This $50 Acacia Wood IKEA Flower Box Works Even Better as a Storage Gem

I tend to be slightly more ambitious than my gardening skills allow. Every spring, I get so excited to add new greenery to my home that I forget how bad I am at actually keeping plants alive — and they tend to only last a month or two. That’s why when I purchased two IKEA ASKHOLMEN flower boxes and attached ASKHOLMEN trellises to the tops, I had very high hopes of creating two adorable miniature gardens on my balcony that would perfectly complement the doors leading back into my apartment. 

Of course, I had to pivot my plans a little bit when it didn’t go as planned; the sunlight baked the flowers I was growing, leaving them completely unsalvageable. But I found another use for the flower boxes: as an outdoor storage gem, and honestly, it works so much better this way.

The ASKHOLMEN flower box is super sturdy and made of solid acacia wood, measuring 24 inches long, 15 inches high, and 15 inches wide, which can hold a handful of flowers or berry plants. It’s also pre-treated with a layer of semi-transparent wood stain to make it weatherproof. My favorite thing about IKEA is that usually when you find a product you like, there are at least a few others in the collection that match. I opted for the 75-inch-by-28-inch ASKHOLMEN Trellis that creates a perfect canvas for plants.

For about two days, my sister and I lined the insides of the boxes with breathable fabric made for garden boxes, planted flowers and succulents, and wove sun-powered string lights through the trellises, complete with hanging succulents. They were gorgeous — for the month they managed to stay alive. Soon enough, the direct sunlight on our balcony baked the flowers, and we weren’t able to salvage them. 

Luckily, these heavy-duty IKEA garden boxes are highly versatile and just plain gorgeous with a dark wood grain that makes them look pricey, despite being just $50 each. Because the boxes are naturally durable, they could be used to store bulkier items, like pet supplies and toys or outdoor gardening equipment and tools. The shelf at the bottom of the box is also customizable so you can move it up or down depending on what you’re storing inside. Additionally, because these flower boxes are narrow, they can fit anywhere.

We repurposed the boxes to hold all of our extra outdoor pillows and throw blankets that typically get blown to the ground with the wind. While my gardening skills need work, I love how this happy little accident turned out with the ASHOLMEN flower boxes. Along with the trellises, they completely transformed my tired balcony, and look so much better than a traditional deck box.

Buy: ASKHOLMEN Flower Box, $50