterior screws. The brackets provide additional support but are not actually 'attached' to the house. The pots can be changed out with the seasons and won't rot like traditional wooden window boxes.

~ Heather, Boston

CD rack gives birth to Basil

Materials: BOALT CD racks, wood primer, planting cloth, top soil, herbs

Description: I've finally joined the digital revolution and so no longer need my CD racks. Not wanting to throw them away, I searched for other possible uses, and then it hit me - herb boxes. This is a very simple hack, or rather recycling of a couple of BOALT CD racks.

Step 1: Weather treat the wood.

Step 2: Line the racks with planting cloth (or something else that will keep dirt in, but let water pass through).

Step 3: Fill with top soil.

Step 4: Plant. 

It's as easy as that. Something tells me I might be doing this with my DVD racks in a couple of years...

See more of the herb boxes.

~ Jessi, Brussels, Belgium

VIKA does a handstand

Materials: one VIKA ADLIS leg, orphaned umbrella base, nut, washer, adhesive cement, small screw bit, small jig saw blade or heavy duty knife that cuts thick plastic

Description: I was resigned that until James Dyson consulted with the outdoor furnishings industry, there would never be stable, aesthetically decent, tall-enough, well-fitting and long-lasting umbrella stand. And even if he did, it would take a decade to come to market and be priced at $400.

Found a $40 pole and base combo at a drug store that was 1/2 OK = base of solid granite. But the pole was wobbly, short, too large in diameter and with too anemic a screw to tighten the umbrella properly and permanently.

Then I remembered my $3.50 VIKA table legs from IKEA!


1. Vika table legs come with a removable rubber/plastic "stopper" on the bottom.

2. Remove stopper; place on a drill-able work surface with flat side down. Slowly drill a hole through center of stopper to gain access for saw or knife blade. Carefully cut out (so as not to split the stopper) a hole a tiny bit larger than your umbrella's pole.

3. Glue stopper back into pole.

4. Match a nut and washer sized to VIKA's screw-in top, which will be the bottom of the pole. Screw pole into stand. I lucked out, but you may have to add an intermediary disc or washer on top of the base, if its hole is larger than VIKA's diameter.

5. Donate VIKA's screw plate to a Habitat for Humanity ReStore.

~ John, Left Coast USA

Bjur�n Herb Garden

Materials: 5 Bjur�n plant pots, 2 wooden boards, screws, 4 eyelets for hanging pictures, hooks, nails, teak wood glaze

Description: Looking for a beautiful wooden herb garden which fits our balcony I came across the Bjur�n plant pots at Ikea and the idea was born.

I screwed the Bjur�n plant pots with four screws each to the board, nailed eyelets for hanging pictures on the back, protected the herb garden with teak wood glaze and fixed it with hooks on the wall.

Now, the herbs just need to grow.

~ Janka, Germany

Antonius plant stand

Materials: Antonius laundry bag stand

Description: I was contemplating to get another Socker plant stand when it occurred to me that the Antonius laundry bag stand is better looking, more stable (its screw feet can be adjusted to the floor), and only one third of the price (5� for the Antonius, 15� for the Socker).

I assembled the Antonius according to the instructions, then used a 3mm metal drill bit to drill 4 holes through the 2 "flat" connecting bars on the top. I used the holes to attach a piece of leftover oak panel with 4 wood screws. Apart from treating the wood with oil, the hack only took a couple of minutes, but the result is a very serviceable plat stand that looks rather elegant to boot.

~ Eli, Belgium

A garden swing-a

Materials: PS SVINGA

Description: Alternative mounting making an indoor children's swing chair a nice garden swing for the parents.

~ Bjarne Bisballe, Denmark

SOVS�CK HACK for ALVINE Bedspread

Materials: ALVINE Bedspread, 100" zipper, upholstery thread, sewing machine

Description: I am going camping in a few weeks, and I wanted a sleeping bag with style. Along those lines, I devised this very simple sleeping bag hack.

SOVS�CK means "sleeping bag" in Swedish according to Google Translate. :)

You will need:

1 Sewing Machine (or a hand sewing needle and a lot of patience)
1 Size 16 (heavy gauge) Machine Needle
1 Spool Heavy Duty/Upholstery Thread
1 100" Sleeping Bag Zipper
1 Bedspread

I've included some lovely IKEA-style instructions (if slightly inaccurate and not all that informative - hey it's harder than it looks!) for a visual.

What you do is fold a bedspread vertically (so that it's very long/tall) and then sew a zipper on the outside edges of the fold. Instant sleeping bag. So incredibly simple, especially if you know how to sew. It took me about 2 hours to make (it took me as long to mess with the picture I took and create the instructional graphic).

I had a good bit of bedspread left over at the top, so I folded it over. You can easily use this extra as a hiding or pillow space.

There's not much to it, but here's a helpful tip about sewing zippers for the novice sewing hacker: Pin the zipper to both individual sides of the bedspread while it's zipped up, then unzip the two sides once each is pinned to its side of the zipper, to sew each side (try not to pin one side of the bedspread to another, or you'll sew through both layers and you won't be able to unzip your sleeping bag - it's an easy mistake to make, and I make it all the time with zippers). Not absolutely necessary, but it saves some headaches and the sleeping bag ends up even on both sides of the zipper. Alternately, if you're feeling brave and accurate, you could unzip the zipper all the way, and sew each side of the zipper to each side of the bedspread without pinning.

~ Stephanie, Maryland

Grow with these ideas

Materials: transparent Samla box 53x37x12, peat rich in organic matter, vegetable seedlings

Description: Do you want to grow your own fresh salad in your balcony? It's much more simple than you thought. You just need ground and seedlings!

Fill the samla box with soil, plant the seedlings and water well! In a month your lettuce and fresh onions are ready to eat! Have fun and bon appetite!
See more of the Samla planter.

~ Emilia Rodopoulou, Thessaloniki, Greece

Applaro Garden Planter Box

Materials: Ikea Applaro Storage Bench, Staple gun, Black 3.5mil or higher plastic

Description: Put the Applaro storage bench together.

You can also use the larger one (the one with wheels if you need more space).

Lay in the black plastic sheeting (Got in the paint section of home depot, essentially a drop cloth). Staple down to insides of storage bench. Poke drainage holes on the bottom.

Add dirt and plants and you're finished. I'm currently using the lids as floor mats in the house.

If you are worried about the weather beating this up, you can add varnish to the wood which Ikea I think sells as well.

~ Robert Evans, San Francisco, CA