Fuuuck - just bought ds's main gift and it's flat pack, 2 person job and I'm alone

[theduchessstill]

It's a desk and chair for his room and I know he'll love it. I've gone for one with drawers etc which I really shouldn't have. Nearly couldn't get it in the car, broke my nail painfully doing so, had to get it from car to house in pieces as it's so heavy.. and now I have to put it up.

First thing I see is it's a 2 person job. I have no one to ask, and nothing else is wrapped either. House is a shit tip and tomorrow boys will be back from dad's first thing.

Can I do it? Broke up from work yesterday utterly shattered... I really should have thought this through.

Inspiration anyone?

I made an IKEA daybed on my own plus a couple of desks. The bed nearly killed me but the desks were manageable.

I built a desk like that by myself age about 14. I got tired of waiting for my dad to do it !

Pfff a desk? No problem . I can't put up a shelf but I have assembled/disassembled/moved and reassembled two flat pack wardrobes on my own. Just read the instructions through a couple of times and make sure you have the right screwdrivers etc to hand.

Oh god yes and a wardrobe. The doors! I had managed to erase it from my memory.

It's easier to build things by yourself as you don't have to deal with other people's confusion when they can't work out how to do it and won't listen to you. (Bitter experience )

We believe in you, @theduchessstill! It's rough when you're shattered but I bet it'll be easier than you think it is – and the triumph when you've done it will be ENORMOUS.

And @Missythecat, YOU suck it. Are you this unnecessarily snarky in real life?

DurhamDurham

I admit I did that with a £200 bookcase in the summer

Pissed me right off.

Its all in pieces in the downstairs loo & hall

DishranawaywiththeSpoon

Very true.

You should be able to manage it yourself, but make it in the room it is needed in as getting it there afterwards can be hard.

When at the points where someone needs to hold it for the other person to add something on just prop it securely against other furniture/wall etc, supported somehow and fix together. Also, I wouldn't recommend standing it on it's short end with the sides added and then add the other short end. This works for putting it together but is extremely hard to get it upright for one person, it can fall on you or you can break the legs trying to upright it.

Hope it all goes well (and if you're near us we can send someone to help, but what's the chances of you being in Somerset!)

I’ve put together 2 high rise beds, bookshelves, at least 3 desks, 2 single beds, desk chairs (trickier than they should have been), tablefootball and at least 3 sets of drawers by myself.

The only thing I haven’t managed was the shed and the double wardrobe so hats off to the wardrobe poster above

My tips are:Sort all your screws into aplastic box at the start, build it where it is going to live if there’s space and read the instructions carefully.

Thanks everyone. I am at step 3 of 42 - had to go back out as I couldn't find a flat scewdriver .

First bit went ok though so that's good. I'm a single parent but until now have only done a Billy and one of those IKEA chairs with the curvey frame. I tend to get stuck at some point, have a cry then work it out, so hopefully that will happen tonight, ideally without the middle bit.

@theduchessstill I once constructed my tv unit with a dinner knife because i didn't have a flat screwdriver

My dad was unimpressed

We will all be willing you on. Post a photo when you are done. Good luck, you can do it!!!

We once bought a plastic kitchen for the kids. Put it together late, after a few drinks, when they were asleep on Christmas Eve.

We put all the vegetable stickers on the wrong way up! So funny

Build it together. I expect he’d remember that as a lovely Christmas memory.

I built one of those extra tall PAX wardrobes by myself, so I had to build it upright, as it was to tall to by built on the ground and then lifted up.

You can do it. As others have said, find something to lean it against - something with a bit of oomph behind it that won't slide!

I find this kind of stuff extremely difficult so you have my sympathy. Could his dad help you..do it when he drops them back while you head out for a hot chocolate.

Well I've got a wall now - I can't screw the screws in. So annoying, I've tried 3 sizes of screwdriver and none seem to grip the fucking thing. How pathetic. At the crying stage, nearly at stage 11...

Deffo needs a screwdriver and not an allen key?

If it does need the screwdriver, try leaning into it to stop it slipping out.

I hope you managed it. Given it's Christmas I would knock a neighbour and ask for a tool. Hopefully they will also help'

@ladybee28 no I'm generally not. But thanks.

Skater Pleased I'm not the only one

Using a knife instead of a screwdriver is the womanly way, only men need the exact right tool for everything. You can do this OP!

Post a picture of the screws, OP, someone might know what will work. I do the frustrated crying thing too. I had to drag our Xmas tree out into the garden the other week and attack it with a hand saw to get the trunk to fit in the base. There may have been swearing and tears. But I was sat in front of that bastard with a baileys admiring it by nightfall. You can do it!!

You can do it OP