Materials: RUSCH clocks, anything to decorate the clocks with (spray paint, fabric, dollar store trays, etc.)
Description: Description: The RUSCH clocks are really cheap here - in USD $0.84. I wanted to see what sort of ideas I could come up with when hacking the look and design - so I ended up buying 5 of them.
My first experiments were based on trying to change the look of the whole clock - like spray painting the frame black. But anyone who has seen one of these clocks would know what I just did. So my attention went to hacking the round plastic cover. This way the new clock designs wouldn't look like the original RUSCH design.
For three out of the five clocks (The Black Beast, White on White, and Dressed Up) I ended up using the round plastic cover as a base. Two were spray painted, another covered up with fabric. For the Black Beast I cut up the seconds hand to create the number locations.
I didn't want the seconds hand on any of the clocks so I cut off the stems, just to keep the round tab to cover the hole.
Next up is the Double Dose clock. Instead of using the round plastic cover as the base I glued cardboard to the back of an IKEA MARIT dinner table mat.
The last clock, Horizon, used a dollar store serving tray as the base. Half of it was spray painted black, the other half white, to give it a more abstract design. All of the spray painting, including the painting of the first two clocks, were done inside of an IKEA shopping bag (so the spray paint doesn't go everywhere).
To see more pictures of the clock hacks, click here.
~ Jacob, Malaysia
Materials: EXPEDIT Wall shelf, BLADIS Baskets, FIXA Stick-ons, Lack sofa table
Description: Simple 'Hack'. I was looking for something to support a granite slab for a coffee table which I got from a granite supplier 'bone yard' at a 75% discount - $150. I found the IKEA EXPEDIT cubes which were the perfect height and used the BLADIS wicker storage cubes for magazines and remote controls.
Also by placing the cubes on two corners this allowed for leg room under the table in the corner of the sectional. I also used the FIXA stick-ons to protect the cubes. Total cost of IKEA products $75 - total $225. Interior designer friend said it would sell for $1,000 at a high end furniture store.
I paid only $60 for this sofa table sized beautiful granite piece and in looking for a way to support it I ran across the IKEA LACK Sofa Table $30 - perfect fit - $90 total. An interior design friend thought I paid at least $500 for it. Oh yes - I put IKEA FIXA Stick-on floor protectors on the bottom of the granite to protect the table top.
~ Robert Youngberg, Denver
Materials: two IVAR (80x50x83) cabinets, one TORSBY (180x85) tabletop,three Gnosjo doors (60x92cm) 1 gnosjo door ( 50x92) one Gnosjo plinth , 16 L-Brackets, 4 mending plates , 8 legs (9cm high), a piece of pinewood of 20x50x1,5, and a piece MDF of 180x85 finished with aluminium edging tape from hardware store
Description:
1.- Paint the IVAR cabinets and the piece of pinewood with transparent white glaze that reveals the wood grain.
2.-Assemble two IVARs as instructed and mount four legs each onto the bottom walls. Leaving the doors unassembled, makes handling a bit easier.
3.- Put the two cabinets side by side, leaving a gap of 20cm in between.
4.- Attach the pinewood piece to the bottom of both cabinets to fill the gap using the 4 mending plates, forming a very useful shelf to store the trays. Now you have the island.
5.- Attach the 3 Gnosjo doors (60x92) to the back of the cabinets and the 50x92 door to the peninsula side opposite to the wall with the 16 L-brackets.
6.- Paint the mdf countertop in white and screw it to the top of the cabinets. Put the whole in place.
7.- Put the Torsby tabletop on it
8.- Saw the Gnosjo plinth to get a piece of 180x9cm ant glue it to the legs at the front part of the peninsula.
9.-Fix the peninsula to the wall and put the IVAR doors in place
~ Teresa Aznar, Spain
Materials: Alang Lamp, Dioder 4 Piece Light Strip
Description: I found an old Exit sign at a vintage shop and it was only $20 or you can buy them online.
Exit signs come with a hole drilled in the top for ceiling attachment.
I took the base of the lamp, unscrewed the plastic washer and placed the exit sign on it. Screw the washer back in to hold it in its place.
I then put 2 Dioder LEDs inside giving a normal sign we see every day a new take.
~ Zach Berry, Chicago
Materials: Linnmon Desk Top, MALM Floating Nightstand , 200lb Picture Frame Hangers, screwdriver, leveler, saw
Description: We bought two of everything for our boys new Star Wars themed bedroom.
Used the Linnmon Desktop (19.99) as the headboards and the MALM Floating Nightstands.
We cut the headboards down a few inches for the width of a twin bed (we added two inches for bedding). While the MALM is suppose to be used with the bed on the floor, we used 200lb picture frame hangers for them to look like they are floating. Used the same hangers for the headboards. Got them at Home Depot for $14.99 each.
Screwed everything into the walls and used leveler to line things up.
~ Team Thompson, United States
Materials: BESTA door, paint, nails, polymer clay, glue
Description: My front entrance hall - like many front entrance halls - suffers from a semi-perpetual pile of clutter. A little while ago, I started fixing this by making a coat rack/bag hooks by up-cycling a plank from a shipping pallet a friend gave me.
I've been wanting a key rack for that space, and am also planning to build a shoe rack from the remainder of the pallet.
Then a recent trip to IKEA yielded a BESTA cupboard door in the seconds section for $10, and this weekend project was born...
As always, the first (and least fun!) part of this project was surface prep. The door not only had that dirty great sticker on it, but had been wrapped in sticky tape, as well as having some minor chips and dents in the paint work. Getting the sticky residue off proved interesting. The frame was not such an issue, as I needed to sand it lightly anyway to create a good surface for the paint to adhere to. The glass...believe it or not, I ended up using a toothbrush to scrub the residue with TOOTHPASTE and white vinegar, before polishing off vigorously with a towel.
Next up, I created the "hooks" for the key rack along the bottom. Previous experience making the bag rack taught me that polymer clay by itself tends not to be strong enough to use as a load bearing material. So I used bullet head nails to create the sub structure of my hooks (Baker Boy very kindly bent the ends of them for me to create the hook shape).
I deliberately left the final portion of my nails "bare", so that at assembly time I would have a uniform diameter for drilling the holes for them. It also helped in ensuring that the front of the hooks was even after assembly - as I made each hook, I lined it up with the others to make sure the length of blue clay from the bend to the start of the bare nail, was the same. That way, once the nails were placed in the holes to sit flush against the start of the blue, all the hooks lined up.
Then, painting everything. First, I cleaned the glass REALLY well, then spray painted it on the "wrong" side in Dulux Ultra Chrome, to create an opaque back for the "whiteboard" surface. You could use any light colour for this. Then I used some Jo Sonja greens to paint the frame, after masking the edge of the glass with tape so I didn't over brush onto the glass. I wanted the slight "streaks" with the white showing through, to match the somewhat rustic finish on my coat rack - if you wanted a really smooth finish, I recommend REALLY sanding the existing finish from the door to give the paint a good surface to adhere to.
Finally, time to put it all together. I measured out equal spacing for the hooks, and then drilled holes just wide enough for the portion of nail that was extruding from each hook, then fixed them into the holes with glue. I also glued the letters on to the top of the door and...ta-da! we hung it on the wall. I'm pretty stoked - it gives us not only a key rack but a great place to leave messages, reminders, etc.
See more of the Besta whiteboard and keyrack.
~ Kath, Adelaide, Australia
Materials: Althorn Table lamps, glass, silicone, grout, spray paint
Description: Spray painted bases black, and drew design on glass globes. Mosaic-ed the designs with stained glass in various colors. Grouted mosaic, and put on tables!
Original design was mimicked from a mosaic panel I made also. (Pictured with lamps)
See more of the mosaic lamps.
~ HRSGriffin
Materials: Bekvam kitchen cart, Antonius 25L drawer
Description: I wanted some sort of mobile storage solution for when I want to work inside (or outside) instead of in the garage where my tools live. And a flat surface that I wouldn't have to worry about scratching would be a bonus. So when my local Ikea was selling the Bekvam kitchen cart for $20, I did some searching and was inspired by Jan Propok's drilling machine table.
I couldn't justify $100 for the Alex drawer unit when I only spent $20 for the cart, so I did some measuring and found that the Antonius plastic bins fit perfectly!
Like Jan, I assembled the Bekvam but without the centre shelf. I had some spare trim in the garage, so I cut it to size with a mitre saw and screwed 3 pieces onto the insides of the cart to act as drawer slides. The drawers only fit one way, so make sure you dry fit everything to make sure it works.
The trim I used is 3" baseboard at 5/8" thick (although you could easily use 1/2" thick). Be careful when you screw it together because the baseboard is very soft and the cart is very hard and you might break your screws... I pre-drilled my holes and I still had trouble.
I added a cabinet handle (Lansa) I had left over from my kitchen reno to hang rags or paintbrushes or anything else I want to keep handy.
~ Jen D, Canada
Materials: Akurum and Adel
Description: We had a horrible time with our pantry, we bought cheap shelves that didn't work so finally we decided to buy an Ikea kitchen, install it and build it such that it looked like a custom made butlers pantry.
We trimmed it out and added crown molding to make it appear as a built in and to give it a nice finish. I used 30" and 24" Akurum cabinets - 88" inches tall.
~ Mark, Calgary, Alberta
Materials: Tarva 6-Drawer Chest, Decorative Knobs, Wood Stain & Paint
Description: Well once again we were on the hunt for an entertainment center, but IKEA's selection came up a little short. The have a lot of "vintage" look items, but their TV consoles seem to be pretty modern across the board. Not to mention, a unit with sufficient storage can get pretty pricey.
Luckily for us DIY-er's, they have the Tarva line of unfinished wood products. Thus, we were able to get the 6-drawer chest for a whopping $149.00. Even out-of-the-box, the chest is a great substitute for an otherwise pricey entertainment center.
To go along with our theme though, the chest needed a little face lift. A small can of some "espresso" wood stain for the drawers and a large can of some "ebony" wood stain for the frame and we were off to a good start...
After applying the stain and letting that dry (no polyurethane was applied), we assembled the dresser. With the drawers left out, we lightly brushed a thin layer of some cream colored latex paint to the frame of the dresser.
For the final touch, we opted to use some decorative pull knobs from our local hardware store instead of the basic ones supplied with the dresser.
All in all, this was a very simple hack with absolutely great results. We had originally planned to use casters, but were happy with how it currently sits.
~ Christopher Clemons, Florida
Materials: Ikea Expedit, Various sizes
Description: I needed a large workspace with lots of storage in my small studio; and sometimes, I needed to not have such a large workspace in my small studio. After looking a gate leg tables, extendable tables, shelves and every combination thereof, I finally decided to hack an Expedit to fit the bill.
A combination of Expedit units, a luan bifold door, and some drop leaf table hardware made for the exact unit I needed, both when I need space and when I don'€™t. Just lift the tabletop, slide out the latch, and I have a 36"€ x 78"€ workspace. Slide the latches back in, and I have a 18"€x78" inch wall storage unit.
Supplies
Expedit Units:
1-1x5 (I left out one shelf to accommodate a small flat screen tv)
2-2x2
2-1x2 (I originally planned to mix and match a 2x2 and 1x1 to create these, but when I got to Ikea, they already had the 1x2's available)
Expedit Inserts, as desired- I used one drawer unit and one door unit.
1 36 x 78 inch luan Bifold door (hinges already attached, stained or painted to match Expedit)
2 pairs of sliding drop leaf table hardware
Directions:
Assemble Expedit, stain bifold door if necessary.
Line up 2x2 units, side by side, (If hacking by yourself, turn them perpendicular to wall to hold the tabletop while you work.) Lay the bifold door flat over the units.
Stack 1x2 units on top outside edges of bifold door, then stack 1x5 unit horizontally over top of 1x2 units. Adjust units so everything is centered.
Mark the latch placement for 2 outside drop leaf latches on the outside edges of the bifold door on the underside. Make sure you attach close to the edge so your screws bite into the framing wood of the door, under the surface. Attach. I used longer wood screws than were provided, just to get a good anchor.
(If you turned the 2x2s to hold the door, un-stack entire unit. Turn 2x2'€™s parallel with wall, leaving space between. make sure they line up inside the hardware already attached.)
Attach 2 drop leaf latches in the center space, as far apart a you are able.
Re-stack entire unit. Add boxes for storage as desired.
I did not attach my pieces together, because they need to be movable, but joining brackets on the back are probably a good idea for permanent installation.
~ Diann Liptak, Richmond, Virginia, USA
Materials: 2 Lerberg Shelf Units, 4 Planks of Reclaimed Wood, 32 Screws & Washers
Description: This hack couldn't be simpler. In fact, I'm convinced I'm not the first person to think of this.
I picked up 4 planks of wood from my local salvage goods store, 2x6, each 6' in length. (These will replace the wire shelves that the units come with.) I also picked up 32 2" wood screws and 32 washers. I used the washers to protect the legs from the screws drilling too far into the metal frame.
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My 2 Lerberg units gave me a total of 4 upside-down 'U'-shaped legs. You'll turn these legs sideways for this hack. (The Lerberg legs shift and move quite a bit. Their stability is created by the shelf. For that reason, it's best to measure and mark out your screw locations on your planks for even placement.) Screw the legs into place and voila - you have your new etagere!
See more of the Lerberg Etagere.
~ Rachel, New Haven, CT
Materials: Billy bookcases and Numerar countertop
Description: We took down a wall between our kitchen and living room and created a room divider/island with Billy bookcases and Numerar butcher block countertop.
We covered the back of the bookcases with beadboard and trimmed the whole thing with moulding from a big box store.
We allowed the butcher block to hang over the back side, supported by corbels. We now have a bar height seating area. On the kitchen side, we've added lots of open shelf storage.
See more of the Billy kitchen island.
~ Courtney Affrunti
