Make The IKEA MALM Dressing Table More Functional With A Drawer Extender Hack

The IKEA MALM dressing table has become a TikTok-viral staple and a favorite of countless faithful customers of the Swedish furniture superstore. The versatile vanity has a large drawer that offers loads of storage, but it doesn't pull out quite far enough to allow easy access to objects at the back. Fortunately, a drawer extender hack that has been making the rounds online can fix that very issue.

For this project, you'll need flat nose pliers, Phillips-head and flathead screwdrivers, and a wire cutter. Start by unscrewing the drawer from the metal slider on each side of the dressing table using the Phillips-head screwdriver. Next, go underneath the table and unscrew the metal sliders themselves from each leg. For the rest of this DIY, you'll need a little patience as you work to alter the sliders themselves to allow a longer extension of the drawer. As some DIYers on TikTok pointed out, it's not the simplest process. However, the result is worth it because it will finally allow you to have easy access to the entirety of the drawer.

Once you have the metal slider in hand, use a flathead screwdriver to push off the white plastic stopper at the end of the track, as well as the black stopper in the middle. You'll notice that there is a ledge on the edge of the outer slider preventing the inside slider from coming out. Using the pliers, bend this ledge just enough to slide the two pieces apart. Then, locate the plastic runner (the white plastic piece with six metallic balls) and pop it out. This is the part that's preventing the drawer from sliding out fully, so snip it in half using wire cutters, then put all of the pieces back together. It's important to know that the more of the runner you remove, the less stable the drawer will be, so do not clip off more than half.

Repeat the process with the metal slider on the other side, then screw the sliders back into the table's legs and reattach the drawer. You'll now be able to pull it out much farther than before, but as some DIYers discovered, you'll need to open and close the drawer slowly as this alteration does make it slightly more wobbly. You can elevate this DIY and make your dressing table drawer even more user-friendly by organizing it with IKEA's UPPDATERA Cutlery Trays. Once you've made your vanity more functional, there are heaps of IKEA MALM makeovers that can take your pieces from basic to beautiful, and easy DIYs that can instantly elevate your MALM collection.