13 Incredible IKEA Hacks You Need To See!

If you’re an IKEA fan, then you won’t want to miss these incredible IKEA hacks! If you’ve never ventured into the land of arrows on the floor and 300,000+ square feet of goodies, then do yourself a favor and go! Wear your comfy shoes and take your biggest car because they’ve got it all. And the best part is, there are so many incredible ways to makeover IKEA products and you’ll still save money over buying elsewhere!

When I first heard of IKEA, it seems people thought of it as starter furniture and temporary furnishings or accessories. I disagree. I don’t want my entire house from IKEA, but I think the quality is good and it’s affordable.  I’ve had an IKEA Ektorp sofa for years and it’s holding up perfectly. I’ve bought throw pillows, dishes, frames, linens, and more and I’ve never had an issue with cheap quality. We have two IKEA Expedit shelving units (these are discontinued, but you can get the Kallax line now.) 

I think it’s like anything else you buy – it depends on how much use it gets and how you take care of it. And it’s a much more affordable option than traditional furniture stores if you’re furnishing a house on a budget like me! This brings me to these incredible IKEA Hacks!

Start planning your shopping trip and DIY skills! Most of these can be done in a weekend! Click on any of the links for the original projects and all the details!

Incredible IKEA Hacks You Can’t Miss!

RAST

I don’t think you can mention IKEA hacks without talking about IKEA RAST hacks. The RAST is a solid wood 3 drawer chest that comes unfinished. It’s about 24″ high and 27″ wide so it’s perfect for a nightstand that will give you tons of storage.

And guess how much?? Here in the States – $34.99!!  

It would be virtually impossible to find a wood nightstand at a typical store for $34.99. Now you do have to assemble it and it’s unfinished, but that means endless possibilities! You have the freedom to do whatever you want with it, in any color or finish.

There are so many good inspirations with the RAST, it was hard to narrow it down!

This project from Anika at Anika’s DIY Life is one of my absolute faves! She took a plain wooden dresser and transformed it into a gorgeous blue with a surprise accent!

This hack would compliment any decor scheme and you can use it for a side table for more storage or nightstands. Whatever you need! Isn’t it gorgeous?? Of course, she used one of my most favorite colors – be sure to get all the details from her site on how to make your own!

And check out this beauty from How to Nest for Less. Bold and full of color and embellishments. I’ve never painted anything this bold and now I’m rethinking my typical neutral scheme! 

Tarva

The IKEA Tarva line is another completely unfinished option that’ll allow you to customize any way you want. There are several options including a tall one and a wide option. The wide one is my favorite.

It’s a six-drawer wooden dresser for $179! An incredible price, even if you factor in paint and supplies to do a makeover. This is one I’d choose for a kid’s room for sure. I’ve got two kids that are 11 and 8 and it’s helpful to have a longer dresser as opposed to a taller one so they can actually reach the drawers! It’s certainly not limited to kids though – it’s all in how you do your IKEA hack!

Like this gorgeous example below from Amanda at Love and Renovations – she turned this plain wood dresser into a stunning changing table/dresser.

I wish I would’ve seen this when my kids were in the changing table stage. Use it as a changing table and then it transitions right along into a regular dresser as they grow!

Or this Tarva chest in a gorgeous stained finish from Cherished Bliss. I love stained wood and this one is no exception. Her choice of hardware and accessories is perfect! It looks classic in her bedroom with the perfect amount of rustic character.

MARIUS Stool

So this stool is a steal at $5.99. Yep – you read that right. Less than 6 bucks for a stool. But, it’s not the greatest-looking piece to start with.

Darling Darleen took this stool and about 10 minutes’ worth of time to transform it into something glam! My next trip to IKEA will include one of these stools for sure!

IKEA Trestles for a DIY Desk

And this next example is one of my own IKEA hacks! I couldn’t be happier with how this DIY Desk turned out!

We made this desk for our $100 Playroom Makeover and I’m so glad we did. My kids have a 6-foot long workspace to color, draw, paint, do homework, or do whatever else they want. There’s plenty of room to spread out and it was so easy to make.

I got lucky and found the FINNVARD trestles on an online yard sale, but they still sell them at IKEA for $50 each – BUT – there’s a less expensive version called the ODDVALD and they’re only $15 each! The only difference is they don’t have a lower shelf. 

IKEA SPICE RACKS

There are a million and one uses for these BEKVAM spice racks and they’re only $4.99 each! You can use them for bookshelves, accessories, actual spices, or any number of things.

One of my favorite examples comes from Bondville. She made the most adorable kid’s study desk and added these spice racks in a super fun color. I won’t lie – I’m super jealous of this setup – I would’ve loved something like this as a kid. Check out her site for all the fun details!

Side Table from Laundry Hamper

This is one of the most clever hacks I’ve seen! Some people can just see the potential in something as ordinary as a laundry hamper – that’s what The Clever Bunny did with this incredible IKEA hack!

It’s the perfect little spot for a pretty plant or holding your keys by the door. This would be an amazing idea for a small space too! Check out her post for all the details! IKEA doesn’t have this exact hamper anymore, but the GRUNDTAL bin would work for this project and it even has casters!

IKEA Billy Bookcases Turned Built Ins

Now, this is not a weekend project unless you’re Wonder Woman, but it’s incredible! Carrie from Lovely Etc had a vision for this project for years and it was well worth the wait.

She transformed ordinary Billy Bookcases (which are around $88 for single and $118 for double) into a wall of built-in shelving that looks custom made and it’s stunning. I have serious house envy reading her post about this one and she gives you all the details on how to do it yourself!

IKEA Nesting Tables Hack

Wait until you see this one! You can get a set of these nesting tables for around $70. Not exactly pennies, but considering the cost of a new coffee table, that’s pretty affordable.

Classy Clutter transformed these tables from basic black to glam in no time! With a little DIY effort, you can create any style you like. Check out their post for all the details!

And this may be one of my favorite living spaces! The bold colors and glam accessories are seriously making me rethink my neutral-loving style! 

IKEA Curtain Hacks

IKEA has an amazing selection of crazy affordable curtains. With a little time and DIY skills, you can make them your own style. Check out how Erin from Top Shelf DIY created these beautiful farmhouse-style curtains with gorgeous pom pom details. 

IKEA Curtains with a Metallic Twist

My Sister’s Suitcase gives you not just one, but three incredible ways to dress up plain IKEA curtains with these easy DIY options. My favorite is the gold vinyl!

Maybe a Silhouette should be on my wishlist so I can make my own. Even if you don’t own a vinyl cutting machine, you can still use their handy ideas with paint or markers. Go check out their post for all the details! I love budget-friendly DIYs and these are a super affordable way to get custom curtains without paying a custom price.

Headboard IKEA hack

And last, but certainly not least is this incredible headboard makeover from Sugar & Cloth. I’m blown away by their creativity with this project.

An ordinary headboard becomes a beautiful focal point for the wall and bed with this easy DIY project. Go check out their post for all the details and find out exactly what they used to create this gorgeous look! 

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Hopefully you’ve enjoyed these incredible IKEA hacks!  Our closest IKEA is about an hour and a half away and that’s probably a good thing for my budget. It’s worth a trip for sure and there are so many incredible ways to makeover their affordable products.

For even more IKEA inspiration – check out Karo from Craftsy Hacks – she’s got 20 IKEA Tarva Hacks that you won’t want to miss!

And for more Budget Friendly Makeover Ideas, check out these posts!

$100 Kitchen Makeover

Affordable DIY Farmhouse Table

DIY Baby Gate

DIY Shiplap Wall