I love puzzles, especially the jigsaw type – they’re one of my favourite things to do with my mom (other than baking!). It seems that my puzzle skills have lent themselves to a strange skill…I am an Ikea master. Seriously, my ability to assemble Ikea furniture isn’t normal. And I like it! It’s like a big puzzle, and I feel handy, so I’m always happy to put stuff together.

Last week, my family friends paid me in a bottle of rosé to help assemble their entertainment unit. We had to do it in two sessions for two reasons: time and stripped screws. One thing I’ve learned over the years is that assembly goes much faster with an electric screwdriver, and I forgot to bring mine for the first session. Another common issue is stripped screws, and a key screw in this unit wouldn’t go all the way into its’ hole and it was stripped. I had heard a trick for stripped screws so we tried it out, and it worked wonders! The trick is to use a rubber band – place it (the wider ones work better) between the screw driver and the screw, apply pressure and turn slowly.

Hope this helps alleviate some of your Ikea/DIY frustration!