The Number-One Must-Hack IKEA Product for Fall (It’s So Versatile!)
It seems as though there is an IKEA hack for everything. There are, of course, off-the-shelf IKEA items for every room of the house, but there are also clever ways to customize those items for every room, whether you’re turning a bookcase into a kitchen cart or a plain LACK into a custom nightstand. But here’s an underrated, under-the-radar find from IKEA that I think could be the ultimate problem-solver with a little creativity.
The Swedish retailer’s latest pre-cut fabrics are a great way to create a personalized piece of decor and add a little more functionality to your home. You can create a cover-up for an unsightly apartment fixture, add pocket storage, or wrap a plain-colored piece of furniture in a pattern that better suits your style. You can also wrap cheap frames and mats in a favorite pattern for a designer-level display on a shoestring, like DIYer Drew Scott, of Lone Fox, did here.
Here are the options I’m loving for fall: FLUGBLOMSTER, a tone-on-tone with an abstract design that looks a little like vines and a little like twirling holiday lights; TAGGLUSERN, a classic gingham that would make for adorable cafe curtains or a sink skirt; or SMÅFINGERÖRT, which would make for adorable throw pillow covers that could shine in your home through fall and winter.
IKEA’s Tyg Collection pre-cut cotton fabrics range from $9.99 to $19.99 for about three yards of material. Scroll on to discover some of our favorite ways to use these gorgeous designs.
1. Create hanging storage.
One simple way to add color and patterns to your space while adding some bonus storage space is to use the fabric to create your own hanging storage. I love how the fabrics are mixed and matched in the example image above. Perfect for kitchens, bathrooms, garages, and kids’ rooms, use it to store those little bits and bobs that otherwise wouldn’t have a home, while taking up zero floor space and almost zero three-dimensional space at all.
2. Create a sink, cabinet, or island skirt.
Lean into the ever-popular grand-millennial trend and give your kitchen or bathroom a quick update with a sink skirt. A sink skirt will hide any clunky storage or pipework as well as bringing a softness to the space. They add a ton of personality and charm and are surprisingly easy to make, too.
Whether you have a sewing machine you own, rent, or can borrow or you’re hand-stitching, a basic square or rectangle pillowcase is another beginner-friendly project. (And fabric glue would also suffice!) For a bright and colorful pillowcase that’ll work for all seasons, MUREVA is a fabulous option and would work in any room.
3. Cover an old (or blank!) canvas for an artwork switch-up.
If you’re getting tired of your existing artwork (or just wanting some new artwork in your home), consider wrapping a canvas in a bolder IKEA fabric for some cheap artwork that’s designed by a bona fide artist. (After all, IKEA’s in-house textile designers, like Luna Gil, Jenny Bergman, Anna Salander, and more, created the patterns.) I love the way Gil’s FJÄLLDRABA print looks in the example above.
4. Use the fabric as gift wrap.
With holiday season fast approaching, you could consider adding this fabric to the outside of a shoebox for easy wrapping, or use this 100% fabric wrapping method. Either way, you’ll create a present that’ll wow on the inside and the outside. And the lucky gift recipient might even keep their box to use as stylish storage later.