Vote for the ikea hack of the year

i can't believe that i'm posting the last entry for the year. yeah, this is the last till we hit 2007. i'll be off tomorrow for a break with family and friends. then i'll be flying to bali to usher in the new year. i am so looking forward to the trip and hope to pick up some interesting pieces for my home.

when i started ikeahacker 6 months ago, i did not anticipate the response i would receive. for that, i am thankful. i've enjoyed meeting every one of you who have commented on the blog, helped me with my logo, html and questions. most of all, thank you for sending in your ikea hacks. that kept this site (and me!) going.

i figured we should end the year by voting for the 2006 mother of all hacks. i've shortlisted 10 of my favourites, which was really difficult as that meant filtering out some good ones. but here they are, the top 10. so get clicky clicky.

vince's sliding door room divider is still a hot favourite and one of the most searched pages on this blog.

our hack of the month for july. cheap and very stylish solution to light the stairs.

i like how striking this post-it lamp is. and not forgetting how easy it is to hack.

am loving the opaque sliding doors and how beautifully they hide the media clutter.

the nudie stamps do it for me. naughty and nice.

ingenious idea. who would have thought a potholder could take such good pictures?

lovely lovely. a terrific sideboard indeed. a fine specimen of a hack.

drab pillowcase made over into hot skirt.

now possible, every colour in the rainbow to match your moods..

i really think this banquette looks way better than the original daybed. ikea, watch and learn!

update: voting is now closed for this poll.
andrew's hemnes daybed turns banquette takes top spot!



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we've had a great haul this year, haven't we?
i'm excited to seeing what turns up next year. please do keep your ikea hacks coming!

enjoy the holidays. merry christmas and see you next year.

have a scandinavian christmas

bored with turkey and trimmings? a swedish christmas may just be the change you've wanted. ikea has just about everything you need to host a party: meatballs, salmon, cheeses, chocolates and even a spiced red wine base to make glögg, a traditional scandinavian hot drink. [via apartment therapy chicago]

organise your expedit bookcase

not quite a full-fledged hack but i liked richard's idea of sanding down the mackis drawers to fit the expedit bookcase. a great idea if you're thinking of ways to organise your bookcase.

"the drawers are stock ikea drawers, but i had to sand quite a bit (3/16", i think) off the boxes to make them fit. it's really annoying that they don't just naturally fit in there, but with them stuffed into the shelving unit it has a bit more structural integrity now. i also added a wine rack out of some plywood left over from building a pair of donald judd-style benches." link.

last minute gift guide

i admit it. i usually do my last-minute-i-m-out-of-ideas shopping at ikea. where possible, i'll add in a simple personal touch so that i won't appear so utterly "thoughtless". here are some items i was thinking of for the last dash before the ho ho holiday season.
1. fantasi barnslig $7.99
i like the fun looking animals. i may decorate the frames too, if i have the time.

2. bastis hook $1.99 each
4 of these cute hooks for the quirky friends i know.

3. motorp cd storage box $4.99
help a music fan organise his/her cds.

4. trollfjorden toiletries bag $4.99
one of the most useful things i ever bought. my frequent traveller friend will appreciate this gift. will also stuff in a luxurious body lotion for a nice surprise.

5. isig lantern $14.99
eucalyptus - that's her favourite scent. so, a scented candle block goes in with this.

6. lykta table lamp $12.99
siren red lamp for a friend who could use a dash of colour.

7. statist decoration tree $3.99
some thing that i probably will never buy for myself (because i am too practical for my own good) but makes a great accessory stand for my diva friend.

8. hanna pillow case $6.99
tie a fancy bow over the cushion and add a handwritten tag for instant sweetness.

9. hanna blomma cushion cover $4.99
stuff into the pillowcase a sachet of scented potpourri for a heartwarming touch.


10. skimmer candleholder $9.99
classy gift for a classy lady. glass is in.

11. ovation vase $12.99
love the black and the smooth finish. great addition to aunt z's collection.

12. myken table mirror $9.99
i always feel pretty and girly when i look into this mirror. it must be magic.

13. vurm 4-bottle wine rack $9.99
include a fine bottle of red, if you don't want to look cheapskate like me.


14. groggy ice crusher $12.99
bring the party kit. a few whirls and voila, you have margaritas.

15. falang vase $6.99
simple and understated. a posey or christmas berries to complete the gift.

16. glansa candelabra $9.99
just right for the season.

17. greppa spice mill $9.99
include a sachet of spices with the gift for a personal touch.

18. tripp tin $2.99
fill this with your favourite tea, coffee or cookies and give them away.

for more ideas, view ikea's online holiday brochure.
happy shopping!

need ideas on mounting scavenged lack shelves

"i have what I have identified as two lack shelving (light birch) units one long, one short that we lugged home after finding them on the curb. they did not have hardware and i am trying to find out how to mount them - any help would be appreciated. i am thinking sweged bolts into masonry walls." - beth

beth,
i'm assuming that they are the lack wall shelves. the original would have a concealed mounting hardware (a multi-pronged bracket that you fix to the wall and slot the shelves over the prongs). you can try checking with ikea whether you can buy just the mount, though i doubt it. if not, the stilig brackets may work to hold them up but they won't give you the floating shelf effect.

any other ideas?

hang up your tv

james has this awesome idea for mounting your television set on float mode. also included are shelves for home theatre peripherals neatly tucked under. i love its clutter-free good looks and how amazingly space saving it is.

"since the wall i wanted to mount my tv to is only a 1" drywall, it would not hold up my tv. therefore, i devised a way to use the ikea stolmen wardrobe system to hold my tv. very simple and an awesome way to remove the clutter of cables to/from the tv to peripherals.

the tv is a 32" lcd tv and i used this peerless smart mount (pic). the rear plate of the mount is supposed to be attached to a wall but since my wall won't support the weight of the tv, i chose to use the stolmen rails. the rear plate is attached to the two rails by 6 1/4"x2" hex bolts. if you look at the picture of the tv mount, there are also two vertical pieces; those are screwed into the back of the
tv. then you just hook the two vertical rails to the rear plate. real simple, very sturdy, and looks great!"

taking a cue from here, you can easily build an entire home theatre display unit from the stolmen series. best thing is, simply add more shelves and poles if your set grows.

jacob's version (updated 30 april 2008)

diy mood lamp

i was very glad when i stumbled on toon's mood lamp. this lovely ikea mylonit table lamp changes moods faster than a chameleon, and just as seamlessly. toon used the larger mylonit lamp (18"), combined it with some nifty wiring, programming and soldering on tiny circuit boards. the end result is totally worth it. great stuff, toon!

of course, nothing beats a video to fully appreciate its multicolour moods. click to view.

for how-to instructions, go here.