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Linen-wrapped nightstand using IKEA LACK tables

I needed new nightstand and all of the linen-wrapped nightstands I saw online were all much more expensive than I wanted to spend.  

linen-wrapped nightstand ikea LACK hack

Related: Fabric wrapped IKEA RAST chest of drawers

IKEA items used: 
Lack side table

Photo: IKEA.com

Other materials and tools: 
  • 2×2 @8ft
  • 1×5 @6ft
  • 1×3 @6ft
  • Miter saw
  • Circular saw
  • Drill
  • Wood shims
  • Wood glue
  • Kreg jig and Kreg screws
  • Ring pull hardware
  • Joint compound
  • Textured wallpaper
  • 3″ wood screws
  • Drawer slides
  • Brad nailer
  • Brad nails
  • 2′ metal ruler
  • Speed square
  • Mini level
  • 2’x2′ plywood at 1/4″ thick
  • Sandpaper block

Linen-wrapped nightstand instructions: 

Fill hollow legs:

One of the big problems with trying to use LACK tables is that the legs are hollow. So in order to use them to build anything, you need to fill them with wood.  

1. Cut off a few inches from bottoms of LACK table legs until hollow cavity is exposed. Make sure all legs are same length.

2. Insert 2x2s into hollow table legs, mark where legs end.

3. Use a miter saw to cut 2x2s to where you marked

4. Put wood glue on two sides of 2x2s, fill hollow legs with cut 2x2s. There will still be little space between the wood and two sides of the legs. Fill these gaps with wood shims. You just need material in the legs that nails can hold onto.

Assemble LACK table with filled legs.

Take the LACK table with shortened, filled legs and assemble it following IKEA’s instructions. 

Try to screw on the legs as tightly as possible. 

Add side frames.

1. Measure spaces between legs for the two sides and back of the nightstand, and use miter saw to cut the 1×5 to those lengths. 

2. Use Kreg jig and Kreg screws (follow manufacturer’s instructions) to secure boards between legs. 

Add drawer slides.

In order for drawer slides to work, the inner surface between the legs where the drawer slide is installed needs to be completely level/smooth.

You will notice that this is not the case because the legs are about 2″ thick and the board you added for the sides is only 3/4″ thick. 

1. Cut a piece of 1×5 to the length between side legs. Cut this piece of wood in half, horizontally. You should end up with two pieces of 1×2.5.

2. Using wood shims to make sure the 1×2.5 lies level between the two legs, attach this piece using Kreg jig and screws 

3. Add drawer slides per drawer slide instructions.

Build drawer box.

1. Measure opening between the left and right front legs and subtract 1″

2. Cut the plywood to this width using a circular saw. The length is determined by the length of the drawer slide.

3. Use miter saw to cut 1×3 to build all sides of drawer box.

4. Use Kreg jig and screws to assemble drawer box.5. Attach the plywood bottom using brad nailer.

Add drawer slides to drawer box.

Follow drawer slides instruction to add drawer slides to drawer box. Drill pilot holes beforehand. 

drawer
drawer
drawer
Attach bottom LACK table.

1. Turn nightstand built so far upside down so legs are up in the air

2. Stack the table top of second LACK table on the legs of first table with the holes for legs to screw into facing the sky.

3. Drill 3″ wood screws through table top into legs of first table (make sure you are drilling into where the 2x2s are and not into the gaps), avoiding the holes where the legs of the second table will be attached to.

4. Cut legs of bottom LACK table to desired length. Make sure all legs are same length and preserve the ends with holes to screw legs onto table. 

5. Add shortened legs to second table.

Smooth all joints.

Due to the imperfect nature of LACK tables, the surface of the legs and table tops will often not align smoothly. In order to wrap the table with textured wallpaper, it is best to smooth out all of these uneven joints using joint compound. 

compound

This step is the most time consuming because joint compound takes 24 hours to dry and you want to apply it in thin layers. Apply joint compound to any uneven surfaces, sand down, then repeat until joints are all smooth.

Fit and attach drawer front to drawer box.

Cut drawer front from 1×5 using miter saw, attach to drawer box with brad nailer.

Wrap nightstand with wallpaper.

Follow steps here.

Make sure to wipe off any dust created by sanding joint compound before applying wallpaper. Drill hole for hardware and add ring pull hardware.

linen-wrapped nightstand close up
linen-wrapped nightstand ikea LACK hack
linen-wrapped nightstand ikea LACK hack
How long and how much did it cost?

This linen-wrapped nightstand was a side project that I did not work on everyday. It took about 3 weeks and cost about $100 ($60 for 27′ roll of wallpaper, the wood was the cheapest pine wood from a big chain hardware store, and most of the tools I already had, LACK tables were $9.99 each)

What was the hardest part about this hack?

Smoothing joints with joint compound and wrapping wallpaper.

~ by Yurie M

The post Linen-wrapped nightstand using IKEA LACK tables appeared first on IKEA Hackers.

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