Weekend Project: March 2014

Thursday, March 27, 2014

Trofast – Rast Toy Storage

Materials: 2X Trofast Shelves and 2X Rast bedside tables

Description: I wanted to have a cool place to store the kids toys but I thought buying four Trofast sets would look a bit intense. I had two Rast bedside tables which were no longer in use so I decided to put them to good work.

1. Assemble the Trofast shelves according to the directions, or in whatever order you like, they are so easy!

2. Decide were you want the Shelves to go and transfer the holes from the side of a Rast Shelf to the inside of a Trofast runner.

3. to do this I laid the Trofast on its side then lay the Rast shelf inside it. I lined up the edges and transferred the locations of the holes.

4. by pairing a shelf with the Trofast runner I was sure to get the shelf level and all holes straight without complicated markup.

5. I simply positioned a 5mm drill bit in the centre of the runner where I marked the hole location. then repeat for the other Trofast unit

6. To attach the end shelves I simply placed a Rast side piece against the Trofast unit and using the Rast holes as a guide I drilled through the Trofast wall.

7. Simply attach a half assembled Rast Beside table to the Trofast in the usual way using your new holes.

Since Rast is so inexpensive this little hack makes a great way to extend the size and storage capacity of the Trofast units without too much extra expense. The nice thing about this hack is that it can grow or change too!

~ Philip Kieran, Australia

More hacks on IKEAHackers.net

DIY: Wood house with Kura beds

We have Kura´s bed, and we want transform it in a beautiful house for sleep and to dream for two kids… This is our creation…

BEFORE:

PLANIFICATION:

AFTER:

We need:
• Wooden slats
• Pine Cut to size.
• Pine wood cut at 45 ° for beautify the window and door.
• Slats Wood
• Long wood screws with conical head.
• Cordless drill
• Tape close Double-sided.
• Clear matt varnish.

1 – Start by creating a rectangular structure with the same shape of the bed with wooden slats.

2 – It was placed on top and screwed on to the bed.

3 – We started to cover the entire front of the structure that we have created with the bed slats previously been cut as per the drawing. Every 2 or 3 strips will be screwed on to the bed frame or the structure of the upper area we have created.

4 – Put the double sided tape in place and then put decorative moldings.

5 – Sand the surface and corners.

6 – Apply a clear or matte paint with the desired color varnish. In this case we have left natural to give it a Nordic air.

Source: http://www.ikeahackers.net/

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Table top kitchen island

I wanted a kitchen island but my kitchen is too small to have both an eat-in dining table and an island. I searched for a combination table and island. I didn’t find anything suitable.

My “hack” was to take an Ikea Forhoja kitchen cart (cost=$99.99) and make it into a portable table-top island.

I did NOT make the table part of my combo table/island with Ikea pieces (perhaps you could!). I only made the table top island.

The table has two standard legs on one end, but it has a sturdy shelving unit under the other end instead of legs. I had the table made this way to have enough support under the island top. I am not sure the extra support is necessary, but the added shelving space is useful in the kitchen anyway.

The only “hacking” I needed to do was to cut the legs of the Forhoja kitchen cart to the desired length. Prior to any assembly of the cart according to the standard Forhoja instructions, I cut the leg pieces that were provided to 8”. Given the height of my table, the butcher block island top is at the desired height for me to use the island as a prep area. I cut the legs with a power saw. I put masking tape around the legs where I made the cut so I did not damage the legs.

I assembled the top of the unit according to the Forhoja instructions and the rest of the hack was cosmetic. I primed the base, drawers and legs and painted them a high-gloss cream. I added drawer pulls on both sides of the drawers. I added felt pads to the bottom of the legs. I considered adding handles to the sides (and that is possible). But we do not move the island top very often so I decided the handles were unnecessary.

The island top is useful as a prep area (as I expected) but it is also extremely practical while we eat at the table. The drawers are accessible from both sides, so I keep trivets and serving spoons in the drawers. I can keep some hot food items on the island top while we eat instead of having them on the table.

Finally, I also assembled the bottom portion of the kitchen cart with the shorter leg pieces and made it into a computer cart. I bought a piece of ¾” thick hardwood with the same dimensions as the butcher block top that comes with Forhoja cart (approximately $8 at the local hardware store). I used double-sided 3M tape (the thick white kind) to attach the new top to the four legs on the bottom of the cart. I primed and painted the top (high gloss paint). In total, for approximately $110, I have a table top island and a computer cart!

Table top kitchen island

I wanted a kitchen island but my kitchen is too small to have both an eat-in dining table and an island. I searched for a combination table and island. I didn’t find anything suitable.

My “hack” was to take an Ikea Forhoja kitchen cart (cost=$99.99) and make it into a portable table-top island.

I did NOT make the table part of my combo table/island with Ikea pieces (perhaps you could!). I only made the table top island.

Norden gets a new look

I had an old Norden console bought in 1998 which I just put a curtain under. I wanted to change but I did not want to throw it away so I decided to transform it. I boarded the back and the sides of the console with wooden planks. I added two square doors in front and I placed two shelves inside. Then, I added a zone for bottles with 8 cubbies in the centre of the console. I painted it in white (four coats) leaving the top natural. I screwed in two small handles for the doors.