Outdoor cooking with the Varde

David takes the cooking outdoors by hacking a Varde sink unit into something better than a BBQ grill.

He says, "When we moved to California, our apartment had an electric stove, which we hate. Also, we wanted to be outside on the patio to enjoy the weather. We're vegetarians, so we don't actually grill that much. So we did this instead. We got a Varde sink unit on sale, enlarged the precut hole a bit and dropped in a propane cooktop designed for an RV that I bought off eBay for about $25. Add a tank, and we're cooking with (propane) gas! The hole for the faucet is still there. I'm trying to decide whether to fill it with wood or to put some metal cup thing underneath so that it can be an integrated place to dispose of matches used to light the burners."

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Taking the Y out of D.I.Y.
Ikea is putting on its clever advertising hat again. This time its for their assembly service in Germany. I've heard many complaints about their assembly instructions (though I think they are one of the best instruction sheets I've ever seen), so the jokes on them for this campaign.

Click to view 2 more ads on Forsby and Billy. Thanks, Alexandra!

Venny Notebook Bag

Jimmy from Belgium takes to needle and thread to sew himself a netbook bag.

He says, "Yippie, I got myself a 10� netbook, but how do I hold on to it as long as possible without anyone else stealing it? Well, you can get a obvious netbook bag or sleeve, but that says 'Hey, inside is a netbook'. Instead I chose to disguise it. I took a Venny Placemat folded it double, sewed the long side and bottom (by hand as the misses said the fabric is to thick for her machine!). Then I attached the loops side of velcro on the inside, the hooks part on the outside. Now I can slide the netbook in it (without scratching in on the velcro), close it up and stuff it in my 8� decathlon backpack. Easy, quick and the netbook is well protected against scratches and masked for those with less good intentions."

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Ikea's pricing error
Did you buy any Akurum cabinets from August 1, 2008 to May 2009? Then dig out those old receipts and see if you've been overcharged. According to this 3-On Your Side report, "over 150 cabinets were being rung up at the register for a higher price than what was being advertised in the brochures and catalogues." Not good. We know how easy it is to lose track of the prices when you add on hinges, knobs, doors, shelves ... but hey, we thought that's what computers were for. Good news is, Ikea has corrected the "technical glitch" and will refund the difference if you have been overcharged. Click on this link to see all the cabinets affected by the pricing error.

Catching the sun with the Solig mobile

Doro adds a nice touch of colour to the summer Solig mobile.

She says, "I fell in love with the Solig mobile. But I found it too graphical with too little colours. Therefore I added some glass beads. Now it's perfect for me. simple but fanciful."





See more on Doro's blog.

Two summer totes

Need a summer tote? Here's one (two, actually!) that you can make from a Solig table runner. Thanks, Nicole.

She says, "I made a tote using the Ikea Solig table runner, stapler and duct-tape (and a little inspiration from Jodi Kahn's book: Simply Sublime Bags). One Solig runner will make two totes. The fabric is the perfect width. The inside is lined with water-proof and easy to wipe clean duck-tape - making it an ideal lunch tote."

Can't get enough of totes?
See this all-day tote from Lotta Jansdotter's pattern, reusable eco tote and shopping tote.

Summer sizzles!
Summer items like the Platta decking is back. This is the time to load the cart with them if you want to make hacks like this window sill, spa mat, or bathroom flooring. Remember to check out Ikea's Summer collection too. Aah ... they always make me miss the salty sea and sand between my toes.

3 Ikea hackeas with stickers

Sian Astley gets busy with stickers for a quick new look.

1. A Lack table painted Dulux Pale Walnut, decorated with Ikea stickers and then varnished.



2. Morebo doors filled with Brain Yates butterfly flock wallpaper.



3. Damaged white table repainted, Ikea stickers, then varnished with clear gloss.


This was also used for a photo shoot.

Bat hacking

This is a cute one from Scirius. He bought a toy bat from Ikea. Only problem was, it couldn't close its wings.

He says, "I wanted it to close its wings and I also wanted to hang it like I showed in my blog here. It's kind of stupid but Ikea hacking anyway."





See instructions here.

Varde goes on the LA Times

Michele tips me on this glammed up Varde shelf featured on the LA Times. Love the arty back panels!



See more here.