Skip to main content

Box shelves: Make them really quick and easily

I hacked the IVAR shelving system, because I wanted to have stackable box shelves which are more flexible and easier to moving around. They also save space.

The hack wasn’t very hard to do and it took me just half a day, approximately 4 hours.

NOTE: Obviously, this hack is not suitable for homes with small children who may attempt to climb the shelves. The shelves will certainly fall as the individual units are not fastened to each other or to the wall.

IKEA items used:
  • 2 IKEA IVAR side units (the tall one)
  • 10 IVAR shelves

IKEA IVAR system

Other materials and tools:

Hack instructions for DIY box shelves

The general idea is to built independent ‘stackable box shelves’ you can later pile up anyhow you want.

The first thing to do is to saw the IVAR side units. Measure the lengths you want your box shelves to be. Make a mark on the side unit with a pencil and then, saw it.

You’ll need 2 sawn side units of the same length to make one box shelf. After sawing the side units set them aside for now.

I chose to paint the side units on one side. Feel free to paint to suit your home decor.

box shelves IKEA IVAR hack

Now, you can work on the shelves. Drill a hole at all 4 corners of each IVAR shelf. The hole should align to the top of the sawn side units.

After that, place the shelf panel on top of the sawn side unit and screw the shelf in. Repeat on the bottom to complete the box shelf.

(You may want to drill pilot holes on the tops of the sawn side unit, which will make it easier to screw in the shelves.)

And tadah!

You now have five stackable box shelves you can put on top of each other as you wish.

As the units are not fastened to each other or the wall, be careful how you stack the units and the items you place on them to maintain balance.

Recommended to place heavier items at the bottom unit.

box shelves IKEA IVAR hack

What I really like about the hack is the whole system of stackable box shelves stays flexible. I can easily disassemble and reconstruct it.

If I don’t like the look anymore, it’s possible to change the configuration of the box shelves. It also fits really well with my high walls.

~ by Kolja

You may also like these IVAR storage hacks

#1 Floor to ceiling built-in bookcase

full height built-in bookcase

I would like to share my hack of IKEA IVAR shelving system into a built-in bookcase. It all started with the wish to have a bookcase that could store all the books we still had in the moving boxes. Read more on the IVAR built-in bookcase.

#2 IVAR goes chinoiserie

Ivar storage chinoiserie cabinet

I recently made an IVAR cabinet go chinoiserie. What I used was the 20″ deep IVAR cabinet, two 20″x49″ IVAR side units, and an extra 20″ deep shelf (in addition to the two that come in the cabinet.) Read more about the IVAR chinoiserie cabinet.

#3 Massive IVAR workstation and storage

IVAR workstation

I was searching for the right height standing workstation for months until I came across the IVAR system from IKEA. It’s completely modular so you can set the desk height and cabinet configuration however you’d like. Read more about the massive IVAR workstation and storage.

 

The post Box shelves: Make them really quick and easily appeared first on IKEA Hackers.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

WOW! Internet Plans

bbernard/Shutterstock About WOW!  WOW! (also known as Wide Open West) offers cable, fiber and DSL internet, phone and television services for customers in nine states providing services to over 7 million people . You can find WOW! internet in metropolitan areas like Montgomery, AL, Chicago, IL, Detroit, MI, and 16+ other markets. There are WOW! Internet package choices with speeds ranging from 100 Mbps to 1,000 Mbps (1 Gbps) to fit your streaming, gaming and browsing needs. WOW! Internet: what you need to know Check out this quick-reference guide for the most important things you’ll want to know about WOW! internet prices, speeds and availability.  WOW! products Cable, fiber and DSL internet, TV and phone WOW! internet speeds Up to 1,000 Mbps (1 Gbps) WOW! internet prices Plans starting at $59.99/mo. WOW! availability 19+ markets in 9 states Contract required? Contracts are required for promotional pricing *As of 03/12/2020  WOW! intern...
Post a Comment
Read more

SKÅDIS: 5 ways to make the IKEA pegboard even better

IKEA introduced its own pegboard system, SKÅDIS, two years ago and I’d say it’s one of the best systems IKEA launched in recent years. I love how super customisable it is, with a growing range of accessories that help keep things organized. It works everywhere, in your wardrobe to bathroom . Probably anywhere you have a flat surface to hang it up. Photo: IKEA.com SKÅDIS pegboard system See it on IKEA.com But no matter how perfect a system, you can trust IKEA hackers to improve on the SKÅDIS. And they’ve settle these 5 issues you may have faced with the handy IKEA pegboard. Read on for their fixes. 5 IKEA SKÅDIS issues and fixes #1 Expensive hooks? You’ll need quite a number of hooks and accessories to fill up the SKÅDIS pegboard, and Kenyer was shocked at how quickly they all added up. So he figured he could make his own hooks to save cost. Photo: Kenyer Over at Instructables , he shows us how to twist copper wires into the SKÅDIS hook shape. It works s...
Post a Comment
Read more

KALLAX desk ideas: Three ways to set up a workstation

Three great ideas for a KALLAX desk . #1 Compact, minimalist desk for laptop I put together a KALLAX desk for my laptop for just under 25 euros. Just a KALLAX 2×2 is needed. No other materials required. IKEA item used: KALLAX 2 x 2 (77 x 77 cm) KALLAX 2×2 | IKEA.com All you need to do is assemble 3 of the pieces in a U shape. That is all.  If you want to strengthen the structure you would need to drill a couple of holes in order to use the long middle shelf of the KALLAX unit as a back reinforcer. Easy and it works. ~ by Fabio Tudela #2 KALLAX standing desk I choose to stand at work because it makes me feel infinitely more productive. Our department recently moved into a new building and we had the opportunity to design our own spaces. Items Used: VIKA AMON / TORNLIDEN table top x 2 (discontinued, replaced by LINNMON ) KALLAX 4 cube x 2 KALLAX drawer unit x 2 8 – 3″ locking casters / wheels 1 – 6′ zinc brace I had a few VIKA AMON tables ...
Post a Comment
Read more