My IKEA hack: HOL storage table to laundry basket

A while back now I bought an IKEA HOL storage table with the intention of converting it into a laundry basket. When it arrived MOH set to work putting it together, and he did a great job.

And it soon made it upstairs and filled the space in our bedroom, the one that if our bedroom had been a hotel room then it's the place where the suitcase rack would be....

And for a while, that's how it stayed. For quite a while actually until I remembered that one of my aims for this year was to master my sewing machine. That prompted me to dig out my sewing machine and finally get around to sewing a liner.  And in case you're wondering the picture that's resting on it in the photo above now hangs above it on the wall, and is a good match for the colours we have in our bedroom.

On a trip to the large orange DIY store I bought these brackets and some dowel to rest in them. The brackets are actually for a wardrobe but they work just as well here. The dowel was cut so it's easy to lift it out of the bracket.

The liner is made from cream lining fabric and is in essence a rectangular box. I measured and measured and then cut the material to size - one of these days I'll advance to using a pattern I'm sure!

I added three tabs with contrasting stitching to thread the dowels through and to ensure the liner stays in place. Using the pinking shears gives a nice finish and ensures the material won't fray either.  As it's easy to slip on and off the dowels it means if it gets a bit smelly then I can easily wash it too. 

And so, there you have it a fully functioning laundry basket - photographed thankfully sans dirty washing!

How to you adapt your IKEA purchases?