This Brilliant TikTok DIY Transforms A Classic IKEA Bookcase Into A Unique Showstopper

While IKEA has some lovely, affordable furniture designs, they tend to be basic and minimalistic. This is especially true for simplistic items like bookshelves. The items you display on your shelves share your personality and style, but the shelves themselves should also have an impact. If you are tired of your home looking a bit too much like everyone else's, then this creative TikTok DIY project that upgrades the popular IKEA BILLY bookcase from plain to gorgeous is a perfect idea to check out. The chic resulting shelving unit features trendy arched shapes and LED lights that make your home look more expensive.

To create this eye-catching piece of furniture for your home, you need an IKEA BILLY bookcase, some plywood, ⅛-inch bendable wooden sheets, 6-millimeter polyester foam, LED lights, wall repair tape, wall paint, and two IKEA LACK shelves. The IKEA items will add up to $120. Basic plywood and the bendable wooden sheets will cost around $20 each, the foam roll costs about $10, and the wall repair tape can cost around $8. LED lights and paint costs will vary based on what you want, but they can be as affordable as about $7 each. In total, this project can be completed for around $200, even if you have no materials on hand when starting out. Your total may end up higher if you opt for more premium materials, of course, but the price is far less than what a similar customized bookshelf would cost.

To make this shelf, start by assembling the BILLY bookcase as usual. This bookcase comes with one middle shelf that cannot be moved, and four additional shelves. Secure only the middle shelf, then secure the additional shelves parallel to the vertical interior walls. Alternatively, you can use plywood to create your desired thickness. Cut out the shape of your arched pieces and attach them to the back wall and front of the unit. Add LED strip lights to the archways. Glue the bendable wooden sheets to a piece of the foam roll to fill out the middle part of the arch. Apply the wall repair tape to the seams and paint over everything in your choice of color. Finally, you can mount the two LACKS shelves and incorporate some trendy ways to style bookshelf decor.

The decorating of this bookshelf can go a number of ways, leaning more sleek by combining black paint with the LED lighting or more organic by using warm white lights and textured paint. If you like the idea of a textured finish, there are many savvy ways to make a plaster wall effect in your home. A textured finish can also help improve the overall aesthetic of the bookshelf by helping to hide any seams or imperfections from the DIY process.