Ikea Hacking

So as you know living in Germany limits your resources for buying home goods, there is no Target, Restoration Hardware, or Pottery Barn and with the outrageous prices/euro to dollar ratio most non-chains are a little pricey. Well what is a girl to do...go to Ikea!

I am sure you have realized by now that almost all of our home accessories and furniture, except the stuff left from Grandma are from Ikea. It is a relatively inexpensive solution to most decorating needs. Sometimes it is not the cutest solution I have ever seen, which brings me to the point of this post. I have been making a few alterations and what I like to think of as improvements to my Ikea products. (For more inspiration of "Ikea Hacking" check out this website: http://www.ikeahackers.net/)

First off, our bedroom trash can. A simple white wicker basket that I got for about 5 Euros. It did the job, but it felt a little cheap because the wicker is semi-plasticy and shiny.

Before Ikea Basket

So I decided to add a little fabric (I bought a cheap fitted sheet in France that I have used on 3 baskets) and some ribbon that I got on sale when a fabric store was closing!

After

Here is where she sits. Not bad for a trash can.

Bedroom Corner....the Bedroom MakeOver is coming soon...just have to finish the pillow for the bed!

Next up are two cork boards that you have seen before in the Guest Room MakeOver. They were a cheap office solution for 4.99 each, but they lacked a little something.

Before Ikea Cork Board

To blend them in with the room I decided to paint the wooden frame green and add some fabric (that I also got when the fabric store was closing for 3 Euros a yard). To get a vibrant green I first primed the frame with white and then added a second coat of the green. I am pretty happy with the result.

Sorry for the poor lighting, I took these at night!

Once I got rolling with the "hacks" I couldn't stop myself. I picked up a cheap serving tray from Ikea last time I was there for 8 euros and decided that there was too much wood in our apartment already.

Wooden Ikea Tray Before

Solution: paint it and add fabric (are you seeing a pattern here?). I went with light grey since we had it leftover from the bathroom and added a striped fabric that blends the colors from our living room together. I still need to do a light sanding on it and glue the edges of the fabric down, but you get the idea. 

After

Thanks Doziers for the great cups, I use them all the time!

I am not sure the fourth "hack" really counts but I will share with you anyways. First I have to confess I am semi-obsessed with Pinterest and got this idea from there, so I am not taking credit. I was looking up fall decorations and came across a great wreath tutorial that looked semi easy so I gave it a try. I did not have any linen fabric (that is what the tutorial called for), but I did have some leftover Ikea curtain material. I decided I would try it first with material I had since it could turn out really ugly and I did not want to invest to much on a DIY project.

I started with a wire hanger and bent it into a ring (this was not as easy as you would think). Next I ripped my leftover white fabric into 3 inch strips (approximately) and started making the wreath. Basically no skill is required, all you do is punch the fabric onto the hanger making 3 inch folds back and forth. As I was going I started twisting the fabric in between folds and decided I liked the texture better along with needing less fabric to fill up the wire. After about 15 minutes my wreath was assembled and I added another scrap of material as a bow. Not the greatest thing I have ever made, but not bad for scraps!

FinIshed Wreath: sorry for the poor picture quality again (night time).

Well hope you enjoyed the Hacking and let me know if you come up with any of your own.