The IKEA Hack That Will Give You The Most Stylish Potting Bench

When most of us think of IKEA, we think about ways to use items from the home goods store to decorate and organize the inside of our homes. But it also offers items for outside your home. IKEA's FÖRHÖJA cart can actually double as a beautiful custom potting bench for your garden. Catherine Carton of The Daily Dress Diaries repurposes the birch kitchen cart by painting it a pretty pink and adding a few extra touches to make it more functional. 

To make this project as simple as possible, she used primer-infused chalk paint that can go directly on the wood without a first coat. She chose to paint the bottom with Autentico Versante Matt Paint in "Blushed" while leaving the top and wheels with their original wood finish to give it a shabby chic look. She suggests adding two light coats of paint instead of one thick coat to prevent splatter and drips.

Just above her bench, she installed white shelf brackets attached to a reclaimed piece of wood to be used as a shelf for extra storage space while adding to the piece's rustic feel. A hanging hook screw was also installed into the bottom shelf for even more storage. What you're left with is a potting bench that's full of personality and charm. 

Carton originally planned to build a potting bench from scratch but scraped that idea for a simpler solution using a piece from IKEA. She chose the FÖRHÖJA cart for its size and mobility with two wheels and two stationary legs. "I decided to use this in the garden as it is nice and narrow and can be easily moved," Carton wrote on her blog Dainty Dress Diaries.

The IKEA FÖRHÖJA is made from solid wood and can be easily refinished and painted. Since it's a natural material, the wood color changes from a light cream to a slightly amber color over time. While IKEA states that the cart was "tested against our strictest standards for stability, durability, and safety to withstand everyday use in your home for years," it wasn't meant for outdoor use.

So, Carton recommends painting everything with a layer of sealant to protect it from the outdoor elements. She also advises against letting it sit on the grass, as this could rot the wooden legs and wheels. If you can't place your cart on a sold surface, slip some tiles or concrete slabs under it. You'll also want to keep it covered in the winter months or when it's not in use.

The IKEA FÖRHÖJA cart will run you about $150 and offers all the storage you'll need for a potting bench with its 39 ⅜ inch length and 16 ⅞ inch width. The cart stands at a height of 35 ⅜ inches and was made to hold up to nine bottles on each shelf. 

But when used as a potting bench, this gives you room for several pots, small to medium bags of soil, and watering cans. Its two drawers are great for storing your gloves, hand shovels, and other small tools. That upper shelf gives you room for extra pots or to display your completed garden creations.

The hooks hanging from the bottom of this shelf can hold a small hanging plant or can be used to hang your tools. You can also add more hooks if you need them. This IKEA hack creates a darling customized potting cart that allows you to infuse your own personality into it and will definitely make you want to get outside in Mother Nature and get your hands in some dirt more often.