It’s the weekend, time to go to IKEA!
If you’re anything like me, there’s a good chance that you will go to IKEA over the next few days. Maybe you are searching for organisation ideas, a picture frame, a rug or just want to escape the weather.
Like thousands of other Australians, most weekends we end up at either Bunnings or IKEA at some point. (That reminds me, I need to pop into Bunnings when I’ve finished this.) One friend even goes so far as to call it “Mistress Bunnings” as her husband is totally enamoured with Bunnings and visits every weekend usually more than once. Another friend has been known to visit Bunnings more than 8 times in a single weekend, while his partner stocks up at IKEA on every drive to the Sunshine Coast.
My husband, Steve calls IKEA “an air conditioned Bunnings for crafters.” (Pity they don’t have a sausage sizzle, but they do have Swedish meatballs. Those meatballs make some people happy.)
Repurposed IKEA Storage for the Big Shot
Enough about Bunnings. Let’s focus on IKEA.
About six months ago, I went to a Team Create Day hosted my Stampin’ friends Kim and Laura and saw this fantastic idea that I have to share with you. It is simple, effective and may change your crafting!
Next to every big shot, there was a Billingen Drawer Inserts from IKEA containing the Big Shot Brush and it’s foam pad. The purpose was to catch all those tiny pesky bits of paper that are usually scattered all across the table and floor after using the die brush to remove the small cut pieces from the die. This genius solution kept those annoying off-cuts contained!
This idea stayed with me – I just couldn’t get it out of my head. (Do ideas ever get stuck in your head like that?) So after making some enquiries, we trekked to IKEA and braved the “back to school” shoppers. I’ll admit it was the quickest trip to IKEA I’ve even done because I asked the friendly staff in the Bathroom section for help. There was no way, I was getting caught in the noisy hordes of bored children any longer than I had to. Many of their carers looked at the “end of their tethers” . (The long Christmas school holidays can be hell! Yes, I remember them well.)
How much?
You are never going to believe how much it cost. The IKEA Billingen Drawer Inserts were $1.99. So for less than $2 you can have a handy little tray to store your die brush and catch the die cut waste! Bargain!
Take it a step further
As Steve and I entered our kitchen, I explained how I was going to use this insert. I related how often during class the small metal dies were mislaid. (He developed an interest in the Big Shot after using it at On Stage last November). There on the fridge was another solution: a magnetic 2018 calendar from the local estate agent. You’ve seen them haven’t you? They’re prolific in January as every real estate office in our neighbourhood sends them out. (I counted 10 this year) They look at bit like this:
The calendar was carefully cut to size so it fit snugly in the smaller compartment of the drawer insert. Now during class the dies have a safe home rather than ending up scattered over the bench, on the floor or under the fridge (Yes they do end up under the fridge – no idea how!)
This unassuming IKEA drawer insert now, not only contains the die cutting mess, but potentially solves the issue of dies being misplaced. Twice as useful!
My friend saw this set up and exclaimed it would be perfect for her jewellery making classes. She now owns eight! Did I mention the drawer inserts are stackable for easy storage?
The end result
Here’s how the repurposed IKEA drawer insert looks now:
The smaller section contains the magnetic sheet while the other section is the perfect size for the die brush and foam pad. There’s even some room for a roll or three of washi tape that I always keep close to my big shot machine.
Who would have thought a $1.99 IKEA drawer insert and a discarded out of date magnetic calendar would be so useful? If you need more information, don’t hesitate to contact me.
If you don’t yet have a Big Shot die brush and foam pad click the image below to go to my online Stampin’ Up! store to order yours today.
I’d love to hear your craft room hacks, please share them in the comments below. I’ll try anything that makes crafting easier.
