Xin’s pre-Christmas IKEA hack 🔧
Tired of that hand-me-down IKEA cabinet? Xin (@athomewithxin) was, too 🥱 
With Christmas preparations in full swing, Xin turned to her tool kit to get her home looking pristine. As the queen of DIY and upcycling furniture, she had no problem swiftly hacking her IKEA hand-me-down into a show-stopping display cabinet for her plants. Now her guests are bound to be wow-ed 🤯We convinced Xin to set down her tool box, and talk us through how she hacked her IKEA cabinet, alongside her Christmas to-dos and top upcycling projects of 2022 ☕From new build to a home 🏡
“Our house was a new build, so all the finishes were builder-grade and didn’t have much character. We’ve been slowly adding our own touches to it and making it our own.”The IKEA cabinet makeover 🖌
"My cabinet was once a metal IKEA PS cabinet that my neighbor was getting rid of. It was a very loud, fire engine red. I decided to tone it down a bit with some paint. The first step is to clean the cabinet and gently rough it up a little with some sandpaper. This will help the paint adhere better.Then I applied 1 coat of primer, then 2-3 coats of paint on it.The last step is applying a clear finish to protect the paint. I used a water based polyacrylic.I let everything dry really well for a few days before styling it.To prevent the plant pots from scratching the paint, I put a piece of scrap wood on top of the cabinet for some of the heavier planters. ”
A not-so PLANE touch ✨
“My first impression of the PLANE Knobs was ‘wow, these are heavy!’ I am so impressed with the quality of the knobs. The brass really pops against the green cabinet and is such a beautiful way to elevate the upcycled cabinet.”
Xin’s PLANE Knobs have that festive edge 🌿
Pre-christmas to-do list 🎄
"Five jobs that I’ll be working on before Christmas day are: CleaningWrapping giftsCleaningMaking Christmas craftsCleaning"
PLANE tops off Xin’s IKEA cabinet perfectly 👌
Top upcycles of 2022 📅
"I love to upcycle things and give things a new life. My favorite upcycles that I’ve done in 2022 include: reupholstering my 10 year old sofa, turning a cardboard tube into a side table, and turning my pregnancy pillow into a bolster pillow for my bed. I hope to tackle more upcycles in 2023!"Xin’s creative outlet 👩🎨
"For me, DIY is a way to express my creativity. I feel so empowered learning new skills and building things with my own hands. It makes the finished project so much more special, because of the journey you took to get there. Also, DIY’ing can save you a lot of money!"Scroll-stopping inspo 🖼
"I love Instagram for gathering inspiration! My favorite design accounts are:"Chris & Julia of @chrislovesjulia
Heidi of @heidicaillierdesign
Jean of @jeanstofferdesign
Must-listen podcasts 🎧
I’m always listening to a podcast or audiobook when I’m working on a project! My last audiobook was ‘The It Girl’ by Ruth Ware. My favorite podcasts are: A big thanks to Xin for joining us for a TEA BREAK ☕ Why not follow her DIY ventures over at @athomewithxin?
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