IKEA's Wooden Bar Cart Lets You DIY A Customized Organization Station

Storage options for the home are everywhere these days, but many come with steep price tags. That's where IKEA steps in, offering affordable options that are stylish and even customizable. The LOSHULT utility cart in pine wood not only lands on the lower end of the price scale at $49 (price may vary by location), but also gives you a blank slate to create your own unique design, whether you use it as a mobile homeschool cart, a rolling coffee bar, or for storing cleaning essentials.

IKEA's LOSHULT bar cart features a natural wood base that's practically begging to be personalized. TikToker @tinalemacsaw saw the potential and gave hers a stunning upgrade with checkered sides and hand-painted floral details. To get the look, she started by staining the wood pieces (before assembling them) with Varathane Classic Penetrating Wood Stain in Early American, which gave the pine a warm tint. 

On the cart's legs, she measured out roughly two-inch-wide vertical rectangles and added a single horizontal line through each one to divide them. Then, using Behr Paint's Siam Gold and a foam brush, she painted every other square to create a checkered look. She followed that up with soft, flower-like shapes inside the gold blocks and added green stems and leaves in the blank ones — finishing each bloom with a golden yellow circle at the center. While her design is undeniably cute, you can totally make it your own — try painting mushrooms instead or stick with the checkered pattern in another color. Just be sure to use wood-safe paint like acrylic, latex, or oil-based. 

TikToker @tinalemac's customization of IKEA's LOSHULT wooden bar cart is a fairly easy one to accomplish. But there are plenty of other routes you can take to decorate a bar cart. For starters, you might consider a different wood stain on the plain wood like classic grey, dark walnut, or even espresso. Rather than hand-paint the flowers — for the less steady hands out there — you might consider small transfer designs like flowers, butterflies, or even little green leaves. Still keeping the original design intact, you could swap out the checkered color for black, or even Joanna Gaines' favorite, green. Hey, it's one way to incorporate the earthy tone into your home if you've been wanting to for some time.

As for the finishing, whether you decide to hand-paint a design or add decorative stickers, you might consider sealing it with a product like Dixie Belle, a top coat that delivers a clear satin finish, or Mod Podge Sealer and Finish in Satin. Bar carts can be used in all kids of creative ways, so once you're done decorating, it's time to decide how you actually want to put it to use.