Materials: Expedit 4x2 bookcase, Lack wall shelf, 4 capita legs, Annamoa fabric, 2 Kassett boxes, 4 dowel rods, fabric tape
Description: This is a combination of previously seen hacks with a twist. We went with the standard Expedit bookcase turned on its side, with a Lack wall shelf on top supported by Capita legs. We added two Kassett boxes to store the Wii and XBox360 games and controllers.
This was all great until our 8 month old started exploring and becoming more curious about the video game systems and boxes. So we needed a way to keep her out.
So we picked up some Annamoa fabric and some dowel rods. We drilled some holes about a half-inch from the top and bottom of each opening and ran dowel rods through the holes. We then cut the fabric with an extra 1.5 inches on the top and bottom. The excess fabric was folded over and "hemmed" with the fabric tape creating a loop for the dowel rods to run through. once the dowels and fabric panels were in place, we added some hot glue to the outer holes to keep the dowels in place.
To open the "panel doors" simply slide the fabric left or right. The fabric is a little stiff to start, but should loosen up over time. A nice side-effect is that the XBox360 controllers will work without having to slide the panels to the side.
In the end, we added eight "doors" to the unit for a total cost of about $25. Much cheaper and more attractive than other "door" options.
~ Cork Gaines, Texas
