Wanna be a hack?

I know that my posts usually center around grocery and food-related finds, but I just had to indulge a little...

I am an Ikea maniac. I fell in love with Ikea close to 12 years ago, when the nearest one was in Elizabeth, NJ and I could only visit when we were traveling to my grandma's house (later I could add trips to and from my college campus on Staten Island, but I SWEAR that didn't influence my college choice!) I always loved the style, the uniqueness, the CHEAPness...Ikea always satisfied my frugal side as well as my funky side. So maybe this post does have a place in my frugal tips after all :)

How this escaped me for so many years I don't know...but there's a whole Ikea-centric subculture of folks....hackers, if you will....who take old (or piecemeal) Ikea furniture and repurpose it, improve it, customize it, make it a whole new brand of awesome. My husband is a recent Ikea convert AND a tinkerer, so he blew a gasket when I showed him these sites. What I love is that these aren't just people taking Ikea furniture and refinishing it with new paint. These folks take old Ikea pieces and give them new life. They shop in the "as-is" section and turn leftover pieces of random furniture into fabulous and functional new pieces. They take an already economical furnishing option and get even more bang for their buck. Who needs Crate and Barrel when I have Ikea and a screw gun??

Ikea Hacker has a wealth of projects submitted by folks from all over the globe. I could spend a couple of hours just checking out all the great ideas and creative recycling going on here. This tv and music console really piqued hubby's interest, while I was getting geared up about these organization ideas..I'm thinking of using the pot racks to make wall hangings in the living room for my chotchkes and pictures!

This design article from a european website has a few good ideas - especially taking kitchen cabinets, adding legs and turning them into a sideboard.

This guy has pretty much furnished his place with nothing but hacks - I am getting ideas on organizing that pantry of mine...

Here's the ultimate in repurposing...an Ikea shower curtain into a waterproof dress. Can I get shoes to match?

I have to head up there for some funky fabric - my sister in law had a couple of extra firm (and very LONG) bed pillows that she didn't want so I am going to make pillow covers and use them on the couch...I will definitely be visiting the "as-is" section and dusting off my toolbox...








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