Electrified rat

Materials: Ikea GOSIG RÅTTA

Description:
It's a small Ikea hack - an electric extension cord hidden into an Ikea rat.

See more of the Ikea rat extension cord.

~ Luc

CAUTION: POSSIBLE FIRE HAZARD

Game Controller Management System

Materials: SIGNUM (500.351.15)

Description: A relatively simple hack. I was frustrated with the area above my radiator being useless, and due to an awesome sale, I got two SIGNUMS for about 12 dollars CAD total.

I ended up using only one of them, and I was looking at other uses for it. Then I realized that I was storing most of the stuff for my Xbox 360 in a cardboard box, and tried to see if the controller would fit the rack. It fit perfectly.

So I just mounted the posts to an old shelf, and installed the SIGNUM opposite to how it normally would be. Had it been under my table, it would have been upside down.

The result? I have a pretty cool rack for my controllers and whatnot.

~ Leslie, Canada

Solar powered jewellery display

Materials: Sunnan lamp, recycled wood, Plexiglas

Description: We need a new display for my jewellery dealer that they can put wherever they want without electric cables. So we find this amazing Sunnan lamp that works with solar panels and....our gorgeous display!!

~ Fabiana and Massimo, Rome, Italy

DIY Slide Projector

Materials: Isbrytare lamp (no longer in production)

Description: This is not mine but I thought you'd be interested. Instructables user derte84 build a lo-fi projector to display photo slides on a huge wall. Also works for lomo slides.

See the step-by-step instructables [via Unplggd].

~ Owen

Tolsby - A cheap and easy earring display

Materials: Tolsby frame, plastic cross-stitch canvas, scissors

Description: This hack is great for someone like me who loves to own a lot of earrings and need something to display them out neatly without costing too much.

The Tolsby is an excellent choice for earring display at home and for product selling, I have used this display for my local craft fairs to great effect.

It holds a decent amount of earrings for pierced ears, works well for studded and hook style ones of any size and shape.

1. Purchase a 7 count plastic cross-stitch canvas from a craft store. The '7 count' simply means there are 7 holes per inch on the canvas. I found that size the best to accommodate earrings.

2. Measure and cut out a 4x6 inch sheet from the canvas and slide into the frame. I managed to fill 4 Tolsby frames with the 1 plastic canvas I purchased.

3. Fill it with earrings!

~ Jen, Sydney

Candleholder vs. towelholder

Materials: LILLHOLMEN

Description: Although we don't have too long story about our idea, it is very easy, put onto the bathroom's (or any other place's) wall that LILLHOLMEN towelholder. I mean place it upside down and you get a kind, old school candle holder.

~ moszijo, budapest, hungary

Jansjo lamp for computer monitor

Materials: Jansjo, drill, plus whatever monitor

Description: I love the Jansjo, but hate fumbling for the switch.

My ACER monitor has the base thick enough to hide the switch, so why not ?

The toggle switch is low voltage and very small; so I just drill a hole, run the wiring inside the base, mount the light and switch and re-solder it.

~ Dave Wong, New York

Expedit Bar

Materials: Expedit, Capita, Lack

Description: Just screw the LACK wall shelf with CAPITA brackets on an EXPEDIT room divider.

Ready for the next cocktail party :-)

~ Eva, Leverkusen, Germany

LEKMAN Watercooled

Materials: LEKMAN-Box, Dremel, Driller

Description: Being an EXPEDIT-FAN (got a lot of them in our home) my wife inspired me to put my whole watercooled Computer in a Lekman Box as she always hurt her knees at the BIG Computer-Case under the EXPEDIT-Desk...

I knew that it is possible to put a "normal" PC in a Lekman Box, but the problem was to get a whole watercooled PC in that tiny Box...

So first I tried a 3D-Modell with Google-Sketchup to find out anything would match in the LEKMAN Box; And Yes it should work...

So I had to cut out the AIR-Holes for the radiators in the front and for the Mainboard, Power-Plug and another Radiator at the Back, so the Air can get through the whole Case, because the PC will stand in an EXPEDIT beneath my desk.

As I have no Laser or anything like that I had to drill an "dremel", what was really tricky with that plastic of the box, but finally it worked (would get much better with the right tools)..

~ Dirk Rafelt, Düsseldorf, Germany

IKEA Polarvide capelet

Materials:
1 Ikea Polarvide throw
Scissors
Pins
Pencil
Needle and thread
Sewing machine
Tape measure
1 snap, button, or other closure
Strips of an old sweater, optional

Description: A lovely little capelet from the Polarvide throw.

See more of the IKEA throw capelet.

~ via Craftzine. (Thanks, Becki!)

Broder display stand

Materials: Broder system and custom iron work

Description: Using a Broder "T" foot and two "L" feet. I cut the "L" feet so I could weld them onto the "T" foot. This made an "X" foot so a single Broder post can be self standing. Next I used 14 Broder Center brackets. I cut the two ends of each bracket, leaving the center with the hooks for the post. These pieces were then welded onto the scrolls I fabricated. After that it is just a lot of cleaning and painting.

~ Bill Schaffell, California

Tobo Fireplace

Materials: Tobo entertainment center, ClassicFlame electric fireplace insert

Description: Recently, while perusing my local big-box hardware store, I found an entertainment center with a built-in electric fireplace. It was pretty awesome. I don't have a fireplace, so I'm enamored over even fake flames.

The styling of the center wasn't exactly perfect, however. No way could it replace my Tobo. Yet, I wondered if I could make something similar by taking out the Tobo's center drawers whose gaps have always bothered me.

After removing the hardware, I took some measurements, and went online. I found a few options that would work, but decided on an 18" ClassicFlame at Mantels Direct because of the timer feature and the remote. It was around $250 with free shipping.

Height-wise, the unit fits exactly with less than 0.25 inch to spare. Width-wise it was short by about 1.75 inches on either side. To compensate, I trimmed-in the fireplace with the Tobo's two wood stops (found below glass shelves) which I ripped down on a table saw.

I was able to re-install the drawers on the sides by creating a template and drilling new holes for the slides. I can now see what's inside the drawers... especially in the backs, which had been a problem.

Relatively speaking, this was a simple hack, and the result looks as if it was designed this way to begin with. Tobo++.

~ Jim

Camera flash soft box

Materials: Ikea Komplement collapsable fabrix box

Description:
This is a small softbox i made using a fold-able 'Komplement' box from Ikea. The box comes in various sizes. The one i used is about 20x20cm in size. (I cannot find the box in the webshop, but Kompement is a storage series, and this box is normally used for organizing socks and underwear)

I simply cut a hole in the side, the size of the flash - leaving 'flaps' to support the flash. Using a cord on the flash, you can place the flash and box close to the subject. The flash lights up the cream-white box and creates a warm and soft light useable for portrait- and macro-shots.

When not used, you open the zipper in the botton of the box, and it collapses flat, to fit in your camera bag.

See more of the flash soft box.

~ Thomas, Denmark

Concealed ventilation

Materials: 1 black Fritiof stool, 4 hooks, 1 shoelace (1m), powerdrill

Description: Unscrew the seating surface from the legs.
Screw 4 hooks in the skrewholes of the seating surface.
Drill 8 small holes in the ventilation casing.
Thread the shoelace throught the holes and the hooks, tense it and knot together. Finished.

You can alternatively use the white Fritiof stool for white ceilings.

~ s__m, germany

Embellished trays to serve holiday cheers

These are trays that I filled with various items, pasta, seashells, stones and then I "drown" them with epoxy resin.

~ Teresa, Italy

Rast Table into 4 sided weaving loom

Materials: Rast Table, sturdy string.

Description: I wanted to teach my kids simple loom weaving. I simply turned a Rast bedside table on its side and wrapped sturdy string around the whole thing, on both sides. I used clear tape on the top to keep the tape from shifting around.

~ Ingrid S.

Teddy's Bag vs Ikea Bear!

Materials: Ikea Carrying Bag

Description: Toddybur is a Teddy bear made of an Ikea Bag. It's filled with wrapping material from Ikea Furniture. Ognev Vlaminck designs these bears in order to maximalise the waste produced by wrapping materials and damaged carrying.

~ Ognev Vlaminck, Belgium

Bedroom radiator cover

Materials: Three Antonius shoe racks/plates (item 600.943.50 in The Netherlands, now discontinued), magnetic attachments, screws, wood, ventilation grill.

Description: With our bedroom dress boys in place, I also wanted to cover the radiator: it didn't look nice, giving the room an unfinished look. I found the metal plates with rectangular holes in them from the Antonius system, intended to be shoe racks (these are now discontinued). I used three.

The sides have little "hooks" that fit perfect over small screws that have the head still sticking out a little. The wooden slats in between are fixed with magnets, so the whole thing can be quite easily dismantled for cleaning, repair, taking a picture for Ikea hacker, etc. It took some exact measuring, but gives a nice clean finish.

~ G.V.M., The Netherlands

Snow fun?

Materials: Ikea big blue bag

Description: So, it started snowing. And it didn't stop. The schools are closed, the roads are closed. Still, we can play in the snow yeah? um well no actually the girl's waterproofs are em, yep at school.

As the snow is now 2' deep this posed a problem. Until with a flash of genius, scissors, duck tape and two Ikea big blue bags.......... ta daa.

Waterproof dungarees that kept her dry all day in the snow. Disturbingly they performed better than the bought ones her sister was wearing.

Two bags = 4 trouser pieces, belt loops, belt and shoulder straps. Double taped inside and out at the seams.

They are holding up just fine too. Just as well really, day three in the snowy wilderness...

~ Ingenius, 223