Skip to main content

Pixel Art Retro Games Rug: A Hampen Hack

Pixel Art Retro Games Rug

A pixel art retro gaming rug! This is a super simple IKEA hack that anyone with patience can do.

I went to IKEA to buy a rug and instead came home with some rug squares and an irresistible idea to add a bit of pixel art into my living room!

HAMPEN rugs

HAMPEN rugs

Step 1: Get Things and Plan Your Design

To do this project you will need…

• Hampen Rug squares – I chose these ones because they were “cut pile” which is nice and soft and shaggy
• String – I got through over 100m of this stuff….you’ve been warned!
• Needles – You only need one, but I lost a couple during the project so get a spare or two
• Stanley knife and a few sharp blades
• Nice big ruler the width of your rug squares

Pixel Art Retro Games

Pixel Art Retro Games

I made my design on Photoshop. I set up a canvas that was 19×12 pixels in size, and with the pen set as 1px simply clicked until I was happy. I went with the classic Space Invader with subtle Tetris shapes in the background and spots of green and pink to lighten it up.

Step 2: Cut Down the Rug Squares

I started by cutting the rug squares into 10cm wide strips.

Cut the pixel art squares

Cut the pixel art squares

Looking at the design I figured out where I could save myself some work by working in strips rather than individual squares (you may be able to see this as different shades in the pic).

Then it was just a case of cutting the long strips to the desired length.

Step 3: Stitch and Stitch and Stitch

Now for arduous task of stitching it together.

Stitch it together

Stitch it together

Stitch it together

No big secret here… just hours and days and weeks of sitting on the floor stitching.

Pixel Art Retro Games Rug IKEA HACK

Pixel Art Retro Games Rug IKEA HACK

TOP TIPS

  • Bend the needle so you don’t need to grip so hard.

Bend the needle

  • Sharpen the tip of the needle so it pushes through a bit easier.
  • Take your time – it’s gonna take a while so don’t burn out trying to do too much at once.

And that’s it! Drop me a follow over on Instagram to see frequent updates on what I’m messing around with.

~ by Jonny

Other pixel art hacks you may like

pixel games come to life in ALGOT shelves

Use the holes in the ALGOT shelves to create pixel art. See more here.

The post Pixel Art Retro Games Rug: A Hampen Hack appeared first on IKEA Hackers.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

SKÅDIS: 5 ways to make the IKEA pegboard even better

IKEA introduced its own pegboard system, SKÅDIS, two years ago and I’d say it’s one of the best systems IKEA launched in recent years. I love how super customisable it is, with a growing range of accessories that help keep things organized. It works everywhere, in your wardrobe to bathroom . Probably anywhere you have a flat surface to hang it up. Photo: IKEA.com SKÅDIS pegboard system See it on IKEA.com But no matter how perfect a system, you can trust IKEA hackers to improve on the SKÅDIS. And they’ve settle these 5 issues you may have faced with the handy IKEA pegboard. Read on for their fixes. 5 IKEA SKÅDIS issues and fixes #1 Expensive hooks? You’ll need quite a number of hooks and accessories to fill up the SKÅDIS pegboard, and Kenyer was shocked at how quickly they all added up. So he figured he could make his own hooks to save cost. Photo: Kenyer Over at Instructables , he shows us how to twist copper wires into the SKÅDIS hook shape. It works s...
Post a Comment
Read more

KALLAX desk ideas: Three ways to set up a workstation

Three great ideas for a KALLAX desk . #1 Compact, minimalist desk for laptop I put together a KALLAX desk for my laptop for just under 25 euros. Just a KALLAX 2×2 is needed. No other materials required. IKEA item used: KALLAX 2 x 2 (77 x 77 cm) KALLAX 2×2 | IKEA.com All you need to do is assemble 3 of the pieces in a U shape. That is all.  If you want to strengthen the structure you would need to drill a couple of holes in order to use the long middle shelf of the KALLAX unit as a back reinforcer. Easy and it works. ~ by Fabio Tudela #2 KALLAX standing desk I choose to stand at work because it makes me feel infinitely more productive. Our department recently moved into a new building and we had the opportunity to design our own spaces. Items Used: VIKA AMON / TORNLIDEN table top x 2 (discontinued, replaced by LINNMON ) KALLAX 4 cube x 2 KALLAX drawer unit x 2 8 – 3″ locking casters / wheels 1 – 6′ zinc brace I had a few VIKA AMON tables ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Hackers Help: How to remake cam lock holes?

I want to put a 78.5” wide PAX configuration in a 77” space for a kids room . My plan is to eliminate the drawer on the right unit, then cut the shelves and rails to be 1.5” narrower. My question is, how do people attach two laminated pressboard IKEA pieces after they’ve cut off the cam lock holes? Related: See more Hackers Help questions and answers . Are they using drills bits and/or tiny hole saws to remake the cam lock holes? Or screws drilled in from the outside with wood glue? The outside pieces won’t be visible in my completed setup so I could go either way. I’m curious what other people are doing, either I haven’t seen this detail in past hacks or I haven’t been paying attention. ~ by Jenny *** Hi Jenny The best and tidiest method is to use the cut-off portion as a template to reproduce the same cam lock holes in the correct positions. The right sized drill bits and a  Forstner bit should do the trick. A Forstner bit will drill a flat-bottomed hole (...
Post a Comment
Read more