What Do You Do With Your Leftover Ikea Tools?

updated May 9, 2019

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(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)

If you’re a frequent or even periodic Ikea shopper, chances are that you’ve accrued a batch of Ikea tools, like allen keys. We just can’t stomach throwing them out, so we were pleased to see this question posted on the blog, How Can I Recycle This? Check out some of the ideas below the jump, then tell us yours!…

A few of the suggestions:

– taping the tool to the underside of the original piece of furniture so that it’s easy to tighten the screws when they inevitably loosen

– use as tent stakes

– make a windchime

– return them to Ikea to recycle the metal

– make them into drillbits as posted on Lifehacker

One reader suggested that Ikea just make the tools visible and available at checkout instead of automatically including them in all of their products. And another reader contacted Ikea with concern about the Ikea tools and as of June 2008, the response was this: “they are planning to introduce new measures to address this type of thing – but it’s logistically difficult.”

To see more suggestions for what to do with your supply of Ikea tools, including the contact information for an artist who might want your tools, check out the original post here.

We’d like to hear what you do with your leftover Ikea tools!

(Image: flickr member Abrinsky licensed under Creative Commons)

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