The Best IKEA Hacks on the Internet

IKEA hacks are everywhere, as IKEA pieces have long been a cult favorite. DIY stars take pieces of IKEA furniture, put them through a makeover, and create high-end pieces that are reinvigorating the home decor industry. Think personalized home office pieces, built-in bookshelves, and bedside tables. If you need any more convincing, here’s a study done by MoneySuperMarket with the most “hackable” pieces of IKEA furniture. These favorite IKEA pieces include the Kallax shelving unit—with 119 possible hacks—and the famed Billy bookcase. Don’t worry, we rounded up some of the best budget-friendly IKEA hacks from DIY’ers across the globe for you!

Kallax cube shelves

Kristy Letterly of Designing Parkside used two broken Kallax cube shelves to create a craft table for the home office. This luxe and easy hack creates so much storage space for a small space. This piece of furniture took on an entirely new life from cube shelves to a storage unit with a helpful tabletop.

Billy bookcase

This monochromatic take on the IKEA Billy bookcase is a great example of how to transform your living room with some bookshelves and paint.

Sektion kitchen cabinets

Noam Dvir and Daniel Rauchwerger upgraded the standard IKEA kitchen in their New York City apartment with an Arabescato marble backsplash, sleek metal pulls, and a cabinet cut to just the right size to hide the washer and dryer.

This old cupboard went through a fun transformation from a drab gray color to fun black-and-white stripes and red accents. Instead of being hung on the wall, this cabinet got a pair of funky legs. Imagine this fun piece as a side table or dresser or in a small bedroom. So cute!

Tarva dresser

This squiggly upgrade, dreamed up by West Elm display artist Becky Elfes-Terjung, costs only $20. “I had owned the plain Tarva Dresser for a few years and wanted a cheap way to make it feel new and unique before investing in a new dresser,” Elfes-Terjung said.

You could even add some fun knobs to complete the funky look. This chest of drawers went from meh to pretty cool very quickly!

Askvoll nightstands

Kate Banks of @kateflipzit, based in Houston, completely transformed these drawer units into gorgeous, unique nightstands. She outlined her tutorial in this post, so anyone can try out their hand at joining the ranks of IKEA hackers.

“The key with ikea flips is finding a SHAPE you like,” Banks said. “The color, accents, and materials aren’t the most important part since all of those things are changeable. Even the height can be changed!”

Rödeby armrests, a Snudda lazy Susan, and a Nypon plant pot

This DIY is the perfect boho complement to your home. Place your favorite plants, trinkets, and other items on top to create a beautiful accent for your home!

Edsbruk frames

This creator made decorative panel wall molding from picture frames—genius! Who knew IKEA products were the secret to outstanding interior design?

Metod kitchen cabinets

This incredible cabinet hack creates floor-to-ceiling storage solutions. It’s in a multipurpose room used as a home office, guest room, and yoga space. Dreamy!

Ivar

This beautiful entryway piece is a sure showstopper. Don’t be afraid to get creative with your takes on home decor! This nature-inspired piece blends imagination and utility to wonderfully enhance the Ivar cabinet.

Shayna Alnwick of @theflippedpiece made a lovely room divider that’s perfect for added privacy in smaller spaces.

“I’m a MASSIVE IKEA fan and I go to IKEA at least once a week,” she said. “I always look at their furniture with views of how I can recreate it to fit in my home. When I saw the IVAR shelf sides, I knew they could be used as great panels for a room divider and a place to hang my scarfs, bags and necklaces!”

Blanda

Magdalena Wöckinger, based in Vienna, created a lovely cottagecore lamp to bring warmth into her home. We can’t get over how cute this glowing mushroom is!

“I wanted a table lamp that would spread cozy light. Similar models to buy were very expensive, so I just made it myself,” she said. “It now sits on a small table in the living room and is always turned on in the evening for a cozy mood.”

Rödeby

This IKEA piece is extremely versatile. You can use it for plenty of DIY projects—like adding fun texture to sideboards and decorating IKEA cabinet doors.

This easy hack used the tray to create a mounted bedside table. You could also use this piece as a jewelry organizer or storage space in another area of your home.

Another use is a fun pendant light! Blogger Aubrey Lambalot, based in Boston, came up with this trendy design. You’ll love how it instantly lightens up your space (literally and figuratively).

“IKEA is the hub for DIY items,” Lambalot said. “There really are so many things you can turn into a DIY from their store that are affordable. You want to go into IKEA with a plan on what you want or need for your DIY so you don’t get overwhelmed or forget anything.”

Billy Oxberg cabinet

Erika Ver, based in Cleveland, Ohio, created a gorgeous boho-inspired cabinet with beautiful detailing. This is the perfect spot to display your prized trinkets and decor items.

“The beauty of IKEA furniture is the items often are easy to ‘hack’ and transform into something else because their designs are usually simple and streamlined,” Ver said. “If you aren’t familiar with using power tools, you could still do this project with a thinner particle board or foam board you can cut with a box cutter, and you can use half-round foam dowels on the bottom from the craft store that are easily cut by scissors.”

Variera

Sarah Teresinski of Dallas dreamed up a fun wall sconce created out of a plastic bag holder. Talk about imagination! You don’t always have to go big to create an impactful upcycle—pay attention to the small pieces too!

“I am not a big fan of harsh overhead lighting,” she said. “I have a lot of chandeliers and sconces in my home, so I’m always looking for new creative ways to make sconces that don’t need to be hardwired and I thought this trash bag holder was the absolute perfect base to create a sconce!”