Introduction: IKEA TABLESCAPE

About: I'm a creative producer, curator, writer and artist based in Amsterdam. I like to create spaces that invite participation on a content level. I don't know so much, please teach me.
This one is for IKEA Hackers with big families who love coming around for birthdays, weddings, funerals & reunions.  It could also function as a setting for an Instructables Restaurant.



Step 1: Ingredients

This is what you need:

- An evening prior to the event, and enough space to play around and store the stuff.
 
- 50 Lack tables from IKEA at 4,99 each. The 4,99 ones are the simplest and the most versatile (but you could get a bit more adventurous). They come in a variety of shapes and colors. Mixing the colors creates an extra festive effect (but you might wanna go for black if it's for a funeral).

- Gaffer Tape (the handyman's tool).

- Some cool friends or relatives who like to make stuff. If they're not into that, promise beer and pizza.

- If you promise beer and pizza, put beer and pizza on the ingredients list.

That's all.

Step 2: 50 Tables X 4 Legs = a Sore Arm

Twisting the legs into the Lacks gets painful after about 3 tables. That's where the Hack-a-Lack comes in. It's not just completely painless to use, it's fast! Make one, you won't regret it!

It's easy and they are conveniently made from one leg of a lack table so 4,99 buys you 4 Hack-a-Lacks! And you still have the top left to play around with.




Step 3: Stimulate Play & Make a Mess

If you did manage to get the cool friends together you did most of the work, although you might want to suggest doing a contest on who is the fastest Lack screwer. 

WHATEVER YOU DO, DON'T CLEAN UP THE MESS, DON'T PUT THE TABLES IN A NICE STACK, LEAVE THEM WHERE EVER THEY END UP.

Step 4: Built Stuff

The finished Lack tables are very good elements or building blocks for almost any structure. Here we focus on a tablescape but it could just as well be an iglo (I bet that would be a very popular instructable).

You can use gaffer tape to make it stronger and to create more possibilities. 

Just let everybody come up with ideas.

This may take one hour or the whole day. It's up to you.

WHATEVER YOU DO, DON'T CLEAN UP THE MESS, DON'T PUT THE TABLES IN A NICE STACK, LEAVE THEM WHERE EVER THEY END UP.

Step 5: Take a Distance & Photos

When your production party is coming to an end take some distance, then turn around and take it all in.

Walk around, enjoy the little see-throughs, spontaneous pathways and differences of height.

Then take lots of photographs from every possible angle.

Step 6: Stack'em & Store'em.

If you twist and turn you can get 5 Lack tables on top of eachother.


Step 7: Stage'em.

On the morning of the family get together have some prints of your photographs as a reminder and restage the whole thing.

The whole idea of NOT CLEANING UP was because somehow the whole setting becomes a lot better if you don't think about it too much. Chances are that in the slipstream of your production something beautiful arrived.

Or actually do whatever you like! You have 50 tables to play around with. What more could you possibly want?

Eh... chairs?