IKEA hacks to try soon

IKEA opened its new store in Dartmouth to much fanfare this week and you just know some Islanders are making the trip to the giant Swedish home-goods retailer this weekend, or plan to soon.

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If you can't find enoughinspiration in the store's four football fields of floor space, here are some fun ideas for customizing IKEA's simple, genericdesigns.

There's even a site called ikeahackers.net with hundreds of cool ideas.

1. Nightstand

This simple EKET-cube-turned-nightstand hack is directly from ikeahackers.net.EKET cubes start at $20 and come in a handful of colours, including white, black, navy and orange.

This hacker used hairpin legsadding a very mid-century modern look which is very popular right now. Look for legs at thrift stores like Charlottetown's Habitat for Humanity ReStore.

For the smallest cube and four of the cheapest 11-inch legs from Etsy($14 each) or the Hairpin Leg Shop, I estimate the cost at $76 plus shipping.

2. Custom clock

IKEA has a pretty large selection of wall clocks looks like the hackers at lamaisondannag.blogspot.ca used theBONDIS clock, adding a couple of cognac-coloured leather belts as a hanger.

In fact, Anna G. has a whole post about hacks with the same leather belts read it here. You could also try the same thing with a mirror.

Danny Seo has a video tutorial here, or you can wing it.

With two thrifted leather belts at about $2 each and the $25 clock, plus some super glue like Gorilla brand ($5.88 at Walmart), you're looking at about $35 total.

3. Bar cart

The bar cart trend just keeps heating up here's a fun hack from Style MePretty.

It's aVittsj laptop tablespray painted and with a shelf made ofacrylic or plexiglass, with casters. Find the directions here.

The laptop table is $40, and Speedy Glass in Charlottetown can custom-cut the Lexan acrylic for the bottom shelf for $62.55. Casters can be found at local hardware stores for just a couple of dollars each so you're looking at a total of about $115 for this project.

4. Side table

Customize theRissnanesting side tables any way you want bloggerKristiMurphymade hers super-feminine with some marble-look contact paper and spray paint.

Find the complete directions on kristimurphy.com.

The tables come in a nesting pair, so if you hack just one and add contact paper ($3) and spray paint ($5), the project will cost about $73.

5. Farmhouse table

DIY queen Monica Manginof East Coast Creative calls this "the easiest DIY project on the planet!" but this farmhouse table does involvea lot of screws andan actual table saw.

It takes two Ingotables at $80 each, 10one-by-two framing lumber in 4-foot lengths (hard to find, but you could probably substitute) at about$4 each, and seven two-by-eight pine planks at $25 each, plus some more lumber, screws, sandpaper, stain and polyurethaneto seal for a total price of at least $425.

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