DYE and DIY British Flag Pillow

Materials: Aina cushion cover makeover

Description: I used the Aina cushion cover and transformed it into a cushion cover with the British flag.

First of all, I made my dye according to the instructions on the package.

I printed off the British flag and had it enlarged. You may used the original size if you want it smaller.

I cut out the flag and traced the design onto the pillow.

Using a fine brush, I painted the red and blue colors accordingly to the British flag.

I put a piece of cardboard in between the cushion cover, as it can seeps through.

Let it dry and there you have it. A brand new fun British flag pillow.

Hope you enjoyed it.

See more of the flag cushion.

~ Beatrice

Dragonfly lamp

Materials: HEMMA cord set and IDEALISK tea infuser

Description: Pretty simple and self explanatory.
I used the Hemma cord set, the Idealisk tea infuser, and thin white pantyhose wrapped around some wire.

See more of the dragon fly lamp.

~ Anette Tysnes Ungar, Sandnes, Norway

Vika Amon/Glasholm Dining Table

Materials: Vika Amon, Vika Lags, Vika Glasholm, Gilbert

Description: It's simply putting things together from Ikea to save money and get a modern look at the same time for a different application (dining table in this case). This isn't my idea either, I have seen this combination at a friend's house but I put a little different spin to it to make what fits my taste.

Things needed from Ikea
1 Vika Amon Table Top (White) $39.99
4 Vika Lage (Chorme Plated) $40.00
1 Vika Glasholm Table Top (Black Patterned) $79.99
4 Gilbert Chairs (White) $159.96

Vika Lage has the same design as the Curry legs, so no extra holes needs to be made in the table top to install them. I also added felt pads on the bottom of the legs, even though they come with soft plastic bottoms, so I don't scratch the hardwood.

Now some on might bring the weight limit issue (almost everyone who hacks does it). I have looked into it. The table top holds about 110 lbs. and the glass top itself is around 68 lbs., so that leaves me with around 42 lbs. I think that is more than enough because I am most likely going to use it for dining and serving area for parties and my friend has been using it for quite some time as well but this might be an issue with a family with children. One can also look into cross braces for additional support.

I am planning on adding cushion to the chairs and perhaps some sort of flower pattern design for the back using a contact paper later on. I will let you know how it goes.

I also think there are many way to go about this in terms of using different type of legs and different color chairs or different chairs altogether. Combination of the table top and the glass top is a timeless piece with changes made to chairs and legs overtime as long as the top holds up.

~ Tesh, Jersey City, NJ

Besta Litter Box Cabinet

Materials: Besta 25"x47" Cabinet, 2 Besta Vara (doors), 2 Extension Cords, 2 Motion Activated Night Lights

Description: Cut entrances in sides of cabinet (hello kitty head for my wife).

Built cabinet per instructions.

Mounted extension cords as outlets for night lights.

Cut hole in rear to run cord to outlet.

~ Steven Clarkson, Carmel, IN

Wall mounting a 40" TV in Expedit

Materials: Expedit TV Storage Unit, 2 - 1 1/2" Machine Screws with washers, locking washers, and wing nuts, 16 L-brackets and 1/2" wood screws, Drill, hole cutter kit, Samsung Ultraslim wall mount, and of course our Samsung 40" TV

Description: Just moved to a smaller house so our 40" TV that used to live on a wall needed and our books which used to live in its own library area needed a new home.

Enter the Expedit TV Storage Unit.

Unfortunately, the Expedit is advertised to only accommodate a 32" TV with its stand. Luckily for me, I've been lurking on IkeaHackers for a long time, so I used a little bit of what I'd seen on other hacks and came up with a plan.

1. Before buying Expedit, measure TV and measure Expedit TV gap to make sure it fits. It did, so the credit card was put down.

2. Assemble Expedit according to plans except for the first few steps where you attach the back of the TV compartment to the rest of the unit.

3. Assemble the two back pieces of the TV compartment on the ground and lay the TV face down. Use Tape Measure and Mark I Eye-ball to center the TV on the back, and use pencil to outline the TV. For our 40", this left ~1" of space around the entire TV. This will be the back of the panel, so you don't have to worry about anyone seeing the outline.

4. While TV is still laying down, attach Samsung Wall mount kit to TV. For those not familiar, this allows you to hang the TV like a picture using a wire and a couple of wall anchors. Place your fingers under the wire equidistant from the centerline of the TV and pull them towards the top of the TV. While holding the wire under tension, use the tape measure to measure the distance the wire has moved towards the top of the TV (H) and also the distance your fingers are from the centerline of the TV (W). Also measure the distance from the center of the wall anchors to the edge where wire will be resting (A). Remove TV and place in a safe place.

5. Find the centerline of the Expedit back panel and use the measurements (H+A) and (W) obtained in #4 to mark the location for each wall anchor, and drill holes as close to the same size as the machine screws.

6. Along the centerline of the back panel, somewhere in the middle of the TV outline, use the hole cutter drill attachment to make the pass-through for the wires. I made the hole from the back, but I would recommend flipping the back panel over and cutting the hole from the front because the last little bit of the cut will rip unevenly around the edge. Obviously not a big deal since it's covered by the TV, but I know it's there. :)


7. Attach the wall anchors to the back panel using the machine screws, washers, locking washers and wing nuts. The back of the back panel should now look like this.

8. Use 6-8 same sized items to approximate the distance the back panel should be inset from the front of the Expedit. I only had 4 cups of the same size which I originally had in the corners as pictured, but the back panel was sagging at the join, so I moved them to the middle of each of the sides. Lay the back panel face down on the cups (or whatever you're using)

9. Use the L-brackets to attach the back panel at the desired inset depth.

10. Stand the Expedit up. Run all the wires appropriately, because you won't be able to access it once the unit is fully loaded.

11. Realize that the 1" gap around the TV does not give enough room for you to actually lift the wire over and onto the wall anchors.

12. With the Expedit standing, unscrew all of the screws attaching the L brackets to the back panel.

13. Tilt the back panel forward enough at the top to put the TV on it and push the back panel back against the L brackets.

14. Have someone hold it in place as you go to the back and reattach all the L brackets to the back panel.

15. Finish hooking up all the wires, move the Expedit back against the wall and anchor it, and load it up with your books.

16. Bask in the electron glow of your Expedit mounted 40" TV.

~ Andy Kao, California, USA

Painted EGEBY rug!

Materials: EGEBY rug , gray and white paint, several brushes

Description: I found this EGEBY rug!

1) You have to make a stencil
2) Trace the stencil on the rug

3) Paint everything in gray and white

4) Step back and admire your work;)

It was really easy but you have to be very, very patient!
It took me about two days! But it was totally worth it!

See more of the stencilled rug.

~ Lydia Pudel, Deutschland

Micke Desk fine tuned to high end glory

Materials: Micke desk, walnut scraps, mdf, wood glue, paint

Description: I cut a sheet of mdf to the exact size of the top of my Micke Ikea desk. Then I took the walnut strips which were off-cuts from my dad's wood working business and glued them on the mdf. Sanded, sanded, sanded. Finished the top with a tung oil, linseed oil, varathane combo and glued it onto my roughed up (with 120 grit sandpaper) desk. Then I primed and painted the whole desk Benjamin Moore's Timid White. Sprayed the metal leg with Rustoleum metallic paint and added some drawer pulls.

See more of the high-end Micke desk.

~ Marci