Wednesday, February 28, 2018

DIY Sewing Room Cutting Table IKEA Hack

Since my last few sewing room organization posts, I've received a lot of email questions about my cutting table.  So today I thought I'd walk you through the details!

DIY Sewing Room Cutting Table IKEA hack from A Bright Corner

Here's the basics:  The table measures 31" wide, 63" long, and 34" tall and is made from 2 Kallax shelf units from IKEA, with a desk top surface (also from IKEA) attached to the top.  There are also locking wheels underneath to allow me to move the cutting table if I need to.  

**This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission (at no additional cost to you) when purchases are made through links found in this post.

DIY cutting table IKEA hack for my sewing room

The wheels also help to add a little height to the table which makes it a great height for cutting.  This table is 34" tall, but if you're tall and need a taller table, you could use legs instead of wheels.  IKEA sells legs of various sizes (such as these and these.)


For the table top, you'll need a piece of wood that is at least 31" x 58".  We found a desk top at IKEA that had the right measurements but you could also grab something from Home Depot or Lowe's.  

edited to add: IKEA has changed the sizes of the desk tops they offer and I believe this size is no longer available. That may change again in the future however. 

DIY cutting table IKEA hack for my sewing room

IKEA sells different inserts to use inside of the cubbies of the Kallax shelf systems.  In this photo below you can see that I've added drawers, and one door for some different storage options.  

DIY cutting table IKEA hack for my sewing room

On the opposite side of the table, I use the shelves for books and magazines, and have added some fabric boxes (they come in other colors too - like navy, gray, and black) to store yardage for quilt backs, works in progress, and orphan blocks.  They basically work like nice, deep drawers.  Other insert options would be these baskets, or these hanging wire baskets.

Cutting Table IKEA hack DIY - I would love to have all of that storage!

The large cutting mat on the table is from Quilters Rule and measures 32" x 60" (total size) with grid lines for 28" x 56".  The mat was slightly wider than the table so I had my handy brother in law trim about a half an inch off for me with his table saw.  I wanted the cutting surface to cover the entire table top, but another option would be to have a cutting surface on half, and an ironing station on the other half of the table!  Wouldn't that be handy?

This Olfa 24" x 36" mat would work as well, and it would leave a bit of open counter top on one end that would be great for storing rulers or bins/baskets for WIPs! They offer it in blue as well. 

 Cutting Table IKEA hack DIY - perfect cutting table for my quilting room!

I sure love my table!  I love how much storage it gives me and how versatile the storage is.  I love that I can move it if I need to, and I have needed to move it more than I expected I would.  The table a great size for my room - it did feel imposing at first and does take up quite a bit of space, but because of how much storage it gives me I don't know what I'd do without it! If you're limited on space you could make a similar unit using two of these smaller Kallax shelf units.  

Cutting Table IKEA hack DIY - perfect cutting table for my quilting room!

Now for the details:  Want to make your own?  Here's what you'll need- 

Kallax shelf units (IKEA)
1 wood surface /  table top (IKEA or Home Depot)
1 sheet of plywood 27" x 54" (Home Depot)
4 swivel locking casters (Home Depot)
2 corner brackets (similar to this one)
2 straight brackets (similar to this one)
screws, bolts and other fasteners

Any inserts you'll need for the Kallax shelf unit (drawers, doors, baskets, etc)


Build the two shelf units.  Next, use the 2 straight brackets to bolt the shelf units together.  We put the brackets on the inside of the shelves (on the top so it wouldn't get in the way of anything) - one on each end.  

Sewing Room Cutting Table IKEA hack DIY

Sewing Room Cutting Table IKEA hack DIY


You'll build the rest of the table upside down!  Place table top, right side down onto the floor.  Then place the two joined shelf units upside down onto the table top.  Secure in place using the two corner brackets, one on each end.  

Sewing Room Cutting Table IKEA hack DIY

Next, set the plywood on top of the shelf units (which is actually the bottom) and decide where you'd like the casters.  You'll first drill pilot holes for the bolts, and those pilot holes will go through both the plywood and the shelf units.  (Our bolts were too long, but I don't mind - I just work around them.  You could use bolts that are a shorter length so they don't stick up into the shelf as much.)

Sewing Room Cutting Table IKEA hack DIY

Those bolts are what connects the shelf units to the plywood base and helps to stabilize and strengthen the entire unit.  


Once the casters are secured, flip the entire shelf unit over and you're ready to start filling it!  You can add any Kallax inserts now, or use the cutting table for awhile before deciding just how you want to maximize the storage, and figuring out what works best for you.  

Leave any questions in the comments below and I'll do my best to answer them!  We did make this cutting table several years ago so we're working from memory on some of these things.  


You can read more about how I use the storage in my cutting table in my Sew Organized blog posts:
Sew Organized Part 1:  Tips for Storing Quilting Tools and Rulers
Sew Organized Part 2: Tips for Storing Patterns, Magazines, and Books
Sew Organized Part 3: Storing and Organizing Fabric and Scraps
Sew Organized Part 4: Quilting Projects



Sewing Room Cutting Table IKEA hack DIY



59 comments:

  1. Great job!!!
    I have been thinking along those lines for a bigger ironing surface.

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  2. I bought a 32x58 cutting mat at Joanns. It was priced at 69.99 but I used a 60% off coupon so I got it for about $40.00.

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    1. If it was 60% off you should have got it for $28 not $40... they've ripped you off.

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    2. 41.99 would be the correct price at 60% off. 27.99 would have been the discount

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    3. Patty...check your math....$70 - 60% = $28

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    4. Lapringle is correct. Discounted price is calculated by multiplying the original price ($70) by the percent of the original price you will be paying for the item. The original price ($70) is 100% of the cost, the discount is 60%, that means you will pay 40% of the original cost. So... $70x40% = $28.

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    5. Except Joann’s has 40% off coupons. I’ve never seen a 60% off so the price is probably correct and the coupon a typo.

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  3. I ❤️💕❤️ seeing other people’s Ikea hacks!!!

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  4. I made this for my room. Beware of the hollow panels when fitting the casters, mine fell off!

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  5. Hi Andy great article but I really don't get the plywood part. There is no picture that tells me what you mean. Could you please explain or show a pic if the plywood in position. Are you saying the plywood hoes under the Base, between the unit and the castors?

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    1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  6. I really like this. I've been trying to figure out what to do for a good cutting table for some time and this is a great idea. I'm not terribly handy, but I think this is within by skill set. Thanks so much for sharing!

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  7. Does this wheel through a doorway? I love this but need to be able to move this between rooms.

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    1. The article provides the measurements so you would need to measure your doorway.

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    2. I made a similar one that has latches instead of the straps used above. It can come apart if needed.

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  8. It is the bottom under the cabinets. The article says it helps to stabile the unit which makes sense. The cabinets are braced to the top but without the plywood there would be nothing holding the cabinets together at the bottom.

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  9. Awesome idea! Thanks for the easy to follow instructions. Which ikea desk top did you use?

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  10. Did you use the Gerton 61 x 29 1/2 table top for this project? I am planning to make this type table and wondered if that was the table top you used.

    Excellent idea and OH, SO organized!

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    1. Hi Denise - we made this years ago and the top we used is no longer sold at IKEA. I'm not even sure what it was called. All I can tell you is the measurements: 63" x 31.5" and 1" thick.

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    2. Hi Denise D
      We bought the BEKANT 160cm x 80cm, (catalogue number 002.532.38), as it is slightly larger than the GERTON (which is 155cm x 75cm).
      Hope this helps.
      Val

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  11. Oned end of the desk top surface is longer than the other end. I could totally see you attaching a dropdown leaf and covering that leaf with ironing board padding. That would be huge and wonderful for ironing fabric before cutting. Then all you'd have to do is slide the ironed fabric onto the cutting board. And you'd have room between the current setup and the leaf to add shelves - maybe to hold the iron, starch or other canned items. Perhaps even some ribbon holders.

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  12. I would be interested in knowing the cost of this project.

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  13. That is what I took it to mean since there’s no picture. In affect they sandwiches the ikea shelving units between a piece of plywood for the base and the table top they bought at ikea. If you don’t use a plywood base the ikea units are MDF and will not give you the stability you need since they won’t be anchored at the bottom and the holes through the shelving units on the bottom for the casters won’t be very sturdy. You need the plywood to both add stability for the shelf units and give you something to attach the casters through.

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  14. Thank you so much for this tutorial! I bought all the supplies from Ikea/Homedepot/Lowes last weekend and just finished my own table. So happy that you shared and so happy for my new work station!

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  15. I love this pin. I also made one ( oh. My husband made for me ������. I wish I could paste a picture. I’m on stitching grandma on Facebook. There are pictures there thank you again.

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  16. This is great! What do you use for an ironing table? Did you make something too?

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    1. I just have a regular ironing board in one corner. I'd LOVE to have a table sized ironing surface but I just don't have the space for one right now.

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  17. Thank you for this tutorial! I made mine last weekend and I LOVE it!!

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  18. I love this idea! Wondering how you put in the door insert with the bolts sticking up into that space?

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    1. The door insert only has sides to it - not a top or bottom. Now that I'm looking at it, I think we might have put the door insert in before adding the final bolts into the bottom. But once the door insert is in, the bolts don't interfere with the door opening and closing.

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    2. Why don’t you hacksaw off the extra bolt?

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    3. I totally could - I think I have a hacksaw around here somewhere.... :)

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  19. Thanks. Inspiring. I think this option will be perfect for my craft room

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  20. Thanks. Inspiring. I think this option will be perfect for my craft room

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  21. What size are your corner brackets?

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  22. I am planning on making this table but when I add up the measurements I get 36-1/8" tall. How tall is your desk? I am trying to build a standing sewing desk as I have back problems and cannot bend for an extended period of time.

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    1. I just measured mine and It's about 35" high. It works for me, but I'm only 5'4". You could add height to it by swapping out the wheels for some taller legs maybe?

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  23. Your measurements don’t make any sense. You say your table is 63” long but we need a tabletop at least 58”. Your cutting mat is 60” which is slightly longer than the length of the table so you had it cut down. I’m confused.

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    1. Hi BKLAVO The table top that I bought is 63" long but the bookshelves underneath are only about 58" long. So when building yours, you will need a table top that is at least 58" to be able to cover the top of the bookcases. I liked mine a little longer so it has a bit of an overhang (you can see that in the photos). But if you were only able to find a tabletop that is 58.5" or 59" long you'd be fine. Does that make sense? And when I mentioned the cutting mat, I meant to say that it was too WIDE for the table top - the length was fine. I had to have my brother in law trim a bit off of the sides so that it would fit better on the table top. I've now changed that in my article - thanks for pointing that error out to me!

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  24. Thanks for sharing this idea - we (my hubby and me) made our table in two days- it works great - we used 3/4” plywood for the top and painted it white and put the mat I bought years ago from JoAnn’s years ago to keep costs down. We used 2x4’s on the bottom to keep unit together and added 3 inch casters to the 2x4’s - bolted from the top of the unit so bolts wouldn’t stick out into the cubicles.

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  25. My daughter and I are making this for my sewing room. What kind and thickness of plywood did you use for the base? I understand there is 1/2 inch and 3/4 inch, CDX and ADX. Since we 2 girls are doing this I want this to be sturdy but not to heavy for us to handle the plywood. TIA, Linda

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    1. I just measured it and it looks like it is 1/2" thick plywood. As for CDX vs ADX I'm afraid I have no idea - sorry!

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  26. Why is the plywood underneath smaller than the unit size? Sadly I followed your measurements and it's too small. can you explain how it's attached ir do I need to go buy the full size of the units together?

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    1. The plywood support underneath doesn't need to be the same size as the whole shelf unit. I didn't want the brown plywood to show along the bottom edge so the plywood on mine is slightly smaller. The plywood is there just to add more support to the shelves and to help join the shelves together on the bottom. I didn't want the shelves separating along the bottom edge at all, which would add more stress to the brackets on the top. You definitely CAN make the plywood the same size as the full unit, but it is not necessary. The plywood is attached using the same bolts that attach the casters (wheels).

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  27. I’m confused about the width measurements. Each Kallax measures 30 3/8” wide x 2, would make it 61” wide, but you state that the tabletop only needs to be 27” w. Can you please help me understand?

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    1. Hi Loomis - As stated in the 3rd or 4th paragraph, the table top needs to be at least 31" x 58" (mine is slightly bigger). The DEPTH of the Kallax is 15 3/8...so when you push two of them together that makes a table that is 30.75" wide. Because we lay the Kallax shelves on their side, the width measurement becomes the height measurement. Does that make sense?

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    2. Oooh ok. Got it!! Thank you for taking the time to explain it. I appreciate it. :)

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  28. Looking to make something similar for my craft room that is standing height as the card table I'm currently using makes my back hurt from bending over. I'm roughly the same height as you, do you think it would be possible to see a picture of you using it as a cutting table? I'm afraid this will be too short!

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  29. He i need this tebale

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  30. I am so excited to see this table. I am building a craft room in the basement and I so want to have a sturdy cutting/storage table. Looking forward to creating something similar!

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  31. I've been looking for some sort of table for ages, unable to commit because nothing that I could afford really gave me what I wanted (and I wasn't really sure what I wanted...). I came across this post, sent it to my husband and asked "will you help me build this?" I expected it to be a someday project. Well, we both had the afternoon off last Friday, so he said, let's go to Ikea (an hour away). He worked on Saturday, so we did our Home Depot run on Sunday morning and had this all put together by Sunday afternoon, and I love it! I'm going to try a few different storage configurations before I commit to anything. Cutting at that height is so much easier on my back!

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