Use Styrofoam To Transform A Simple IKEA Kallax Shelf Into A Piece Of Art

If you often go shopping for furniture, you may be all too familiar with the feeling when you spot a dreamy piece of furniture that is out of your price range. However, creating a jaw-dropping piece of furniture doesn't always have to come at a cost, thanks to this crafty TikTok hack by @architecturesight. Of course, IKEA is already known for its low prices. To get a stunning, custom piece of furniture, all you need is an IKEA Kallax shelf, some styrofoam, and a few other crafting items. The styrofoam acts as a base to help you craft a new shape with a high-end design worthy of bespoke furniture shops.

While it may seem intimidating, you can put yourself at ease by following each step methodologically. You'll just need to set a bit of time aside to commit to it — especially if you're a newbie with DIY. Below, we'll break down how you can create this trendy piece of furniture for yourself.

For this hack, you'll need a few boards of styrofoam, or one for each section of your shelf unit. You'll also need some strong glue, tile adhesive, wax sealer, paint, and baking soda. The creator uses white paint, but you can choose another color if you wish. The styrofoam is really the staple of this hack. So, what about the method itself?

To transform your IKEA Kallax shelf, start by measuring the size of your shelves and cutting out square sections that will fit inside them — both flat-facing and for open holes. You can glue down the ones on the base of the shelf. Fit them snugly inside, and then draw out where you want your new holes to be. These can be in any shape you desire, but for this hack, the shape is that of an arch. Draw these on, then cut them out to create an arch-like hole. Place them back into your shelf, use your adhesive paste, and spread it through the inside and outside of the shelves. Once it's dry, rub it down so the surface evens out and is flat. Now, all that's left to do is paint it and leave it to dry! Just make sure to mix some baking soda with your paint, which will help create the beautiful finish you see in the video. Once it's dry, you can apply some protective wax.

The main reason this IKEA Kallax shelf hack works so well is because the styrofoam helps to create a new shape for you to work with. This works as a base for the whole piece, allowing you to add materials to transform it into a new look. You can even get creative and experiment with different size shapes or cutouts if you wish. Your choices will likely come down to the result that you desire. By the end, you may even find it completely unrecognizable from the original piece.

In addition to the stylistic touch it adds to your home, this hack is so great because of how versatile the finished piece is. You can use it in any room in the house to store an array of items — whether it be candles, plants, sheets, or product baskets. You could even use it to store cutlery and other kitchen essentials in your kitchen. In addition, you could even use IKEA shelves to make a bookcase. The list is endless.