Spontan x 6 = shoe rack

Materials: Six Spontan magazine racks

Description: We were after a shoe rack behind the laundry door but couldn't find exactly what we wanted. Upon seeing the Ikea magazine rack I realised this would be perfect (space efficient, flexible, economical) for our shoe rack.

I drilled 6 Spontan magazine racks to the wall space, overlapping them to fit (this is fine, they are flexible) and voila! The Great Wall of Shoe was born!

~ Flo Kaempf, Western Australia

Bye Bye Bricks - a magnetic cover up

before

Materials: Spontan Magnet Boards, plywood, screws, rare earth magnets

Description: We were tired of looking at the original brick fire place in our main living space. The open fire box was changed into a gas insert many years ago and the room has been painted over 4 times, but the brick work remained.

As the brick work has to be maintained without being permanently altered, tiling it over and painting it over weren't viable options. Another idea was to add wood panels over but there is a safety concern.

An inspiration struck when we repainted another room and needed to take down the older style Ikea magnet boards in that room. The boards appeared to be the perfect candidate to be used as the cladding panels over the brick fire place.

I then devised and designed the plywood under structure to support the Spontan boards and in order to secure them to the frame, I made cleats with embedded rare-earth magnets.

Please see the result via the steps and photos.

1) Made the 2 vertical supporting pilaster frames out of 3/4" thick plywood. Each frame was tailored to the pilaster and friction fitted over it. 3 screws were screwed into the inside of the frame, with the shaft of the screws just penetrating in between the vertical brick mortar joints. The screws added security.

2) 4"h Horizontal cross bars (t-shape to add rigidity) were mounted to the vertical frames in 3 positions. At the very top, middle and lower portion to support the horizontal joints of the boards. The lower cross bar was placed well above the fire box.

3) Side frames were added to either side of the fire box. The plywood was positioned beside the brick surround of the fire box. There is no plywood in any direct or adjacent contact to any of the fire box metal frame

4) The Spontan boards come with keyslot mounting holes in the back but were only meant to be hung from the top. It did not suit my requirements so I made plywood cleats 1.5"h (fitted between the folded in edges of the Spontan). The cleats were drilled for 1/2" diameter rare-earth magnets, where were glued in with PL400 Construction adhesive. The glue has to cure for 24 hours before using.

5) Using a long level, I drew the first line at the top of the frame. Allowing for the thickness of the Spontan, to the ceiling in the center, I screwed the cleats in one row. Each cleat was spaced from the next one by 2". Each board required 2 cleats - top and bottom. There was some fiddling around of the cleats to ensure that each board was tight to the adjacent one.

6) Once the top row of boards was established, I secured the second set of cleats. For the exact spacing between the boards vertically, I used a 12" long steel ruler (which was just shy of the thickness of the Spontan. To get the correct thickness, 2 layers of masking tape were added to the ruler). Working sequentially, the second set of top cleats were mounted with screws). The best method was to mound each top cleat, put on the board to see the alignment. If slightly off, then re-mount the cleat until perfectly aligned. Once the top row of cleats was all positioned, then do the bottom cleats.

7) Two rows of boards were mounted. For our fire place, serendipitously, the Spontan boards worked out perfectly. 2 boards wide equalled to exactly to width of the fire box. The two lengths also exactly reached from the ceiling to the top of the fire box.

8) Besides the fire box, modification was required to fit the boards. I made the necessary cuts and notches using my 7-1/4" circular saw fitted with a Metal
Cutoff blade. Be sure to wear all safety gear as it creates a lot of noise, sparks and odour.

9) The modified boards were mounted with the cleats and the same method.

10) for the hearth, I was going to use the same Spontan but just happened to have some surplus veneered shelves from another source so that was used to cover the hearth bricks.

11) Finally, I again used an aluminum cabinet hanging cleat from another source to frame the inside opening of the fire box.

The end result completely transformed the room and covered up the eyesore of a tired looking brickwork.

The added bonus is that the entire Spontan cladding now acts as a giant radiator panel to distribute the heat from the fire box, so the fire does not need to be turned up high.

This is not recommended over a wood burning fireplace.

Thank you,

~ Peter, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada

SPONTANeous NYTTJA Pin Board Hack

Materials: SPONTAN, NYTTJA and some cork board

Description: Space in my kitchen is limited. So I had to choose between a newspaper rack and a pin board. Since SPONTAN is holding my fav magazines, why not combine a newspaper rack with pin board functionality?

All you need is three NYTTJA picture frames, some 3mm cork, a cutter and strong glue.

1. Remove backing and glazing from NYTTJA.

2. Cut off the stand from backing

3. Use backing as stencil to cut out three similar sized parts from a 3mm cork mat

4. Put cork into NYTTJA frame instead of glazing.

5. Mount backing as usual

6. Mount NYTTJA pin board to SPONTAN (I used strong glue - tape might also work)

~ Helge

Vintage Spontan memo board

Materials: SPONTAN memo board, old sheet music book, wallpaper paste, brush

Description: First you tear out six pages of the music book to cover your memo board. Use old sheet music, because it has yellowed paper and gives your memo board a vintage look. Glue the pages one by one on the board and don't forget to cover the sides as well. It doesn't have to be perfect, it's just to make sure all the gray is gone.


After that, you tear up the remaining pages into small pieces. Use different sizes and shapes.

After you've produced a big pile of pieces it's time to glue. Use as many pieces as you like and continue until you're satisfied. After you've glued a piece on the board use the brush to add another glue layer on top.

When you're satisfied you add another glue layer on top. That way there won't be any loose spots and you make sure every pieces stays where it belongs. Now it's time to let it dry.

When the glue has dried your music notes memo board is finished!

See more of the DIY Vintage memo board.

~ Imkeliene, Netherlands

Colourful paper-organizer

Materials: SPONTAN

Description: I just pepped up the old magazine-holder SPONTAN. I glued on some beautiful gift wrapping with glue lacquer, and now it fits my creative corner.

~ Lili, Denmark

The Great Divide

Materials: 1 red Spontan magnet board, 6-8 Spontan magnet cups

Description: My kids share a desk, which just happens to be an old Ikea kitchen table. They would never use it at the same time, because they said they had no privacy, and they were always fighting over whose stuff was on whose side of the desk. So, I decided to put a stop to all the problems once and for all.

The solution?

I turned a Spontan magnet board, which was originally meant to be hung on the wall, into a really simple, but very effective, desk divider. Now they each have their privacy, a place to hang notes or photos, and the cups serve as holders for pencils, scissors, etc. No tools needed.

1. Hold the magnet board on its side.
2. Position cups, with magnetic parts facing each other, on opposite sides of the board. Put two on each end, and the rest along the middle.

You can do this with six cups, but eight give more stability.

See more of the Spontan desk divider.

~ Mother Theresa, Pamplona, Spain

Cool cold serving platform with multifunction

Materials: Spontan magnetic board, cooler packs (the more the colder, I used 6 thick pieces), felt pads (leg protectors)

Description: I wanted to have a cold serving platform in order to keep foods cold during "buffets" with my family. While walking through Ikea, I saw just what I needed: Spontan magnetic board and a hack!

1. Apply felt pad sticker to each corner underneath the board. Just to protect the tabletop (and in the future use, the wall).
2. Place and arrange frozen cooler packs evenly on to the table, approximately in a bit smaller area than your Spontan magnetic board.
3. Place the magnetic board on to the coolers. Check that the coolers stayed within the edges.
4. Place food items to the platform in serving plates or bowls.
5. As addition, you can place "menu-cards" on to the edge of the board with magnets, to explain, for example, the content of the food served.
6. After usage, hang back to wall to serve as magnetic board.

Why use Spontan magnetic board instead of some random piece of metal? Spontan has finished look and ready made clean cut edges, which keeps the coolers in right place (under the board) so the platform doesn't wobble. The edges also hide the coolers. And as addition, you can use this in it's original purpose, as magnetic board. Multifunction also save storage space.

See more of the cooler hack.

~ Johanna, Finland

GRUNDTAL Beauty Bar (and laptop table!)

Materials: GRUNDTAL rail, S-hooks, spice jars, cutlery caddies; NORBERG drop leaf table; SPONTAN magnet board; LOTS mirror; FRANKLIN bar stool; HEMMA lamps with RENATE shades

Description: I'm a mess in the morning. I have ADHD, which makes digging through drawers, baskets, and piles a nightmare, and I have to compete for one of two bathroom vanities: my husband shaves in the en suite bath while my daughter primps in the other. Our condo is tiny and our bathrooms are tinier... no room to share!

I often forgo 'beauty' altogether instead of digging through random shoe boxes for cosmetics while looking at myself in the next-best mirror (which is in the kitchen).

[I do have a proper dressing table. It was repurposed into a aquarium stand for our turtle long ago. Heh. It's not IKEA or I'd tell you more.]

My ADHD coach/organizer has been encouraging me to use vertical storage wherever possible. I tend to only use regularly the things I can actually see; vertical organization prevents the piling-up that makes my needed items go out-of-sight-out-of-mind. Every object needs a specific home. A home that I can *see* into. No doors, drawers, boxes, baskets, or cabinets.

But how can vertical organization work for a dressing table?

IKEA to the rescue! I decided to use GRUNDTAL as the solution. I had already tried some BYGEL rails and buckets for the wall just above the commode and it's really cut down on the bathroom clutter. GRUNDTAL is nicer, and this wall is visible from my bed.

I had intended to buy a picture shelf to set items currently in use, but I saw the NORBERG table in the IKEA showroom and instantly knew that I could give it a dual purpose on a currently wasted bedroom wall, conveniently near the en suite bath.

My husband hung the NORBERG at "pub/bar table level" (get "molly" bolts if you can't attach to at least two studs). Then he hung the GRUNDTAL rail high enough to allow for the stored items to hang underneath.

I used the double-sided tape that was supplied with the LOTS mirrors to affix a LOTS tile to the SPONTAN board. I suggest marking the placement of the mirror on the board and of the board on the wall before making the mirror permanent!

I prefer to apply make-up standing up and very close to the mirror (yay, myopia!) so I have it placed pretty highly on the wall. One could easily lower the whole shebang and use a stool or chair of regular height. I actually decided on my mirror height by using a dry erase marker to draw a 12 X 12 square (LOTS size) around my face in my full length mirror and then measuring from the floor to the square.

I used GRUNDTAL doo-dads to finish it out:

I used one S-hook and a large binder clip to hang the hairdryer, curling iron, and straightening iron by their cords. (By the way, I also looped the cords through the NORBERG assembly to keep them out of sight. I had to momentarily un-assemble the arm, pull the cords through, and pop it back in. It was well worth the 90 seconds it took.)

S-hooks are also holding my brush, elastics, rings, and earrings. I hung my necklaces, bracelets, and my watch directly to the rail.

The cutlery buckets are holding skin care products and make-up brushes/pencils. I love this because I can see what I've got quite easily and there isn't a risk of knocking over a cup of brushes in my pre-caffeinated stupor.

The magnetic spice jars are fabulous. I can see what's in there without any digging and I've got my cosmetics organized by the order in which I apply them. I have make-up on one side and skin/hair on the other. Brilliant.

The bonus feature might be my favorite... when the table leaf is up, I've got a nice place to pull up the barstool and set my laptop. Dual use of furniture in a tiny condo is always an epic win.

Thoughts after completion: I wish I had used the longer GRUNDTAL rail. I used the 30.5" length which lines up nearly exactly with the NORBERG. Overhang on either side would have been nice. I need another cutlery caddy or two. A reason for a trip back...

~ Shannon, Austin, Texas

Ikea's Magnetic table DIY

Materials: The necessesary tools needed: Ikea Spontan magnetic board (choose the version you prefer), Loose magnets (without any housing), All-purpose-glue, Screwdriver, 4 screws, 4 loose legs (possibly Lack table), 4 bolts for the screws

Description:
Where did the idea come from?
Hasn't it ever happen/occur to you that when you are sitting somewhere for example outside and suddenly the wind blows everything away? Or that the ground on which the table stands is very unstable and causes the table to wobble. This problem causes a lot of discomfort. Especially when for example a glass of wine spills all over those important papers and documents! This problem occurs not only at home but unfortunately also at the cafes, very often in your garden, in your living room with your active pets and kids etc.

Because of the problem mentioned above has the Spontan magnetic board, besides all the inspiring things you can do with it, now serve for a new inspiration in the form of a table. You can make a whole new design from the original product using the right tools. The great thing is that you can choose either the rectangular Spontan board or the round one. In the end what you choose results either in a round or a rectangular table.


How is it made?
There isn't really a specific way to make this table. But eventually choose the way you feel the most comfortable with. An example is this one: You use a Lack table of Ikea, you unscrew the wooden legs off en place them underneath the holes you made in the corners of the board. What's so handy about the Lack table is that screws already stand out. The only thing you got to do next is to insert the screws into the holes and turn the suitable bolts on to the screws very tightly. If you don't have a Lack table, you can also use any other wooden legs that are loose. You'd just have to screw the screws at the ends then first into the wooden legs. Then screw them tight to the board, the same way as you would do with the Lack table legs.

Stick the magnets underneath your beautiful vase, glass, plates and anything else you'd like to put on that table. You can also buy a few more decorative magnets that can be place don top of the table to hold the loose papers. This way you can be creative in the way you change the appearance of the table. Think about the new designs you can create on the topside of the table.

Good luck and have fun while making your own magnetic board!

~ Jorge-Sanne-Wencke, The Netherlands

SPONTAN Magnetic NOT Markerboard

Materials: SPONTAN Magnetic board, sandpaper, chalkboard paint

Description: I am bad at reading the fine print. Let's just start there.

I saw the smooth SPONTAN magnet board at IKEA and assumed that because it was smooth it was a marker board as well as a magnet board. Well... you know what happens when you assume, right?

So I couldn't get the marks off the board and pretty much decided the board was junk. All I wanted was a write and magnet combination. Then I realized I had chalkboard paint in the basement left over from another project.

This hack is SUPER easy. Even a caveman could do it.

I lightly sanded the magnet board down and put three coats of chalkboard paint on it. That's it. I waited 24 hours between coats just to make sure it had enough time to dry between coats.

Works (an erases even) like a charm now!

See more of the magnetic chalkboard.

~ Crystina, Saint Paul

How to Make a Woodgrain Magnetic Memo Board and Tool Storage

Materials: Spontan magnetic board, Spontan cup, Grundtal knife rack

Description: An easy way to give plain IKEA office and kitchen organizers into a warm, faux bois finish.

See more of the woodgrain magnetic memo board and tool storage.

~ Chris Gardner

Toddler time

Materials: Spontan magnet board

Description: I used pinstripe tape, fabric covered cardboard arrow and shrinky-dinks to create a "clock" for toddlers. Full tutorial is found on my blog.

See more of Toddler time.

~ Ruth

Framed Ikea magnetic Spontan board make over

Materials: Spontan Magnetic Board, Molding, Fabric, Stencil, Paint

Description: Knowing my quick boredom with decor, I usually try to pre-plan how easy it would be to switch things up when creating most of my projects; it's one of the perks of DIY creations.

I originally posted this Ikea memo board make over back in February; just a little update to a pre-purchased piece. Keeping true to my 'it's been six months and I need a change' quirk, I easily revamp the piece yet once again. With the addition of new fabric and a little paint, I have a quick and easy updated look {that I am hoping I will like a little longer this time}.

I started with this plain Spontan magnetic board I had bought a few years ago at Ikea. They still sell these today however the dimensions of the current version have changed. {Mine measures 17 3/4 by 25 1/2 and the new version is 14 1/2 by 30 3/4} Because the frame is handmade to fit the board the same instructions can be still be applied creating the same end result.

Recycled molding was used to cut and frame the magnetic board.

The Ikea board was then wrapped in fabric, stenciled and placed snugly into the frame.

A quick and easy update to add a bit of style to an otherwise plain functional piece.

See instructions of the magnetic board here.

~ Stephanie Lynn