Ikea+10 Tackles the Turntable

What creative ideas can come from just one common product from Ikea and a budget of $10? When we asked three crafty women to solve the challenge, they transformed a common turntable into everything from a chore chart to a mirror.

Whitney Ulrich from A Mommy’s Life with a Touch of Yellow, her mom, Leanne Jacobs from Organize and Decorate Everything and Whitney’s sister-in-law Brooke Ulrich from All Things Thrifty show what they can do with a spinning turntable.

Whitney Ulrich

End table/spinning stool
I wanted a simple end table that I could put anywhere. I also wanted it to spin so I could use it for many purposes. I love the look of it just simply being a decor end table with cute trinkets on top. I also it would be perfect for when you are sick on the couch and you can put all your sick supplies on it (medicine, tissues, water, crackers, soup) and you can get to all of them while still laying down just by spinning it around. Genius ideas right! I chose the yellow and white so it could go anywhere in my home. The other exciting thing about this one is it is two items in one. It can be used as a spinning stool. Perfect for a small table, for a craft room, kids room, or at a desk. My little boy loved it. He could just spin and spin all day.

Chalkboard activity wheel
Now that the weather is getting nice I want to be outside, my kids want to be outside and we all want something to do. But how do you choose? I love this wheel for that exact purpose. I chose the chalkboard so that it was easy to change out the activities each week, every other week, month, or whenever, plus I am just loving Chalkboards lately! Holla! I love how it spins so it is fun for the kids to take turns picking, but it is still a surprise. You can do big things like going to the zoo or museum or you can do something things like blow bubbles, or go for a bike ride. They can cost money, or be free. It is whatever you want to let them chose from. Perfect for the summer months to keep your kids entertained when they are out of school. Wanna know the best thing about this spinning chart though?! You can use it for whatever you want. Picking a restaurant to eat out at (if you have a hard time choosing like me and my husband do), summer fun list, chores, what to have for dinner that night, learning shapes, letters or numbers for preschool kids, and so much more.

Leanne Jacobs

Picnic Caddy
With warm weather right around the corner I thought an outdoor picnic caddy would be the perfect thing to make to be ready for barbeques on the back deck. I painted the lazy susan a fun color and used inexpensive buckets with chalkboard vinyl labels I made, to hold all the picnic necessities. The center is removable so it can hold flowers, a pitcher of water, or anything else you can think of.
Total cost: Lazy Susan + $7

Rope Mirror
I’ve seen these mirrors in high end catalogs and have been wanting to make one for myself for a fraction of the cost. The lazy susan was the perfect size for a mirror for my mudroom. I purchased the mirror piece from Hobby Lobby. The rope is attached with hot glue. The way it hangs is my favorite part, I used a strap from an old purse and adhered it to the edge of the mirror all the way around then tied more rope to the top to hang it from.
Total cost: Lazy Susan + $6.50

Brooke Ulrich

Chore Chart
As a Mom of four kids, getting the family excited about chores is definitely tough. So, this project is definitely a win/win for families who are trying to teach responsibility and hard work!

I made two charts, one for everyday chores like vacuuming the floor and loading the dishwasher and another chart for more in depth cleaning like bathrooms and kitchen deep cleaning for days like Saturdays. The kids take turns spinning the wheel to get their assignment and all of the sudden doing chores are a fun game!

My kids have been so excited about this chore chart! They have never actually asked me if they could do chores and today two of my kids did so just so they could spin the wheel!

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