My Ikea Hack
I am a gardening enthusiast - some may say that I am a fanatic - I have crammed so many plants on my tiny balcony, the critters are starting to call it home. As my plant collection grew, I found that I needed more room on my already overcrowded balcony. I decided that the patio chairs that were on the balcony were too large for the space - If I replaced them with smaller chairs, I will have more room for my plants.
The Martin chair from Ikea provided the almost perfect solution. I am a fan of bold graphics, and these chairs are only available in black. Not to worry, I had a solution.
[caption id="attachment_1367" align="aligncenter" width="400"]
Before and After(s)[/caption]
I reached into my illustration stash and modified 4 of the graphics that I had created for my line of custom graphic pillows. I sized them to fit the chairs. I sent the files off to my favorite printer (spoonflower.com) where they printed the graphics on wallpaper. I chose this medium because its durable, but cotton fabric will work even better. The first print attempt was incorrect, but the guys at spoonflower corrected it and reprinted at no additional cost. (I used the erroneous print in another project).
[caption id="attachment_1369" align="aligncenter" width="400"]
After - The Beach Chair[/caption]
Garden Chair[/caption]
Leave the paper to dry over night, then trim the excess. Next, I assembled the chairs.
[caption id="attachment_1371" align="aligncenter" width="400"]
Squirrel Chair[/caption]
I added several coats of polyurethane to protect my handy work.
[caption id="attachment_1372" align="aligncenter" width="400"]
Another day at the beach[/caption]
I arranged my much smaller chairs on the patio and added more plants:)
The little ones love the new chairs
My plants are enjoying the additional room:)
Before and after
[caption id="attachment_1379" align="aligncenter" width="400"]
Before and after[/caption]
Before and After(s)[/caption]
I reached into my illustration stash and modified 4 of the graphics that I had created for my line of custom graphic pillows. I sized them to fit the chairs. I sent the files off to my favorite printer (spoonflower.com) where they printed the graphics on wallpaper. I chose this medium because its durable, but cotton fabric will work even better. The first print attempt was incorrect, but the guys at spoonflower corrected it and reprinted at no additional cost. (I used the erroneous print in another project).
[caption id="attachment_1369" align="aligncenter" width="400"] After - The Beach Chair[/caption]
To apply the the wallpaper to the chair, simply follow the included instruction - all you need is water, a sponge and a squeegee.
[caption id="attachment_1370" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Garden Chair[/caption]
Leave the paper to dry over night, then trim the excess. Next, I assembled the chairs.
[caption id="attachment_1371" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Squirrel Chair[/caption]
I added several coats of polyurethane to protect my handy work.
[caption id="attachment_1372" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Another day at the beach[/caption]
I arranged my much smaller chairs on the patio and added more plants:)
The little ones love the new chairs
My plants are enjoying the additional room:)
Before and after
[caption id="attachment_1379" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Before and after[/caption]