Weekend Project Ideas: 10 Power Tool-Free IKEA Hacks to Try

updated May 4, 2019
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(Image credit: Smitten Studio)

These IKEA hacks will take some effort, sure. But, you won’t need any power tools, extension cords or impossibly tiny allen wrenches for these transformations. These are the sort of projects you could do in a few hours with some of your existing IKEA furniture (or hey, if you want to get wild and brave IKEA to purchase a fresh piece to hack, knock yourself out). You could enjoy looking at — and using! — these projects by tonight.

Top image: TARVA dresser painted white with new brass handles spotted on Smitten Studio. (She took a saw to trim the legs down a bit, but you could skip that step and just stick to painting and screwing in new hardware).

(Image credit: Projektina Koti)

Cut-out black contact paper or vinyl stickers in geometric shapes can really transform the FROSTA stool, as seen on Projectina Koti.

(Image credit: Style Me Pretty Living)

Copper leaf, marble contact paper and some glue and scissors is all that was needed to transform an IKEA PS 2012 side table, spotted on Style Me Pretty.

(Image credit: Centsational Girl)

Slightly cheating with this mention because at Centsational Girl they use a saw to cut wood drawer front molding, but you could use a miter box for that, or skip that step altogether and just leave the blue burlap edges a little rough.

(Image credit: Lindsay Stephenson)

A simple but surprising IKEA hack of RIBBA frames was spotted on Little House Blog.

(Image credit: From Me With Love)

These sometimes cheap-looking IKEA stools are made to look positively pricey with a gold spritzing of spray paint seen on From Me, With Love.

(Image credit: Ana Antunes)

Another project proving a coat of metallic paint is IKEA hack gold, as seen on Ana Antunes.

(Image credit: Home Story)

Another FROSTA Stool redo spotted on Home Story. I think they used tools to take the stool top off to paint it, but you could leave it on and just be careful with your brush.

(Image credit: Crafty Nest)

IKEA LACK Tables get a graphic make over on Crafty Nest using bamboo veneer.

(Image credit: Sketch 42)

Modge Podge and marbled paper totally turn this LACK Table into a unique project, seen on Sketch42.

Re-edited from a post originally published 2.9.14-NT