We’ve rounded up one hundred IKEA hacks that prove you can have champagne tastes on a beer budget. Each of these hacks illustrates the power of transformation – basic warehouse pieces are cleverly altered in beautiful ways that make them feel custom. This round up has me feeling like Aladdin on a magic carpet ride – so come along with me! I can open your eyes, take you wonder by wonder, over, sideways and under on a magic IKEA hack ride. All hacks are listed in alphabetical order by their original IKEA birth name.
Note: we tried to find all of these and make sure they’re still available on IKEA.com. Some models have been discontinued, but you can usually find a similar item to substitute.
We’ve reached the weekend of BBQs and graduation parties! It’s kind of like the official kick-off to summer. Celebrate with some simple and custom wood coasters!
Cut from wooden blocks and painted black and white, these coasters are simple enough and match any party color scheme. Head over to Jade & Fern for the full tutorial!
As a borderline obsessive flower lover, I’m always on the hunt for new vases and centerpiece ideas. So when I ran across a beautiful rectangular glass container on Amazon, I knew I had to have it (and make something out of it, of course). Click through to check out the resulting trough-style vase that I came up with.
It has space for four stems, and all four draw from the trough of water below. The wooden top is removable, and keeps the stems securely in place. And it’s really quite simple to make! So let’s get started.
Before you begin, make sure that the larger piece of wood has the exact same measurements as the outside of the glass centerpiece vase and that the smaller piece fits snugly in the interior of the top of the glass vase. If not, sand it down so that it fits nicely. Apply a healthy dose of glue to the larger piece of wood, leaving about a 1/2 inch glue-less around the edges.
Place the smaller piece of wood on top of the larger one, pressing down firmly. Make sure it is centered. Let it dry for a minute or two until it is quite tacky but not completely adhered.
Place it on top of the glass centerpiece vase to make sure that the wood pieces are aligned so that they fit perfectly into the top of the glass vase. Remove it and let it dry for a couple of hours.
Next, find the horizontal center line of the wood and place four dots along that line as shown above. They should be evenly spaced, with two inches between each dot. Drill a hole down through each mark. Don’t forget to place a piece of scrap wood underneath. Sand any rough edges.
Remove the tape, let the paint dry, and you’re finished! Fill the glass vase with water and insert four stems for a unique centerpiece for your dinner table, kitchen island or accent table.
This is sure to be a conversation starter, thanks to its unusual design and contemporary vibe. You can change the look of it by trying different types of flowers… calla lilies would lend a modern feel, while daisies would give it a more rustic sensibility.
You might also consider a different color or even a different finish for the top part – a dark stain would be beautiful, or a metallic rose gold would look super glam.
While this project looks like it would be difficult to complete, it’s actually surprisingly simple and quick to finish. You should be able to do it in an hour or two (not including drying time), depending on how quickly you work. Feel free to post questions or links to your own versions in the comments section below!
Share this post on Pinterest! [Photo: Faith Towers]
A stop block makes cutting multiple pieces of wood on a miter saw faster and easy.
A stop block is a simple reusable jig used in woodworking to mark an edge so multiple pieces of wood can be cut quickly and uniformly.
It can get tiresome to stop and measure each piece before you cut it, so built-in stop blocks keep you working at a steady and fast pace.
The hold-down clamps that come with most power miter saws are useful for securing a stop block when making repetitive cuts. But they’re only useful for cutting short pieces because it limits the length of board you can cut.
For bigger projects like decks and railing, long cuts of wood typically won’t fit within a standard stop block. Cutting these pieces shouldn’t take up the majority of your time. This time is better spent on getting these pieces together and your project complete.
However, you can make an extended stop block using a framing square. This technique works well for making repetitive cuts between about 16 inches and 23 inches long.
Here’s how you do it:
First, use two spring clamps or short bar clamps to secure the framing square to the saw’s fence. Extend it out to the length you need the board to be.
Check to confirm the distance from the blade to the vertical tongue of the framing square equals the desired length of the pieces you’re cutting.
Then, carefully slide the board up against the edge of the square’s tongue and make the cut.
Repeat to make repetitive cuts to produce pieces of all the same exact length.
