Ikea Hack Tote Rack

About 4 years ago, on a trip to Ikea with my roommates, I bought the Tjusic hanging rack. Three ladies sharing a house, we needed something to hang our various purses and totes on, and it was only $10. But, it's ugly. I know ugly is an ugly word, but look at this thing. Even Ikea can't make it look good.

Anyway, it's been hanging in my doorway ever since, dutifully supporting the complex system of tote bags that organizes my life. A couple weeks ago, in a fit of cleaning, I hung just one more little bag on it and crash, down it came. This was not the fault of the rack. No, it was me expecting one little screw to support the weight of my life.

Since it was already on the ground, I decided, I would see this as an opportunity to send something I really dislike to goodwill and replace it with something I really like. To the goodwill pile in the trunk of my car for you, Tjusic. And, after a couple hours online looking, I decided I really wanted one of those very Anthropology racks with the pretty drawer pulls as hooks. Unfortunately, they cost a lot of money.

But, here in Upland, we recently got a Hobby Lobby, and Hobby Lobby is magical. Hobby Lobby has a whole aisle of just drawer pulls and doorknobs, and they're always half off. As soon as I saw them I decided I would make a fancy knob rack! Naturally, I spent about 3 hours in the knob aisle selecting the 5 knobs that would best match my home and my aesthetic. Then, while wandering the nearby Home Depot for a piece of wood to use as a mount, I realized I already had one, and its name was Tjusic.

In one episode of The Mindy Project I managed to remove the ugly Ikea hooks, drill 5 new holes in the mount (just a little smaller than the knob stems) and screw my pretty new knobs in by hand. They're all in tightly enough that I didn't even need to use the nuts on the back, and the wood was the perfect thickness, so the stems don't poke through the other end. Thanks Swedish designers.

A few new holes in the wall (sorry landlords) and I have a $10 upgrade I'm pretty stoked on.