3 Viral Ways To Hack IKEA's Wood Chopping Board For Easy Home Decor
A basic cutting board is a staple in any kitchen, but recently, this household item has been making waves as people find creative secondary uses for it around their homes. Typical cutting boards are great to place on bar carts to catch spills and drips, to use as a serving board for charcuterie, and, of course, to prep your ingredients for dinner, but one specific piece from IKEA boasts added functionality thanks to the addition of two simple legs on the bottom. In a recent TikTok that has since amassed over 10 million views, creator @grillodesigns shared three inventive ways to utilize this board besides its typical role in the kitchen.
The item in question is IKEA's STOLTHET cutting board, which retails for $19.99 on its website. It's a bit more expensive than the other cutting boards available at the retailer, but with these hacks, you'll be able to more than make up for the slightly inflated price tag. None of these additional uses require you to alter the board or reduce its functionality, so if you're ever in need of another chopping station, you can easily revert it back to its original use and get your money's worth.
As a laptop stand
This first use is incredibly simple, but it can be a lifesaver for people who work at home or spend long hours studying on their laptops. Using a laptop stand helps increase the screen's height, decreasing the amount you have to bend or hunch to properly see what you're working on. By elevating your laptop, your hands and wrists are also in a more comfortable position, and your laptop's fan is better able to cool your computer if it begins to overheat. The STOLTHET cutting board is only 3 1/2 inches tall, so it likely won't bring you laptop all the way to eye level, but it can still help to improve your viewing angle.
To do this, simply place your laptop on the board the next time you go to use it. In the video, @grillodesigns also uses a connected mouse to make her experience a bit more comfortable, though this additional piece of equipment is completely optional.
As a tray on your counter
The next hack for this cutting board takes you right back into your kitchen. In her TikTok, @grillodesigns shows two different ways to use IKEA's board as a piece for decor and storage. The first is incredibly simple — use it on your countertops to create more of a spotlight on pieces you want to display or add some height. For her, this is her cup full of cooking utensils and a mortar and pestle, though it could also come in handy for keeping spices and cooking oil accessible and organized next to your stove.
For the second idea, you do need one additional item, but there's no real assembly or alteration necessary, so you can repurpose both pieces down the line. The height on the cutting board creates a perfect little space underneath to layer a small tray, creating a kind of mini drawer to tuck away recipe cards or packets of sugar. In her video, the creator appears to be using the TAVELÅN Tray, also from IKEA, though any small basket or organizer that's shorter than the height of the board will do the trick.
As low-profile bookends
This final hack is possibly the most creative use of a cutting board we've seen yet. The small legs on the board, when flipped over, create the perfect space to store a few books without them toppling over. In her video, @grillodesigns first displays this hack on her shelf, then on her bedside table as a mini stack, a great choice for nighttime readers that want to have a few options on hand without having to get out of bed or face a precarious tower of recent reads. If you're looking to create a cozy reading nook, this can also be a convenient storage method that doesn't take up a ton of space, especially if you don't have room for a dedicated bookshelf.
While these are all great hacks, the creativity doesn't end there. Commenters on the viral video have also shared some of their own clever ideas for this cutting board, from a convenient table that fits over the arm of your sofa to a lap desk for toddlers on car rides. When it comes to such a simple piece, don't be afraid to look for different ways that it can fit functionally into your life — you might be surprised by what you're able to come up with.