I first saw Hawaiian grass skirts used to conceal clutter in one of my favorite decorating books, Pad. A few years ago, frustrated with the lack of stylish TV stands available, I decided to create my own grass-skirted version with a shelf I bought at Ikea. (Please forgive the poor quality of the photo; I've since upgraded to a new stand and couldn't take another one.)

By attaching the grass skirt to swiveling curtain rods that open and close like cabinets, you have a fun and funky way to conceal your DVD player and DVDs underneath. It's an easy and fun project you can do even if you don't have a lot of hardware expertise. For a list of what you'll need and step-by-step instructions, read more

What You'll Need

• An unfinished wooden shelf large enough to hold your TV. (I used one from Ikea's Ivar system.)
• Paint or stain in the color of your choice, plus a medium-sized paintbrush.
• A pair of swing arm curtain rods in the finish of your choice. These come with hinges; all you have to do is screw them in.
• A screwdriver
• A grass skirt
• String or twine
• A hammer and nail or a drill

How to Make It

1. Before you start the skirt portion of the project, paint the shelf and allow it time to dry.
2. Next, measure the width of the front of your TV stand, and adjust the telescoping curtain rods so that when they meet in the middle, they will fully cover the front of the shelf. To adjust the rod, you simply loosen the screw, pull out the telescoping rod to the desired length, and tighten the screw in the right spot.
3. Lay the curtain rods on the floor, and line up the waist of the grass skirt beneath the rods. Cut two lengths of skirt so that one fits on each rod.
4. Using one long piece of twine, secure the skirt pieces to the rod by "lacing" it. Thread the string between the spaces in the grass, wrap the string around the rod, and repeat for the length of the rod.
5. Once each piece of skirt is secured to the curtain rod, you're ready to install the poles to the shelf. The rods will come with hardware, so you can easily affix it using the accompanying screws. Hold the rod where you want to attach it, and mark the location of the holes with a pencil.
6. Get each hole started with a fine drill bit or simply by hammering a nail partway into the wood. Then, hold the curtain rod brackets flush against the wood and tighten the screws through each hole and into the wood.
7. Ta-da! Your TV stand is now skirted, swiveling, and ready to go.