dancing horses

dancing horses

Sunday, January 13, 2019

Ikea Hacks

Winter has hit with a vengeance. I don't know that I will ever be warm again. While I am happy that  I am not shovelling snow,  I hate that I  can't ride or play in the snow. The ring thawed enough for one ride but since then it's been rock hard.

Since I can't write about riding I thought I would show some tack room organizing items. I love reading posts from other bloggers about their organization.

 I love Ikea but for many years we did not have an Ikea in our province. Last year a new store opened and every now and then Ed and I head in to browse (clearly we are the most exciting couple you would want to meet).

What I really like is looking at their stuff and seeing how I can make use of it for the stable. I don't always find things for that but I do find stuff for my home. But here are two finds that I love.

#1. Multi-towel racks: These are perfect for hanging my saddle pads. They fit the dressage size pad easily. They are easy to install and make use of wall space:

I love that there is separation allowing them to dry.
I have three of them to hold my saddle pads. It's a great way to display my impulse boxing day sale purchase:
I don't have a saddle pad problem. Nope. Not me. 
It will match the brow band so I had to buy it......., right?

#2: Stackable Storage bins: These are designed for recycling. But I loved how they stacked. Ed loved their price. Each bin can hold one bag of feed. While they can stack, the weight of feed is too much for the lid so Ed made me a shelf:


They look so much neater than the garbage cans I was using. The tack room seems to have more floor space with this solution.

Share some of your finds- I'd love to read about them.


32 comments:

  1. i really need to innovate how i store saddle pads - and LOVE your idea! it won't work in exactly that same way for the space that i have, but maybe something similar? hmm... food for thought lol. also stay warm! we're finally getting our first proper snow of the season here and it makes me sad lol

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    1. Trying to stay warm. I hate January/February- everything just seems cold and bleak.

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  2. I love the storage bins! I’m using Rubbermaid tubs and they work, but... those lids are so nice! I hate having to take the lid all the way off to scoop grain... of course I have 8 grain bins (need 9) for my herd of 3... they’re high maintenance! But one day maybe I’ll make a change.

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    1. I have a love/hate relationship with rubbermaid bins. I use them for the bird seed and curse them all the time. depending on room 9 would be possible. I do love the flip lids.

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    1. I know! As soon as I saw them I was all excited.

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  4. Great ideas. I’m thinking since there’s not much going on with the weather here I might do a tack room post. We have bins for storage also and racks for saddle pads. It’s a great idea and space saver. Love the impulse purchase!

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    1. I love seeing others tack rooms! I am quite chuffed with the pad. Haven't used it yet though.

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  5. I actually hate Ikea because ours is always super crowded and takes forever to get through, but that saddle pad rack is awesome!

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    1. It's all about the timing..... :) At least here anyway. Now it's not too bad. Before Christmas and when the universities are starting up are times to avoid at all costs

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  6. Very cool I love organization ideas

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    1. Me too. I love ones that work too. I have tried some ideas that seemed like they would work but didn't.

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  7. Carmen is going to look lovely in that purple pad + the browband!!! Love your solutions! The Ikea closest to us is an hour away, so when we go we tend to walk around for a few hours. I think we'd get along. ;)

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    1. I am excited to put it all together. Our Ikea is an hour away as well. It's fun to walk around and look at the stuff. We would definitely get along.

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  8. Love those saddle pad holders. I've had lots of IKEA stuff in the house over the years, but I don't think anything in the barn. We were gifted a (not ikea) metal storage cabinet - the kind in office supply rooms - and used it at our previous barn. It was great for storing medications, treats, paperwork, and anything else we didn't want rodents chewing on.

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    1. Those metal closets are fantastic. I wouldn't mind one myself. Now that you have this lovely new property you may find that it will be useful!

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  9. Going to Ikea this week to buy those towel racks! I desperately need a better solution for saddle pads seeing as my garage is also my tack room!

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    1. I hope you find them as useful as I do. I love them!

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  10. Oooh...those towel racks are a great idea. I stack my pads...all two of them...but being able to hang them like that would be way better

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    1. I tried stacking them but found it to be too easy for them to get dirty/musty. FYI, they do have 2 bar towel racks too.....Although how you live with just two is beyond my ken.

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  11. I have those same ikea bins! They are awesome.

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    1. That is good to know. You are close to the Ottawa store I think? I got lost in that store!

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  12. Oooh I love these ideas. I don't have my own barn yet but I love seeing how others organize and layout their barns!

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    1. I STILL love doing that! It's fun to see how people organize.

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  13. I estimate you have 12 saddle pads - am I off? I have three and I want more, like some sort of addict. I do not even need three!

    For hanging them, I have two broom handles hanging from hay twine from two nails in the ceiling cutting the tack room/garden shed in half. The lower broom handle hangs from the upper one, so it's a two-tier system. An American visited me and said, "Wow, that is so ghetto." But I love my ghetto rack, it works and holds all three saddle pads (overlapping with the dirty/wet one on top) and my girth and saddle bags. The top broom handle holds a rump rug and cooler. Since the room is open to the wind, my rack swings around a lot, which helps dry things.

    Since there's no Rubbermaid in Germany, I treasure my two blue bins that rode on the airplane in the horse box with Baasha and me: )

    We should all take photos of our tack room and organization ideas and blog about it!

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    1. You are a little off *cough*. I keep the 'active' pad on the saddle to dry. I do have older ones that I don't use as pads anymore but serve as a cat bed....Of course that doesn't count. Ed had made me a device like you describe but it didn't work well for all my pads.... I can't imagine life without plastic bins!

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  14. I freaking love this post! I'm going to use some of these ideas in my tack room later this year.

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    1. It is so exciting to plan a new tack room/barn....

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  15. I have a friend who was getting rid of a crib. My dad took the fontt piece with the slats and made some sort of bracket so it stayed away the wall when mounted. She uses it for her saddle pads and blankets.

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