This IKEA Hack Creates the Perfect MCM Wall Shelves (It Saves So Much Money!)

Written by

Olivia Harvey
Olivia Harvey
Olivia Harvey is a freelance writer and award-winning scriptwriter from outside Boston, Massachusetts. She’s a big fan of scented candles, getting dressed up, and the 2005 film adaptation of Pride and Prejudice starring Keira Knightley. You can make sure she’s doing okay via…read more
published Jan 19, 2025
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Covina, CA USA - September 3, 2024: IKEA Sign over entrance to one of its 482 ready-to-assemble furniture, kitchen appliances, decoration stores worldwide. Owner: Inter IKEA Systems B.V., Sweden.
Credit: Mark Roger Bailey/Shutterstock

What do you do if you love the look of custom mid-century-inspired wall shelves, but just don’t have the budget to build one in your home? Well, you turn to IKEA of course! 

One TikTok user showed how she created mid-century-modern built-in wall-to-wall shelves using nothing but IKEA picture ledges and a bit of spare molding from the hardware store, and the result will inspire you to get your DIY on. 

“Quick tutorial on how I DIYed this mid-century bookshelf,” Sunnie (@africanboheme) said in a video. “I used picture ledges! I had these on my wall and decided, ‘Ooh, a whole wall would work.’”

Sunnie used the bestselling bamboo MÅLERÅS picture ledge from IKEA as the base for their shelves, then hit the hardware store where they picked up some inexpensive molding to act as faux brackets. They hung the MÅLERÅS in groups of five with a vertical strip of molding between the three groups and on either side of the shelving unit.

They stained everything in a beautiful light wood finish, and the result looks so expensive. However, this project cost around $300 in total — far less than custom built-in shelves would cost!

IKEA has a few different picture ledges you could use for this project, including the popular MOSSLANDA, which comes in five different finishes and two sizes. Priced as low as $8 per shelf, you could DIY a similar mid-century style wall shelf for even cheaper than this project.

You can stagger your shelves, use a mix of long and short, or even frame out a desk or media center using Sunnie’s project as a starting point. Get that custom mid-century look without having to spend a custom budget with IKEA!