Custom designed wall unit/computer desk/book shelf

Materials: 2x Expedit bookcases (2x4), various size sheets of melamine, hammer, drill, screws, nails, wall bracket

Description: 1. You need the following size pieces of melamine sheets:
* 228cm x 39cm
* 149cm x 39cm
* 74cm x 39cm (you need 2 of this size)
* 69cm x 39cm
* 55cm x 5cm

2. Put together the 2 Expedit bookcases. Using one set of brackets that come with the bookcases, join the bookcases together with one sitting longways on top of the other so it forms an L shape. Be careful where you drill as most of the shelves are hollow so aim for near the pre drill dowel pieces go.

3. Join together the first 3 pieces of wood with nails & screws with the 228x39 on the outside, then 149x39 then 79x39. Attach the other 79x39 to the upright bookcase to what will be the inner side of the desk using nails & screws, again being aware of where you drill.

4. Tip the bookcase up right & move close to where you want it, then slide the 3 joined pieces of wood over so the edge of the bookcase is resting on top of the 149x39 piece. Carefully hold in place & then nail & screw together.

5. Nail the 55x5 to the underside of the 69x39 & then slide into place on top of the two 79x39 pieces & nail into place.

6. For extra security, we attached the other set of brackets to the top bookcase into the wall.

7. I covered all the screws with plastic caps just to give it a more finished look.

Note: I would assemble the bookcases before buying your melamine pieces as they might be slightly out eg 0.5cm difference. As you then should adjust the above measurements to account for any difference.

~ Rhiannon M, Gold Coast, Australia

3 hacks, 4 RAST's, and the ultimate A/V Stand

Materials: 4 RAST nightstands, 2 CD stands, 4 casters, 4 clasps, 4 L brackets, 4 metal connecting plates, keyboard pull out hardware, 2 shelves, various screws.

Description: It's a 3 in 1 hack.

The first part was a few years ago. I simply took 4 of the RAST nightstand and created 2 separate A/V stands. The bottom RAST was flipped upside down, and the 2 were connected by the clasps. I added casters to the bottom of one.

When I moved, I stacked them all together.

I put my turntable on top, and because it was really high I didn't use it very much. I'd been using a different shelf for just the turntable, but it was taking up space.

So the 2nd hack was to look for a pull out shelf. I found one for keyboards at Home Depot for $32, and installed it upside down on the main shelf of one of the RAST's. Works perfectly, and I had a perfectly sized shelf just sitting around.

That got my hacking juices flowing, so I decided to create my 3rd hack.

I took two old CD stands and attached them together with 2 metal plates from Home Depot. I then put casters on the bottom, creating a solid base.

The RAST's were then attached to the base with L brackets, also from Home Depot. I kept the configuration of having the bottom RAST be upside down, but instead of the single stack of 4 I went with 2 stacks of 2.

I used 2 more of the metal plates for 2 of the RAST's, as the clasps weren't working correctly anymore. The other side still has the clasps.

I had another shelf from an old bookshelf sitting around, and so it was screwed into the top posts of the 2 top RAST's to create a TV shelf.

I wanted the base to raise the components off of the ground level, and it also works out as a nice place to display some figures.

The corner where the stand used to be now fits the other shelf unit as a nice spot for cleaning LP's.

More photos here.

~ Geoffrey Holland, Burnaby, BC, Canada

Kitchen Table from Counter Top

Materials: Numerar Countertop & Norden Dining Table

Description: I purchased 2 Numerar solid birch countertops and 1 Norden dining table. I cut the width of the countertops down to 22" each side, but cut to the nearest block size. So one ended up about 21.5" and the other was about 22.5" so the seam looked natural. Next I cut the length to 70" to make it comfortable for 2 people to sit on each side. I used a biscuit jointer to glue the 2 halves together to create the full table top.

I cut the ends to a 48" radius. First by cutting the arc with a scroll saw, then finishing the cut with a template and a router. The template is just .188" hardboard, but its much easier to cut and sand the template to a perfect arc and use as a template for the router, than to try to cut a perfect arc on the table. The arc came out flawlessly on both sides.

The countertop come well oiled and I wanted a very light colored top so it took quite a bit of sanding to get all of the oil off the top and bottom.

Once that was done, I pulled the tabletop off the Norden dining table and put the legs onto the bottom of the new table. I needed longer stringers between the legs on 2 sides so I used one of the long cut off sections from the original counter top and sliced it down the middle to get qty 2 - .75" x 2.75" x 57" pieces to replace the short stringers with these long stringers.

I finished the table top off with several thin coats of low gloss tung oil and it looks beautiful, perfect size, nice solid wood quality and for less than $300.

~ Daniel Tagtow, Austin, Texas, USA

Stuva goes retro! Then meets Dr Seuss

Materials: Stuva Wardrobe, Lialotta plastic coated fabric, Rationell Variera bag holders (x2), furniture tack's, PVC pipe, hammer, screws, double sided tape

Description: I wanted wardrobe for my kids playroom to store all of their dress up's & costumes, but I didn't want to spend a lot - I found a secondhand Stuva wardrobe for $40 (bargain!! retails for over $200), but.. it had Birch colour doors & the room is mainly white with the colourful trofast boxes & a bit of a retro spin to it. So, I could have bought two new doors for $80 from Ikea, or I could set out to change them myself for next to nothing!


Step 1: I bought 1 metre of the yellow check plastic coated fabric from ikea (Lialotta?) & took the doors off the wardrobe & laid them out onto the fabric & cut around them leaving about 3cm's around the edges.

Step 2: I then got double sided tape & folded the fabric over the inside of the doors & then tacked it into place using the small furniture tacks, I then attached the doors back onto the Stuva wardrobe.

Step 3: I also wanted some storage for my boys swords & light sabers (they have A LOT!) so I thought of using the Ikea plastic bag holders (Rationell Variera), I simply screwed them to one side of the unit - you can use the doubled sided tape to attach them if you don't want to drill holes into the unit. I also attached some hooks on the side for their masks etc.

Step 4: I needed a hanging rail in the wardrobe because it only came with two shelves & a wire basket - they retail for $15 at Ikea, so I decided to make my own to save money. I got a piece of PVC pipe from our shed & cut it to size & got two screws & put them into the pre-drilled hole's in the wardrobe & with a bit of effort the PVC pipe clicked into place!

I added an Ikea pingla box on top of the unit for more costume storage!! Works a treat!

But later ... I got sick of the Stuva Wardbrobe covered in oil cloth too. So I decided to make the stuva doors really fun & cover over them in my boys two favourite Dr Seuss books.

Step 1: lightly sanded the birch doors & ripped the pages from 2 books cut them to the same size. I then glued the pages to the doors with PVA glue & once dried coated it in a clear sealer.

Step 2: I added Rationell Variera bag holders to the side of the Stuva with screws, but you could just used double sided tape - they store all of my boys swords & light sabers!! Perfect size & shape.

Step 3: I used PVC pipe to make a hang rail for the wardrobe by cutting it to size & putting two screws into the pre drilled hole & popping the pipe in there.

The boys love the 'new' doors & it doubles as reading practice too :)

~ Peita

Kitchen drawers reworked in to bathroom furniture

Materials: Applad drawers

Description: Bought Applad drawers and resized some of them to have them fitted into my bathroom furniture.

~ Olivier Vanthournout, Belgium

Old mirrored Billy

Materials: Billy + Ydre doors, dishwashing soap, cooking foil

Description: I have got a dark brown Billy, with glass doors, but since I bought it, it was clear to me it could be perfect with two old mirrors instead of the glass doors.


But two ancient mirrors really weight too much for the poor Billy doors so, I took the cooking foil and attached it on the backwards of the Billy doors: first detach the doors and put them on the floor, then cut the foil to the same dimensions of the glass plus 1/4 inch per side, then dilute a bit the dishwashing soap and put it into a detergent spray bottle, so that you can vaporize it all over the glass. The foil will adhere at the glass forever!

Put back the doors and here it is, the modernity of Billy with the antiquity of an ancient mirror

~ alberto gregori

Besta Vara coffee table

Materials: 1 Lack Table, 1 Besta Vara Door 60 x 64 Any Colour, 4 wooden dowels, wood glue.

Description: I wanted a coffee table to match the bookcases I'm planning on getting from the Besta range.

So I started thinking of a hack for one.

First take the Lack table top and drill through the pre-drilled holes so they go all the way through the top of the table top.

Then assemble the Lack table as normal but put the table top on upside down.

Next mark off the table legs on the door and drill holes being careful not to drill through the other side.

Then drill holes in the top of the legs drilling downwards and put a dowel in each.

Next apply glue generously to the tops of the legs around the dowels.

Then put glue in the holes on the door and put the top on making sure the dowels are all in the holes on the door.

I did this with a turquoise grey door.

~ Em, Manchester UK