This Genius IKEA Hack Is Perfect For Hiding A Wi-Fi Router

The internet is full of hacks and ideas to cover up the unsightly heroes in your home. This includes things like thermostats, phone chargers, TV wires, and Wi-Fi routers. You love what they do, but you'd prefer they did their jobs out of sight. If you have a Wi-Fi router that is killing the carefully curated vibe of your home, you have to be thoughtful about the way you disguise it. Routers have vents that dispel the hot air they produce and keep the mechanism cool. If these vents get blocked, or the router is too contained, it can overheat, so it is crucial that anything used to cover a router must allow for air to circulate.

This hack from Instagram user @the_house_acc, a frustrated router owner and DIYer, is a breathable yet beautiful design created with a simple picture frame from IKEA. It also takes less than 20 minutes to make and can cost less than $20 for supplies. Read more to learn how you can duplicate this hack and some ways to add your creativity to it.

To achieve a similar look, we recommend using the Hovsta 5 by 7-inch frame from IKEA. However, you may need to choose a different frame depending on the size of your router. The Instagram user starts the project by measuring and cutting a leftover piece of cane webbing to fit inside the frame. A thin bead of hot glue along the interior holds the cane webbing in place. The frame is then displayed in front of the router and paired with complementing decor to achieve an intentional look. The Hovsta frame is about 1 inch thick, which helps it to stand on its own.

If you're after a more modern look, you could use IKEA's Ribba Frame, also 1-inch thick and available in black or white. This frame comes in sizes as small as 4 by 6 inches and up to 24 by 35 inches, so there are plenty of options to choose from to find the right size for your router. 

If you can't get your hands on an IKEA frame, don't worry, there are many ways to adjust this design. For example, the Happel Single Picture Frame from Wayfair or the MCS Studio Gallery frame from Amazon are both at least 1 inch thick and can be an excellent alternative. You can also get creative with the color of your frame and paint it a bright hue or a muted tone to blend into the background.

As far as covering the frame opening, there is a lot of room for creativity here. Don't like the look of cane webbing? Simply "slat it with pieces of wood that you have left over," Instagram user @the_house_acc wrote in their caption. To do this, cut equal-width boards (think paint stir sticks or lattice wood) to fit inside the frame and secure them in place with a hot glue gun an equal distance apart. You can paint or stain them for a custom design as well.