The Easy And Affordable IKEA Hack That Gives You Stylish Custom Storage For Less

Are you a sucker for anything that promises to help you make your home more organized? As intentional living appeals to more and more homeowners, cute-but-impractical baskets and efficient-but-ugly plastic bins can quickly pile up. Before long, what came into your house as a storage solution quickly turns into clutter itself. But there's actually a creative way to combine the organic look of natural grasses with the reliable function of plastic in a simple craft courtesy of @withbrushandpaper's Instagram. To complete this project, she carefully unravels a simple SOARÉ placemat before wrapping it around an UPPDATERA box, using thin lines of hot glue to fix it into place. The end result is a stylish storage solution that looks custom despite being one of the easiest and most affordable IKEA hacks out there.

You don't need to have any crafting experience to pull off this project like a pro. The most complicated step is carefully cutting and pulling apart the placemat without damaging the rope of dried water hyacinth you'll need to wrap around your box. To make one, you'll need to purchase $4 UPPDATERA boxes in any colors you like and one $5 SOARÉ placemat for every box you're going to customize. You'll also need a pair of scissors and your trusty glue gun, which is one of the most important tools every DIYer needs to own. Each box should take under 30 minutes to make, although you may want to give it a few extra minutes for the glue to fully cure before filling it with foodstuffs or bathroom supplies and chucking it onto a closet shelf.

The SOARÉ placemats are woven in a circle around a thin but sturdy rope of water hyacinth, which you'll be able to easily identify if you look at the outer edge. Carefully use your scissors to sever this cord without damaging the more loosely woven water hyacinth material that forms the bulk of the placemat. Once you've accomplished this step and fully unwound the material, the rest of the process is an absolute breeze.

Starting at the bottom of your UPPDATERA box, apply a thin line of hot glue along the edge before slowly adding your woven water hyacinth material on top of it, pressing firmly so it adheres. Working in small sections, add a little more glue and a little more material, spiraling up the box as you go. When you get to the end of your placemat material, consider tucking the frayed end underneath itself and securing it with extra glue for a more finished look. You will not have enough material to completely cover the UPPDATERA box, which allows the handles to stay accessible.

Like many IKEA hacks out there, this approach is just a starting point. You might prefer the color or texture of IKEA's other placemats, like the OMBONAD's braided jute, or even the IHÅLLIG, which is made from seagrass. Keep in mind that the stiffer the placemat, the more difficult it will be to wrap its material around your box without breaking it. Choose one that offers some flexibility for the best results.