IKEA Nursery Hacks: Get a High-End Look on a Budget
IKEA has a specific range of products for nurseries, but the most functional pieces aren’t in the nursery range at all – they’re elsewhere.
If you’re on a budget but want to make your nursery look high-end, the sky is the limit with IKEA furniture.
In this post, we’ll show you the most creative IKEA nursery hacks that help organize the chaos, maximize space, and create personalized interiors.
Why IKEA is a Good Choice for Your Nursery
You might be wondering why you’d choose IKEA over other brands when it comes to decorating your nursery.
- 1.It’s affordable
A nursery requires a lot of furniture, and the price quickly adds up. With IKEA products, your money goes further, so you can stretch your budget further than you can in designer stores.
- 2.It’s practical
IKEA furniture is designed to be functional and practical. They have some of the best storage solutions and clever furniture tricks to maximize storage, and space, even in tight spaces.
- 3.It’s eco-friendly
IKEA has been a leader in environmental initiatives for years now. They are consistently working on making their furniture better for the environment and aim to use only recycled materials by 2030.
The Best Ikea Nursery Hacks
If you don’t know where to start with IKEA furniture, here are some fun projects to give you some inspiration!
Tarva Dresser Hack
The Tarva dresser from IKEA has limitless possibilities. It comes in plain pine, so you can paint it any color to match your nursery theme. It’s also very easy to switch out the drawer unit pulls to something more custom.
Sarah at the SSS Edit totally transformed her Tarva dresser by painting it a stunning shade of green, adding gold drawer pulls, and cutting down the legs. It has a great amount of storage and you’d never know it was an IKEA flip.
IKEA Shelf Hack
The EKET shelf at IKEA is another furniture piece that is easily customized to any nursery. The shelves are simple cubes that can be painted and arranged in any kind of configuration to give a fun and practical storage space.
Use them up the wall to display items, or keep them uniform and down low for storing toys and essentials. Try pairing this lamp with some fun nursery wall murals.
IKEA Diaper Changing Cart
Your nursery needs a dedicated changing station to make changing the baby much easier. But if you don’t have room for a changing dresser with storage, the IKEA RÅSKOG cart makes the perfect storage unit for all of your essentials.
The best part is it’s on wheels, so it can easily be moved around to wherever you need it and then stored away when not in use.
DIY Balloon Lamp
Although functionality is key when designing a baby’s nursery, you also want it to be fun and whimsical for them to enjoy. Maria from Maria Soxbo shows us a great way to make a nursery magical with a DIY balloon lamp made from an IKEA Regolet paper lamp. This balloon lamp goes great with our nursery balloon wallpaper mural.
Baby Play Gym
Play gyms for newborns can be incredibly expensive, and they grow out of them fast. Luckily, it’s easy to make your own with this next IKEA hack brought to you by Molly at Almost Makes Perfect.
Grab the LEKA play gym from IKEA and paint over the colored parts in a tone that matches your nursery. You can then take off the standard toys and switch them out for ones your little one loves. The toys are then interchangeable, which means you’ll get much more use out of this than a standard play gym.
Dipped Stools Hack
If these projects are a little overwhelming, but you still want to try your hand at an easy IKEA hack for your nursery, why not try dipped stools?
These IKEA stools work great as mini tables, lamp stands, or seating and can be easily customized with some paint. Simply tape off the area you’d like to paint (the legs or the seat) and add a color of your choice!
Pastels work great in a nursery, but a bold contrast can also be great for newborns.
Strandmon Rocker
So many new parents swear by the IKEA Strandmon chair and say it’s incredibly comfy for nursing and cuddling your baby. But many moms want a rocking chair, and this one doesn’t move.
But one clever DIYer from IKEA Hackers turned their Strandmon into a rocking chair simply by purchasing rocking feet and drilling holes to attach the armchair. The project was so simple, and the final result is perfect for a new nursery.
IKEA Bench Seat
IKEA is also great for creating multi-use nursery furniture. If you have some space and would like seating in your nursery, you can add a single BESTA shelf to two Alex drawer units to create a quick and easy bench seat.
Vivian at Ish and Chi used this hack to create a bench seat that looks custom-made. Add a bench cushion and some throw pillows, and you have a comfy seating area that doubles as storage.
IKEA LATT Hack
Every nursery needs an adorable tiny table and chair for your toddler to play and learn. The LATT table and chair set at IKEA is great, but it’s even better with some customization.
We love Stephanie’s transformation at All About Ami. She added some padding and cute covers to the chairs and plexiglass to the tabletop to make it toddler-friendly. The result is beautiful and functional for a nursery.
Cloud Shelves
The IKEA MOSSLANDA shelves are ideal for storing and displaying your baby’s books, but they can look a little plain on their own.
The team at Petit & Small used a cloud shape to make the shelves look like they’re floating when on the wall. Simply draw out a design, carefully cut it to shape with a hand saw, and attach it to the shelf – don’t forget to sand down any rough edges.
This hack is the perfect addition to a sky and cloud-themed nursery!
Floating Credenza
If you have a small nursery, an easy way to make it look bigger is to choose nursery furniture that’s up off the floor. Usually, this means opting for pieces with legs, but the IKEA BESTA shelf unit gives you actual floating storage, perfect for small spaces.
By adding a piece of hardwood on top, you can give the shelf a high-end finish and use the top of the shelf as added storage. Here’s a great example from Sugar & Cloth to give you some inspiration!
Crib Storage Hack
The crib takes up a lot of space in a nursery, so any hacks to maximize storage space are useful. If your crib has space underneath (like the Gulliver Crib at IKEA), you can easily add some storage underneath for bedding, sheets, swaddles, and other linens.
Another clever DIYer from IKEA Hackers built a custom drawer to slide under their crib that gave a ton more storage without taking up any additional space in the nursery.
Create a Nursery You Love
No matter your budget, your baby’s nursery should be a peaceful, organized space where you love spending time.
Hopefully, these IKEA nursery hacks have given you some ideas for your own design, but it’s important to create a personalized space that works for you and your family.
Looking for a fun way to add personality to your new nursery? We have a beautiful range of nursery wall murals to suit any style.
