Transform Your Towel Bar Into Open Shelving With This Easy IKEA Hack
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IKEA hacks on the internet are abundant. The Scandinavian home furnishings store, offering individual furniture pieces and other home goods, is well-known for its inexpensive wares that can be used in various ways. TikTok, in particular, is a hub for all of the best ideas in this realm, and it frequently offers easy DIY projects that make use of some of the company's most affordable products. Instead of picking up everything you need in-store to build at home, you can take a creative route and explore the side of the internet that loves using simple IKEA items to make new and unique elements.
Our favorite hack, which we've seen lately, needs only two things to get started. As shown by Megan from @ahousetohomey on TikTok, you can make a chic bathroom shelf atop your towel bar with a few command strips and a MOSSLANDA picture ledge from IKEA. The entire process takes minutes and generally costs less than $20 when everything is finished.
How to take advantage of this genius hack
The MOSSLANDA picture ledge in the color "birch effect" is the star of this hack. Currently, you can find it on IKEA's online store for about $17, but comments under the video indicate that it may be even cheaper at your local IKEA warehouse. To match your bathroom's decor style, you can choose from five colorways including black, pale pink, white, walnut effect, and white stained pine effect. For the damage-free hanging adhesives, you'll want a sturdy option that supports the shelf and the decorations' weight. We recommend the Large Picture Hanging Strips or the Heavyweight XL Picture Hanging Strips from Command.
To create your open shelving, you'll first need to make sure that your shelf will fit onto your towel bar. According to the listing on IKEA, this shelf has a width of 21 ⅝ inches. Once you're certain that the shelf will work with your existing towel bar, you can add your Command strips to the longer edge of your shelf, which is also where the barcode and product information stickers should be located.
In the TikTok video, we see the creator flip hers upside down and push it flush against the wall. Depending on the Command strips you're using, you may need between two and four to make sure it will hold to the wall. Then, you simply press it into place, and voilà, you have a new decorative shelf for your bathroom.
What to watch out for
As with any online hack, you should be aware of the pitfalls others have encountered before you commit to the cost and effort that a project like this requires. Among the most common issues has to do with the hanging strips. One commenter on the popular TikTok warned, "Super important to know: If your wall has any sort of texture, Command strips won't adhere properly."
If you're familiar with Command strips, you likely already know about this issue. Command strips need a smooth surface to work. Using these renter-friendly adhesive strips improperly might cause your shelf to fall off the wall and possibly break whatever you have placed atop it.
Other concerns with this IKEA hack were brought up by curious viewers. Keep in mind that if you decide to try this trick, you won't be able to use your towel rack to hang towels anymore. This is for people who usually don't use their towel rack or have an extra one that sits empty. Additionally, there isn't much of a standard when it comes to towel bars in home bathrooms.
Just because it worked for this TikToker, doesn't mean it will work for you. However, the creator of the video did have a tip for someone who couldn't get their shelf to hold. She responded, "Your towel bar might stick out more. Maybe try flipping the shelf and having the lip/edge be front facing around the bar."