11 Clever IKEA BEKVAM Hacks That Can Add Storage Around The House
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IKEA's BEKVÄM spice rack is less than 16 inches long and under 4 inches tall, but has taken social media by storm with its practical and multifunctional shape. The rectangular block of solid aspen wood is designed to display spice bottles for cooking and baking ventures. However, many people have found ways to repurpose the BEKVÄM for tabletops, countertops, walls, and in combination with other identical models as decorations and functional pieces.
Many of these DIY projects don't require many materials. All you need is the $6.99 IKEA spice rack, which comes with fasteners for hanging, and other optional art supplies. The wood is a pale birch-like color that is light enough to paint, stain, and decorate as you wish. With a little creativity and inspiration from other inventive individuals, you can use an embellished BEKVÄM in your bathroom, bedroom, kitchen, living area, and anywhere else you see fit.
Create a hidden cord cubby
Most modern households are full of messy cords connecting to various appliances and chargers. Instead of leaving these unsightly wires on display, use the BEKVÄM to shield countertop and tabletop cables from view. Flip the BEKVÄM upside down so the flat wood bottom faces out, and tuck the wires in its L-shaped storage space. If you want to repaint it, you can use a mini sander kit to remove the old paint for a smoother application. Since the original color is light, you can also paint over it with FolkArt's acrylic paint collection.
Craft simple floating bookshelves
Although it's advertised as a spice rack, even IKEA shows the BEKVÄM holding lightweight books in their promotional images. The 4-inch depth is deep enough to hold thin children's books, magazines, cookbooks, and other decorative volumes. You can fit about five to six books per "shelf." Paint over the wood to match your room, and stack them in sets of three for an aesthetically pleasing look. YouTube user Tata Sol has a video tutorial on how to hang the shelves evenly using a lever, ruler, pencil, and drill.
Make a decorative end table or dresser display
The BEKVÄM doesn't need to be hung up to make a statement. Leave the spice rack in its original aspen shade or paint it to use as a tabletop display. It's up to you to assemble the front wood bar, but leaving it off makes more rectangular space for holding knick-knacks and decorative objects. For example, @kirschrottreasury shows off their spice rack, which is painted in a celestial theme and decorated with crystals and small figurines.
Flip it upside down to make a plant propagation station
Flipping the BEKVÄM also makes it the perfect platform for propagating plant cuttings. Hang the propagation station upside down and perch three of these glass bulbs on top. They come in a set of six total, so you may want to purchase two BEKVÄMs to hold them all. You don't have to cut holes the way @katiebookser did — you can use double-sided glue dots to fasten the bulbs to the wood spice rack instead, fill them with water or soil, and start propagating your new plants.
Hang your favorite clothing garments from the rail
Consider crafting these spice holders into garment racks. Once again, flip them upside down and hang them on your wall using a drill or adhesive Command strips. The front bar is the perfect shape to hook clothing hangers on. To add more aesthetic value, balance decorative accents atop the flat wooden surface. Just ensure you don't exceed the 4 pound weight limit if you used the recommended Command strips above to hang the rack.
Build a key and glasses holder for your foyer
After assembly, hang your spice rack on the wall via drilling or the previously mentioned adhesive method. Apply sticky magnets to the underside of the wood piece. You can use generic magnetic dots, but these KeyCatch magnets on Amazon are explicitly made for holding keys and weights up to 3 pounds. Decorate the top of the spice rack to match your surrounding room theme, and pin your keys to the hidden magnets every time you enter your home.
Combine two spice racks to make a storage tray
Purchase two BEKVÄM spice racks and assemble each according to the directions. Once assembled, use a drill to screw one rack into the other's hanging racks. They should be positioned in the shape of an elongated boxing ring. You can now use your combined contraption as an organizer to hold folded napkins, tabletop decor, or other household supplies, as you see fit. Jazz up your wooden display with acrylic paint, burlap ribbon, decorative pebbles, or other embellishments from Dollar Tree to make it unrecognizable as a former spice rack.
Create a towel rack and bathroom shelf
You can use the BEKVÄM to hold bathroom supplies instead of kitchen ingredients. Fasten it to the wall beside your mirror and bathroom cabinets to expand your storage space. Start by either painting it or wrapping it in wood or marble vinyl wallpaper to match the rest of your bathroom. Once it's securely attached to the wall, place Q-tip jars, prescription bottles, lotions, and various other toiletries on the surface. If it's positioned with the wooden bar on the bottom, try hanging washcloths and hand towels over the rod.
Organize and display your nail polish collection
Craft your own simple shelves to hold your nail polish bottle from BEKVÄM spice racks. Assemble the spice racks and leave them in their original light wood shade, or paint them to your liking. Hang them on the wall, each one directly over the other, to create multiple levels of storage for storing nail polish bottles. Since polish bottles are small, you can organize them by color, size, or brand, easily tucking them behind the wooden bar.
Use it as a desktop organizer over your keyboard
If you want a sleek and organized desk setup, try sliding an upside-down BEKVÄM in front of your monitor and over your keyboard. The short height and long width gives it the perfect dimensions for holding small to medium-sized computer monitors. Match the spice rack to your desk using this wood stain paint set, which conveniently comes with foam brushes. Then flip it over your keyboard, leaving the topside bare or adding a few personal touches, like knick-knacks or desk supplies.
Store collectible cassette tapes
Collectible cassette tapes are a niche item in modern households. However, they are common among antique collectors and pop culture fans. Whether you collect them for nostalgia or to support your favorite modern artists, these tapes will fit perfectly on IKEA's spice rack shelf. The dimensions of the BEKVÄM create a great nest for square-shaped cassette tapes, allowing you to store them in an organized fashion with their labels exposed. Index them alphabetically, by color, or by genre to create the ultimate showcase for your retro music collection.