These Ikea hacks will give you more reasons to love your recent furniture haul! Trust me, you’ll get more bang for your buck with these cool ideas. Just like you, I love a good Ikea shopping spree, but most of the time, I like switching up the items I buy with a few changes here and there. Not only does it increase a furniture's function, but it adds a bit of personality as well. Check out our list of the best Ikea hacks you should try today!
Ikea Hacks Everyone Needs To Know
1. Industrial Kitchen Island
Give your kitchen island an industrial feel by painting it in a dark gray color. If you’d like, you can also up its stylish factor by placing a marble top and attaching brass towel holders on the side. This is SUCH an awesome Ikea hack!
- Vintage industrial rustic design kitchen cart
- Distressed wood top and shelf with ash veneer
- Framed in durable rustic iron metal in bronze
- Metal wheels provide the convenience of mobility
2. Geometric Cork Coasters
Give your coasters a new look by cutting them into hexagon shapes — don't forget, it's the shape with 6 sides. Take note of this when you mark your coaster before cutting.
3. Dresser Turned Rolling Desk
Give your Ikea dresser a makeover by turning it into a rolling desk you can use in the bedroom or home office. Don’t forget to hide the drawer glides by attaching a thin piece of wood. If you’d like, you can also hide them using iron-on wood veneers.
- - Solid wood is a durable natural material.
4. Gold and Marble Shelves
Glam up an ordinary Ikea shelf by applying gold spray paint and adding a touch of marble. Don’t worry, the marble won’t even cost you that much because it’s simply a contact paper stuck onto the shelf. What an amazing Ikea hack!
5. Chair Makeover
Give your Ikea chair a whole new look with the help of a Sharpie. It’s so easy to do. Simply grab your Sharpie and place spots all over your chair. That's it!
6. Painted Sideboard
The trick to having clean paint lines on the sideboard's legs is to place strips of tape to mark your painting area. Doing so will allow you to paint over the table without worrying about going over the marked space.
- - You can easily adapt this ready-made Ikea combination to suit your needs and taste using the PAX planning tool.
- - If you want to organize inside you can complement with interior organizers from the KOMPLEMENT series.
- - Adjustable feet make it possible to compensate for any irregularities in the floor.
- - 10-year limited warranty. Read about the terms in the limited warranty brochure.
- - Hinges with integrated dampers catch the door and close it slowly, silently and softly
7. Laptop Table Turned Bar Cart
This is one of the coolest Ikea organizing ideas on this list! Turn this laptop table into the bar cart of your hostess dreams. What I love about this project is how it automatically gives you an extra storage compartment — perfect for all those books on mixology and cocktail recipes.
8. Bookshelves Turned Kitchen Storage
Would you believe this kitchen storage piece was made with a few bookshelves? Aside from attaching the pieces with some drill work, you can also place a butcher’s block on top. Doing so will keep the shelves packed tightly together.
9. Gold Desk
Most of my friends know I’m a little obsessed with gold spray paint. I can’t help it! It instantly makes everything look so stylish! For this project, it’s important to spray the legs first before proceeding with the actual table assembly. That way, you won’t have to worry about the gold paint streaking on the white table top.
10. DIY Desk Under $60
Aside from its price tag, what I love about this DIY desk is how it makes use of two bookshelves from Target — another favorite store of mine. Don’t forget to measure where you’ll be placing the bookshelves — it’s best to ensure they’re placed on opposite ends.
11. Improved Cabinet
Add slim black handles for an improved cabinet for your home. Trust me when I say these handles have saved my nails from breaking countless times.
12. West Elm Inspired Dresser
The coolest Ikea organizing ideas are so easy to make but instantly upgrades your generic furniture, like this hack. Make your bedroom dresser more luxurious with this West Elm inspired Ikea hack. By the way, don’t forget to stain the wood first and let this dry before applying the white paint.
- This furniture must be secured to the wall with the safety device provided to help prevent it from tipping over if a child climbs or hangs on it. Different wall materials require different types of fasteners. Use fasteners suitable for the walls in your home.
- Care instructions Wipe clean with a damp cloth. Wipe dry with a clean cloth. Stains can be removed by using an eraser, fine sandpaper, soap, dishwashing detergent or paint thinner.
- Product description Main parts/ Drawer sides/ Drawer back: Solid pine Back: Fiberboard Drawer bottom: Fiberboard, Acrylic paint
- Key features - Made of solid wood, which is a durable and warm natural material. - If you oil, wax, lacquer or stain the untreated solid wood surface it will be more durable and easy to care for.
- Product dimensions Width: 24 3/8 " Depth: 11 3/4 " Height: 27 1/2 "
13. Hanging Organizer
I think this is one of the best Ikea hacks on this list because it's also one of the easiest to make and is certainly in the running for most creative. Who would’ve thought bed slats could be repurposed as hanging organizers? If you need a bit of help hanging your storage compartments, simply grab an S-hook and place this in between the slats.
14. Side Table Turned Ottoman
Turn an extra side table into an ottoman for your guests to sit on. By the way, I recommend choosing a foam that’s about 2 inches thick. This way, your ottoman will still be comfortable without being too bouncy.
15. Vase Turned Lamp
All you have to do to turn a vase into a lamp is to drill a hole at the bottom of the vase, insert your cable through the hole, connect the lamp base to the cable, and attach the bulb in place at the mouth of the vase. How amazing are these Ikea hacks?
Tip: Use an adhesive to hold the bulb in place.
16. Cage Light Sconces
I’ve always admired the designs of Ikea’s different accessories. Why not put them to good use and show them off by hanging them upside down to make DIY cage light sconces? They’ll definitely make a statement decor item. This is one of my favorite Ikea hacks!
- Uses LEDs, which consumes up to 80% less energy and last 20 times longer than incandescent bulbs
- Adjustable arm for easy directing of light
- Slim and lightweight. Easy to place in small spaces and move to wherever you need light
- This product requires assembly
- Height: 16", Clamping range up to 1 1/4"
17. Clothing Hamper Turned Side Table
This easy Ikea hack only requires 4 items. Repurpose an old clothing hamper’s legs into a side table. All you’ll need are the legs, some spray paint, a wooden board cut to the size of your hamper’s legs, and some wood stain. That’s it!
18. Faux Fur Stool
Remember to place the fabric on the stool seat before attaching the seat to the stool’s legs. Also, don’t forget to leave a 1-inch allowance when cutting your fabric. This will help you tuck in the fabric snugly. Attach this to the bottom of the seat with the help of a hot glue gun. How is that for Ikea hacks?
- - The drawers and doors close silently and softly, thanks to the integrated soft-closing function.
- - The drawers make it easy to store remotes and game controllers when you're not using them.
- - It's easy to keep the cords from your TV and other devices out of sight but close at hand, as there are several cord outlets at the back of the TV bench.
- - The cable outlet at the top lets cords run down smoothly into the TV bench.
- - You can control your electronic equipment with the doors closed, as the remote control works through the glass.
Want to see more Ikea hacks? Press play on the video below:
I don’t know about you, but these Ikea hacks have definitely given me more reasons to hit the much-loved furniture store. There are just so many possibilities you can do with their pieces. Their products are practically blank canvases just waiting to be given a touch of personality. We hope you found our list of the best Ikea hacks useful and that it has helped you on your search for your next DIY project. Happy crafting!
Which Ikea hacks did you like the most? Let us know in the comments section below!
Up Next: Try this Ikea hack and let us know what you think!
Editor's Note: This post was originally published on June 1, 2017, and has been updated for quality and relevancy.
jonnie says
September 16, 2014 at 5:19 pmThese are great hacks.
Robin @ And Then We Tried says
June 14, 2017 at 1:17 pmLove a good hack! Inspired by a West Elm bed, we recently took the Hemnes queen bed from IKEA and upholstered it to make it much more luxe. Check it out here: http://andthenwetried.com/2017/06/west-elm-inspired-diy-leather-tufted-headboard/
Jane Elizabeth Taylor says
July 26, 2017 at 4:33 pmI love Ikea Hacks! I’ve done quite a few on my blog too! https://maflingo.com/ikea-hack-childrens-bedroom-makeover-reveal/