25 Best IKEA Hacks for Kids

Have you ever found the perfect children’s table that was waaaaay out of your price range? IKEA has the solution. One of the greatest things about the Swedish furniture store is how easy the pieces are to upgrade, especially when it comes to the kids. No more dipping into the savings fund to buy your darling a fancy big girl bed. No more crazy expensive customized toy storage. With a little effort, you can turn the affordable IKEA furniture into the enviable pieces in your home. Check out these 25 IKEA hacks for kids and get hacking!

patterned drawers hack

Dresser drawers are possibly the easiest thing to upgrade on any piece of furniture and thankfully, IKEA provides several options for simple dressers. The flat drawers work perfectly for a pattern like this, made with painters tape. It’s a design that would take you a couple hours plus dry time. (via Apartment Therapy)

kitchen upgrade hack

Play kitchens are a great way to keep little hands busy while big hands make real food. While the original DUKTIG Play Kitchen is beautiful on it’s own, a bit of paint and some new knobs will turn it into a unique play piece that you might just end up passing down to your grandchildren. (via Buzzfeed)

nightlight hack

Get your art skills handy because you’re going to want to recreate this sleepy moon night light for your little one’s room. A simple white FADO Table Lamp and some paint will have them smiling as they go to sleep. (via Mommo Design)

spice shelf hack

I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the BEKVAM Spice Rack makes the perfect book shelves for any kiddos. You can add a little color like these shelves or just leave them plain to create a cozy little reading nook to encourage kids to get in the pages. (via Flickr)

dollhouse shelves hack

Fueling the imagination is one of the most important things you can do for your kids, so letting a simple KALLAX Shelving Unit serve as a dollhouse is a great start. Whether you use the IKEA dollhouse furniture or the stuff you already own, you’ll be surprised how a simple shelf can make the best playtime ever. (via Handmade Charlotte)

rocker hack

Okay so maybe this one is more for you than for your baby, but they’ll benefit from the comfort, right? Instead of buying that pricey wingback rocker you’ve had your eye on, go for the STRANDMON chair and attach your own rockers to the bottom. It’s a piece you won’t mind having in your living room when your babes are grown. (via Explore Dream Discover)

closet storage hack

Speaking of babes, such big closets make for so much wasted storage space, even though you’ve filled a rack with all their clothes. Put a KALLAX shelving unit in the middle for added shelf space and add some rods on each side for more hanger space. It will be the best decision you’ve ever made. (via Project Nursery)

painted stools hack

It’s a well known fact that little ones want to be in the middle of whatever you’re doing. Help them participate in your activities with a BEKVAM Step Stool that’s been covered in paint and patterned wallpaper. (via This Little Street)

house loft hack

Good sleep requires good beds. And for a child that doesn’t want to go to sleep, a good bed means an interesting one that will make them want to stay. Upgrade the KURA Loft Bed to a little wooden house that you won’t be able to get your kids out of. Playtime plus sleep time equals a parent win. (via IKEA Hackers)

train table hack

Are you pining the lack of a play room? Stop pining with this sleek train table. Made from a LACK shelf (which can easily be replaced for a KALLAX shelf), casters and a door, this train table provides mobile play space as well as storage. (via IKEA Hackers)

plush houses hack

Little fingers like plush toys. Using the BRITTEN HUS fabric, this tiny plush town is just a simple sewing project away. And think how well it would pair with the train table above! (via Mum’s Grapevine)

diaper cart hack

Diaper supplies can get frustrating during that time of life, especially if you have more than one diapered child. Store all your necessities in the rolling RASKOG Cart for easy access that’s also easy to roll away when you have guests. (via Style Me Pretty)

makros light hack

Sure, you could install the MASKROS Pendant Lamp as a white ball of beauty… Or you could replace the white flowers with colored tissue paper for the best statement light your’ll ever find for your kid’s room. (via Ungt Blod)

car storage hack

Oh the horrors when that little man can’t find his favorite set of wheels. Keep those toy motors in check with a couple GRUNDTAL Magnetic Knife Racks mounted where little hands can reach. No more tears over lost wheels. (via Just a Girl and Her Blog)

mushroom cushion hack

Who would have thought that the plain white MAMMUT Children’s Stools could be turned into cutie toadstools? Your littles will be thrilled to have a table just their size with seats that look like they belong in a fairy tale. In fact, it might even make them eager for mealtimes. (via Apartment Therapy)

city train hack

Take your train table up a notch with some colored foam. Just cut out the houses and glue them onto the sides of the LILLABO Train Set for some real imaginative fun. You can even label some of the buildings so kids can pretend to take their train to the depot, grocery store or town hall. (via Kickcan and Conkers)

Ikea Play Gym

All those gaudy bright baby toys aren’t exactly the look you might be going for in your living room. But with a little paint, you can take the classic birch LEKA Baby Gym to a piece you won’t mind keeping around. All the other moms will wonder where you got it. (via Kaley Ann)

art table hack

One of the easiest ways to entertain a child is to give them a box of crayons. Hack the LATT Children’s Table into the ultimate art station that will encourage the little artists to create to their heart’s content. It can be a drawing pad, chalkboard and smooth surface for play-dough fun. (via Freckles Chick)

stuffed animal storage

Forget the basket and forgo the bin, corral all the stuffed animal friends in a KOMPLEMENT Hanger. They’ll be easy for little eyes to see and little hands to reach, not to mention they’ll create some kid friendly artwork in their bedroom. (via Dose)

pastel drawers hack

You just gotta love the smooth drawer faces on the IKEA drawers, mainly because it makes them so easy to change according to your preference. Cover them in pastel contact paper or paint them or wallpaper them, whatever makes the dresser fun and fitting for your little darling’s room. (via Chic Deco)

lego table hack

Have you ever stepped on a Lego while walking through a room in the dark? It feels like stepping on nails, right? Save your feet and your temper with a special Lego table made from TROFAST Wall Storage that will keep all those tiny pieces from destroying your floor. (via Frugal Fun for Boys)

colorful loft hack

For a quick and easy upgrade for your simple IKEA loft bed, add some matching duvets and banner of the same fabric. But if you have a few hours, a paint of coat is a real spruce up for that baby. (via Kid and Co)

kids table hack

After the insanely affordable cost, the real beauty of the LATT table comes in all the variations of projects. This particular one paints the wood to match and adds a patterned cushion seat. You would never know it was an IKEA piece. (via Cook Like a Champion)

plate rack hack

I know I already recommended the spice rack bookshelf, but I couldn’t resist adding this one too. The simplicity of the STENSTORP Plate Shelf as a bookshelf for kids is just perfect. Plus you have the hangers on the bottom of little things that kids might need to reach. (via Mum’s Grapevine)

knob wall hack

Whenever there is a dispute, hooks always win. A hat or a towel will get hung up on a hook rather than a rail. These fun dotty knobs make an art display along with wall storage space. (via IKEA Blog)