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34 Of The Most Brilliant DIY Ikea Hacks Ever

We searched high and low for the best (and easiest) ways to upgrade your Ikea furniture. 
34 Of The Most Brilliant DIY Ikea Hacks Ever

Bloggers and DIY-ers everywhere are using Ikea furniture as blank canvases for upgrades, applying paint or switching out hardware to turn the basic products we know and love into custom pieces. Whether you're looking to spend less on a desk, or can't quite seem to find the perfect bar cart, there's probably an Ikea hack that will let you change up an item to better suit your needs. We searched the internet to find the best Ikea hacks, and found these gorgeous projects that are easy to re-create:

Ikea Hacks

Bracket turned wall sconce

Make this Ikea bracket the best $2 you’ve ever spent by making this beautiful DIY wall sconce for your bedside. The full DIY tutorial can be found on Sugar and Cloth.

best Ikea hacksPhoto, Sugar and Cloth.

Classic rug turned fun

Grab some spray paint and acrylic paint and transform an Ikea rug (similar) into an adorable doughnut that your guests will love! See the full DIY on The House that Lars Built.

best Ikea hacksPhoto, Trisha Zemp.

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Plant pot turned pendant chandelier

Grab a few of these Ikea planters to create a genius and beautiful pendant chandelier to light up your room. See the full DIY tutorial on Kitchen Trials.

best Ikea hacksPhoto, Kitchen Trials.

Lantern turned disco ball décor

This glitter lantern tutorial is super easy and would be the perfect addition to the next party you’re hosting. See the full tutorial on Oh Happy Day using this $5 pendant lamp shade

best Ikea hacksPhoto, Oh Happy Day.

Laptop desk turned bar cart

Turn this $40 laptop desk into a beautiful, stylish bar cart. See the full DIY on Style Me Pretty.

best Ikea Hacks VITTSJÖPhoto, Ruth Eileen.

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Kitchen drawer turned shoe storage

Slap some wheels onto this $20 kitchen door for some dreamy shoe storage. Get the full DIY on Ikea.

Best Ikea Hacks VEDDINGEPhoto, Ikea.

Muffin pan turned herb garden

So many things you can do with muffin tins! Including this $15 one, which holds fresh herbs which you can sprinkle on your meals.

Best Ikea Hacks VARDAGEN Muffin panPhoto, Ikea.

Storage cabinet turned headboard

$35 for a two-pack of storage cabinets later, and you’ve got yourself a brand new headboard that also stores linens! Perfect for a small space. See the full DIY on Ikea.

Best Ikea Hacks TRONESPhoto, Ikea.

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Dresser turned desk with tons of storage

Turn this $119 three drawer dresser into a beautiful desk which will seamlessly fit into a small space. See the full DIY on In My Own Style.

Best Ikea Hacks TARVAPhoto, Dianne Henkler.

Boring stool turned fun

These $30 wood stools are calling for a makeover and are easy to transform into fun dip-stools. See the full DIY on Style Me Pretty.

Ikea Hacks SKOGSTA StoolPhoto, Erin Lepperd.

Wardrobe turned statement piece

Give this $755 wardrobe a stylish, wallpapered makeover. See the full DIY at Seasons in Colour.

Ikea Hack PAXPhoto, Jenny Kakoudakis.

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Plastic stool turned chic faux Mongolian perch

These on-trend stools are everywhere at the moment (and most are super expensive.) This one costs $8 (!!) plus supplies. See the full DIY on Darling Darleen.

Best Ikea Hacks MARIUSPhoto, Darleen Meier.

Standard white dresser turned chic side table

Yes, this $70 dresser can look like you splurged. See the full DIY at The Blondie Locks.

Best Ikea Hacks MalmPhoto, Kaylee Giffin.

White dresser turned rustic

This white $200 dresser looks clean and sleek. Make it look antique and completely unique by giving it a rustic twist, using stickers from Behangfabriek.

Best Ikea Hacks MALM 3 drawer chestPhoto, Behangfabriek.

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Bed slats turned bathroom wall organizer

A slatted $10 bed base can easily transform into wall storage for any room. See the full DIY at ICH Designer.

Best Ikea Hacks LURÖYPhoto, Inferior Designer Kristina Steinmetz.

Basic bunk bed turned decorative

This $200 bunk bed frame offers the perfect canvas to get creative. Use these Etsy stickers to transform it into something even more beautiful.

Best Ikea Hacks KURAPhoto, Etsy.

Wooden dresser turned modern

This $249 basic wood dresser can easily look like a modern masterpiece. See the full DIY at Kristina Lynne.

Best Ikea Hacks KOPPANGPhoto, Kristina Hoyle.

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Steel plant shelf turned modern

Take this $30 steel plant stand up a decorative notch by adding on acacia wood details. See the full DIY at Sugar and Cloth.

Best Ikea Hacks IKEA PSPhoto, Jared Rose.

Heat trivet becomes jewelry holder

These $5 heat trivets (that come in a pack of three) make excellent wall jewellery holders. Get the full DIY on Ikea.

Best Ikea Hacks HEAT pot stand2Photo, Ikea.

Plain round mirror turned stylish wall accessory

Attach some affordable leather belts to this $40 mirror for additional character and style. 

Best Ikea Hacks GRUNDTAL MirrorPhoto, Sarah Widman.

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Kitchen cart turned chic bar cart/kitchen island

Some paint, gold hardware and a new surface makes this plain $139 cart an incredibly stylish kitchen piece. See the full DIY at Oliver and Rust.

34 Of The Most Brilliant DIY Ikea Hacks EverPhoto, Meaghan Gizuk.

Crate turned pretty blanket storage

A coat of paint on this $13 crate is all you need to make it a beautiful storage box for throw pillows and blankets.

Best Ikea Hacks KNAGGLIG BoxPhoto, Ikea.

Shelf turned desk

This $50 shelf makes an excellent desk when you add some stylish legs. See the full DIY at Undeclared Panache

Best Ikea Hacks EKBY ALEXPhoto, Lauren Koster.

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Heat trivets turned cork board

Stay organized with a custom cork board using these $5 heat trivets. See the full DIY at Oh Everything Handmade

Best Ikea Hacks HEAT pot standPhoto, Bettina Johnson.

Bookshelves turned kitchen island

These $50 bookshelves make an excellent kitchen island with ample cookbook storage. See the full DIY at Golden Boys and Me

Best Ikea Hacks BILLY ShelvesPhoto, Courtney Affrunti.

Spice rack turned storage shelf

These $4 spice racks can be easily painted and transformed into fun wall storage. See the full DIY at Bondville

Best Ikea Hacks BEKVÄMPhoto, Steph Bond-Hutkin.

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Garden trellis turned inspiration board

This wooden garden trellis (similar) is $20. Hang it on your wall for an instant board to hang inspiration and memos! 

Best Ikea Hacks BARSÖ Trellis

Bookshelves turned stunning built-ins

Ever wonder how to make the $55 Billy bookcase look like a sleek built-in? See the full DIY at Claire Brody Designs.

Best Ikea Hacks BILLY BookcasePhoto, Claire Brody.

Drawers tuned desk

Can’t find a desk big (or small) enough? Just use these two $99 drawer units and a custom-sized surface for the top to make your own like Shift Interiors did here. 

Best Ikea Hacks ALEXPhoto, Tracey Ayton.

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Bookshelves turned home library

Three $50 bookcases can be placed together to create a fabulous home library complete with an envy-worthy ladder. See the full DIY at The Makerista

34 Of The Most Brilliant DIY Ikea Hacks EverPhoto, Gwen Hefner.

Mini drawers turned rustic filing cabinet

This $25 chest of drawers can be easily transformed into a rustic filing cabinet. See the full DIY at The Painted Hive

34 Of The Most Brilliant DIY Ikea Hacks EverPhoto, Kristine Franklin.

Drawer chest turned chic bedside table

A fresh coat of paint and some new drawer pulls transforms a $60 chest of drawers into an elegant bedside table. See the full DIY at Vintage Revivals.

best ikea hacksPhoto, Mandi Gubler.

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Storage bench turned functional small-space mudroom

At the start of a busy day, an organized mudroom is key to geting out the door on time. This $100 storage bench is the perfect base to a functional storage space. See the full DIY at Ikea Hackers.

34 Of The Most Brilliant DIY Ikea Hacks EverPhoto, Amy Taylor.

Wine rack turned herb garden

Have a green thumb? This $13 wine rack doubles as a shelf for a mini herb garden. See the full DIY at Curbly

34 Of The Most Brilliant DIY Ikea Hacks EverPhoto, Faith Towers.

Originally published in 2017; updated in 2019

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