Skip to main content

Transform Your Ikea Storage Boxes!



It's funny how stumbling across something as you wander around the internet sets you off on a new project. I was looking for storage for my bedroom and found a website called Ikea Hackers where people have altered items bought from Ikea. There was a post on how someone had pimped their Ikea Moppe mini drawers to resemble those library card storage drawers that are so expensive to buy now. I found the blog post by Kristine of The Painted Hive which explains how she did it and I was inspired to have a go myself!
First I had to buy the drawers. There isn't an Ikea near Eastbourne, well there are stores at Lakeside and Croydon but they're a bit far unless you want to make a day of it. Blessed will be the day they open an Ikea in Brighton! I'm afraid I am an Ikea virgin and have yet to set foot in a store with all their things of loveliness I can only drool over from afar. So I bought the drawers on Amazon instead.......


I sanded the unit to smooth the untreated pine and to round the corners slightly before wiping with a damp cloth to remove the dust. I did this outside on a freezing day and could only just feel my hands by the time I'd finished! After I'd warmed up I decorated the front of the drawers with a stamped design.


I used some of the stamps I use for etching copper with Stayz On ink and stamped the "back" of the drawers as I was going to add knobs to them and didn't want the finger holes visible. I then stained the pine with a dark oak coloured wood dye. I gave it two coats, leaving it to dry for an hour between coats.



 I then applied two coats of Danish Oil which soaks into the wood and gives it a soft shine. I was really pleased with the colour and the way it brings out the grain.



Then it was time for knobs! I had planned on antique brass knobs but doing a search I discovered the wonderful world of ceramic knobs! Ooh, they are lovely! Especially the hand painted Indian style which made it very hard to choose. I was going to stick to smallish one's as the drawers are small but went for 4cm knobs in the end (there's more choice in the bigger sizes). I choose some orange and cream painted knobs from eBay.......eventually.



After drilling holes for the knobs and using my round jewellery needle file to make them bigger (didn't have a big enough drill bit!) the knobs were fitted. Ta da! An uninspired plain pine box transformed!



I really enjoyed the whole project as it was nice to do something different and not jewellery related. Now I want to do some more!








Comments

  1. Very interesting idea and tutorial!Beautiful transformation!
    ❁Anna
    Snapshotjewellery

    ReplyDelete
  2. I really like it.
    Given me a plan for a 'treasure' box for the children now.
    Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  3. These turned out beautifully! I've never been to Ikea either but am hoping to go soon with a friend who need craft room organization. The closest one is over an hour away.

    ReplyDelete
  4. They look so great! It was worth the trip indeed!!

    ReplyDelete
  5. well done you, these look fab, I love ikea, but my husband hates it with a passion, think I will have to get myself at set of these drawers, Thanks for sharing ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  6. They look great! Well done. We have some in our playroom, but they look nothing like that. Amazing transformation.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I love ikea hackers- its a fab site. Your drawers are gorgeous,, so pretty. Thanks for sharing
    Gemxxx

    ReplyDelete
  8. What a beautiful result. Love the idea of the stamping design and turning the drawers backwards is brilliant!
    jenni

    ReplyDelete
  9. Wow i absolutely love this, I'm really inspired now to do this myself! Where did you buy the knobs?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think it was ebay, I looked at so many knobs I got a bit knob obssessed (!)

      Delete

Post a Comment

Your comments and questions are very welcome!
If you would prefer to contact me directly please use the contact form on my "get in touch" page.

Popular posts from this blog

Combining Soldering And Enamel

The need to make cute, brightly coloured enamel studs propelled me into the world of combining soldering with enamel a couple of years ago. I knew from reading up on it that it was possible to enamel and solder on the same piece but wasn't too confident I was able to do it back then. It was a slightly embarrassing occurance that made me just get on with - I'd made some enamel studs with glued on stud posts. I'd used 2 part epoxy resin which was a job in itself as it set hard after 5 minutes so I had to keep mixing more up. The finished studs looked ok but that little voice in my head kept asking "are you sure you want to use glue?" I wasn't but didn't think I had any other way to do it so I used glue. I sold my first pair and merrily sent them on their way to Canada. A couple of week later the buyer got in touch to say the stud post had come off one of the earrings and the other was hanging off. I was mortified, apologized profusely and refunded her m

Etching Silver Using Nail Art Stamps

So my love/hate relationship with etching sterling silver continues. I've tried a few times now and always end up with different results most of them not that great to be honest. I've tried connecting the silver and a piece of copper to a 9v battery and also heating the ferric nitrate. Sometimes the results are good sometimes not so good. I currently have an etched piece of silver sheet waiting to be reticulated and rid it of the mess that is the etched "pattern".  I now know that using stamps and Stayz On ink just doesn't work with silver - the time needed to etch using ferric nitrate is much longer than etching copper and the ink starts to wear away after about an hour. This results in the pattern being patchy as the resist is eaten away and the silver ends up quite lumpy and course looking. I have yet to try using pnp paper. I don't know why but it all seems a bit of a faff to do. I don't have a laser printer so would need to find somewhere or

Embossing Metal With My Sizzix Bigshot

I must admit up until a few weeks ago I was vaguely familiar with the name Sizzix but as to what you actually did with a "Sizzix" I was completely in the dark! That was until I stumbled across a video from Vintaj showing how you could use their embossing folders with a Bigshot to create designs on metal ("metal" - my favourite word after chocolate!) I was really impressed and itching to have a go, I just needed a Bigshot........ I waited a few weeks then when the urge to possess one overcame me I went out debit card at the ready..............and the shop had sold out! So I trundled off to The Range on the off chance and came home clutching my own surprisingly heavy pink and black wonder machine. It sat on the dining room table for a couple of days while I waited for the embossing folders I'd ordered online to arrive then the time came to start playing! I started with some pre-cut 24g copper hearts and the Wildflower Vines and the Butterfly Swirls Deco