How To Assemble Furniture

Okay, you need to furnish your office and you need to do it inexpensively. You found the perfect furniture from IKEA. It's stylish, it's functional and durable, and it's affordable. The only catch is that you have to assemble it yourself. IKEA furniture comes in flat-pack boxes. This type packing keeps the cost of the furniture down and makes it easy to ship, but it also creates a big job for you. No need to panic, though. The job may appear intimidating, but if you follow these tips, you'll end up with beautiful, fully-assembled office furniture.

Enlist the help of a friend or family member if you are going to assemble any large pieces. This furniture is heavy. You'll need help to move it safely and it's always useful to have an extra pair of hands when assembling furniture. This job will be time consuming even with assistance, so it's smartest not to go it alone.

Remember, you don't have to use the tools they provide. If you don't own any tools of your own, the allen wrenches and screwdrivers that come with your IKEA furniture will work, but it is quicker and more effective to use your own power tools. Don't be afraid to add some wood glue to points you think will need extra reinforcement, either.

Get organized. Unpack the entire crate and divide the parts into separate areas. Make sure you have every piece that is required for assembly. Keep the instructions in the same place throughout the process so you don't waste time repeatedly looking for them because you keep laying them in a different spot.

Start the project when you have plenty of time and you are feeling good. This job requires concentration and patience. If your mind is wandering to the meeting you need to be at in two hours or your stress level was high before you even started, this project is going to be more difficult and nerve-racking than it has to be. Focus on assembling one piece of furniture at a time and don't try to rush the process. It is not unusual for it to take a half a day to assemble a large piece of furniture properly, so don't be hard on yourself. You will get it done and done right. You just need to have a little patience.

Read the directions. That sounds obvious, but you would be amazed how many people fail to read the directions and then angrily rant at their helpers, the furniture, the manufacture, and the world in general. Read the entire list of instructions, arranging your parts in order of use as you go. Then start at step one and take it from there.

When you finish this project, the feeling of pride and accomplishment you'll receive is almost intoxicating. Now all you have left to do is call your family and friends over to admire your newly furnished office and to keep humbly acknowledging, "Yes, I did it myself."