Budget-Friendly Bedroom Makeovers: Easy IKEA Hacks for a Fresh New Look!

Does your bedroom need a little help? If you want a refresh of your space but don’t have a big budget for major projects, you’re in the right place for ideas. I have gathered up my favourite IKEA hacks that are perfect for breathing new life into your bedroom. Bonus: they don’t require a big investment of time or money. Come get inspired with no-sew pillow projects, furniture makeovers, storage hacks, and more! 

Let’s get started!

Easy DIY TARVA IKEA Nightstand Makeover

Bedroom storage can be a problem, especially in a tiny space! When we needed to add some extra storage to our Tiny Lake House bedroom so guests would have somewhere to put their things away, I knew the IKEA TARVA nightstand was a perfect place to start. This simple piece of furniture has a shelf and a drawer, and it is an incredibly affordable side table. 

Plus, since I was planning a DIY hack that involved adding fluting and paint, I didn’t even need to buy it brand new! I sourced one nightstand at IKEA online and one on Facebook Marketplace, and got to work. I just love how IKEA makes modification of its products so easy and fun. The clean lines, smooth wood, and light pine color always make me feel like I have IKEA’s approval when I do something like this!

Come get the step-by-step tutorial for how I used a piece of MDF pole wrap from Home Depot on the drawer fronts and a new coat of paint in a gorgeous color to turn these plain and simple little nightstands into beautiful yet functional storage pieces for our Tiny Lake House. I think they are totally Apartment Therapy worthy! 

Make a Gorgeous DIY Wall Plant Shelf from IKEA Baskets

Do you have a boring, blank bedroom wall you need to fill? Look no further than this DIY project that’s easy, inexpensive, and oh-so-pretty. I’m talking about creating a charming DIY wall plant shelf using inexpensive IKEA baskets and a touch of creativity. Not only does this project add visual appeal to any room, but it also requires minimal upkeep. Let me show you how to turn two grey wicker IKEA BYHOLMA baskets into eye-catching wall decor that showcases faux trailing plants in a unique and beautiful way! This is one of those IKEA hacks that you will wish you’d done sooner. 

Faux Built-In Window Seat from KALLAX Shelves

Do you love the look and idea of a bedroom window seat, but just don’t have the budget for built-ins right now? Here’s a super easy IKEA KALLAX bedroom hack that’s just for you! When I redesigned my middle daughter’s bedroom, one of her requests was to have a window seat. She loves to snuggle with her stuffed animals and she enjoys reading. A window seat is a special place to do both of these! We also needed some more storage space in her bedroom. 

This started out as a project for a kid’s bedroom but if we are honest, adults crave a place to relax and read or sleep too! So this is a great IKEA furniture idea no matter your age. (I also think this would be a good project for a home office with a window. Think about how much more storage your workspace would have!)

To make this window seat budget-friendly and easy to create, I used the built-in look as inspiration and used IKEA KALLAX shelves instead. These shelving units come in a variety of sizes, so I was able to choose units that fit perfectly along my daughter’s bedroom wall. You can also buy a variety of different baskets or bins that fit perfectly into these shelves for extra storage. Or, you can make them into a bookcase and surround yourself with reading material! I added some seat cushions to the top for comfort (you could even sew your own bench cushion like I did for another project) and voila! Window seat complete. The perfect bedroom refresh on a budget! 

DIY IKEA Closet Makeover Before & After

Sometimes, the best DIY isn’t a total renovation. It’s just a fun makeover of what’s already there! When we built our home in 2013, I knew I wanted to use the IKEA PAX wardrobe system in our small walk-in closet in the main bedroom. PAX is a sturdy system that offers tonnes of possibilities for organization with drawer, shelf, rod and pull-out options. However, we weren’t able to afford all the pretty drawers and shelves after we exhausted our resources building our home.  

Fast forward a few years later to when our closet needed some serious organization. I decided it was time for an aesthetic upgrade too! Because we already had the frame of the wardrobe in place, we could just use some simple hacks to make it look pretty and finished. Adding the white drawers to the PAX units definitely made the closet look instantly tidier and more high-end. We also added some crown moulding trim on the top of the cabinetry and casing trim on the sides to make the wardrobe look more built in.

I purged and organized all of our clothing and added rods for hanging on the inside sides of the closet. That enabled me to make the other side of the closet mostly drawers and shelves for a more streamlined look. I just love the way our closet turned out with just a few inexpensive tweaks!

Make a Cozy DIY Pom Pom Throw Blanket

Looking for a way to freshen up your bedroom decor on a budget? Try DIYing a pom pom throw blanket using an inexpensive yet comfy IKEA blanket and some hand made pom poms! I found a gorgeous pom pom blanket online for $140 but I was sure I could make one that was just as cute for way less money. And I was right! This blanket is one of my favorite IKEA hacks because of how quick and easy it is. 

I started with the IKEA INGABRITTA throw blanket. I have this soft knit blanket in both off white and pink, and it’s only $30. It’s very soft and very oversized, so it’s a great value. To give the blanket some interest and a little DIY flair, all I did was create four large pom-poms with chunky off-white yarn using my favorite pom-pom maker! Then, I tied one pom-pom onto each of the four corners of my blanket using more chunky yarn.

It’s a simple project, and it makes the blanket look so high-end! Maybe we don’t think “IKEA bedroom hacks” can mean a new DIY blanket because it doesn’t involve a new headboard or bed frame, but I think it counts! This is perfect for transforming the look of the foot of your bed or the chair that sits next to your nightstand for very little money. 

25 Best New IKEA Finds in 2024

Maybe a discussion of my favourite IKEA products is not exactly a “hack”, but I think it’s worth including! The truth is that beautiful, functional storage can be one of the very best hacks to help you with your bedroom. This is especially true if you live in a small home!  My favourite new line at IKEA for this purpose is the TOLKNING collection. All of the pieces in this line are made of natural materials, and they have a handmade, boho flair that reminds me of the early ’70s.

The TOLKNING baskets are my favorite of the collection. They fit perfectly under a bed and look so much more stylish than a plastic box or cubby! I bought a few and placed them under the bed at our Tiny Lake House for much-needed storage.

For reader convenience, I’ve put a full rundown of all my favorite things at IKEA this year and you can check out the full post here! And I cannot wait to see what future brands IKEA will come up with next. 

Turn an IKEA SORTSO rug into a gorgeous pillow

Does your bedroom decor need a little help? You all know I think a good throw pillow can solve a lot of problems, and if I can make one using an IKEA hack, even better! This textured pillow is so easy to make from an inexpensive IKEA SORTSO rug…no sewing required. In my step-by-step pillow tutorial, I’m going to explain how to fold in the edges of a fringed rug and use hot glue and some stuffing to make a gorgeous and high-end looking throw pillow to complement almost any bedding style. Did I mention the rug costs $7.99? What are you waiting for? 

5 Quick Kids’ Closet Organization Ideas

Kids’ rooms are some of the hardest spaces in any home to keep clean and organized, wouldn’t you agree? Before you go looking on Pinterest for beautiful ideas that are almost impossible to execute and maintain, try my top 5 kids’ closet organization ideas! From using a narrow piece of the IKEA PAX system to create better storage options to using baskets and labels to advantage and the practical reality of a good purge, I’m here to help with ideas that work. 

IKEA Bedroom Storage Hack: Make a Brilliant DIY Jewelry Storage Tray

Ladies, sometimes the best way to make your bedroom fresh and new is to just…clean up! My jewelry was out of control and I knew it was adding to the visual clutter in my space. So, I decided to create a cute little jewelry storage tray to get everything sorted out! This is such an easy DIY. This is all you’ll need:

• IKEA GLADELIG plate
• Raw wood knob
• Small round tea light holder from IKEA (IKEA no longer has the one I used, but this candle holder is similar)
• Gorilla hot glue
• Optional: Champagne gold acrylic paint

That’s it! Come get my complete tutorial on how I created this jewelry storage tray and see how it transformed my space for the better.

Step-by-Step Guide to Hack an IKEA TARVA Bedroom Dresser

Do you have a boring piece of furniture in your bedroom that you want to fall in love with all over again? It’s incredible what a furniture makeover can do for a space! I’m sharing a fun and easy IKEA TARVA hack to help you turn your boring storage into a beautiful piece of furniture. I used it to turn a typical pine IKEA dresser into a dark stained, industrial themed piece that looked perfect placed in a closet with new shelves and closet rods made out of plumbing pipes. But you can use these techniques to turn any piece of furniture into something new. It’s incredible what new paint or stain and hardware can do! Of course, I couldn’t leave the top of the dresser bare, so read the whole post for my DIY process and the final styling too! 

And that’s it! A few different ways you can refresh your bedroom on a budget using simple IKEA hacks and products. I hope you found something that inspired you, and I would love to see the before and after pictures of your own space! Tag me @thediymommy or leave a pic in the comments. 

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