DIY Ikea Rast Hack: Easy Woven Cane Nightstand
If you’re on a budget and looking for a versatile piece of furniture, the Ikea Rast dresser is a great option. Not only is it affordable, but it’s also easy to customize and make it your own with a DIY Ikea Rast hack.
With a little bit of creativity and some DIY skills, you can turn this simple chest into a stylish and functional piece that perfectly fits your decor and storage needs.
What is the Ikea Rast?
In case you have never heard of the Ikea Rast, it’s a 3-drawer chest made of pine that measures 24 3/8 x 26 3/4″. It’s a great small chest that is perfect for small bedrooms or kid’s rooms. But we all know it can be used for so many other great things!
Creative ways to use your Ikea Rast Hack
- Nightstand
- End table
- Custom bar cart
- Use an Ikea Rast as one side of a desk for stylish storage
- Put multiple Rasts together to create a larger dresser or use as a media console
- Vanity cabinet
- Entryway storage
Can you paint or stain an Ikea Rast?
Yes, you can paint or stain an Ikea Rast. A fresh coat of paint is one of the most popular ways to execute an Ikea Rast hack. The Rast is made from pine and takes paint and stain really well.
Be sure to sand any imperfections prior to painting and be sure to use a good primer to ensure a professional finish when painting.
Creative ideas to makeover an Ikea Rast
- Paint and stencil: Transform the plain Rast dresser by painting it in a bold color and stenciling a pattern on the drawers. This will give it a unique and personalized touch.
- Add new hardware: Switch up the knobs or pulls to something that fits your style. You can go for a vintage look, modern, or funky option that matches the rest of the room.
- Wallpaper the drawers: Use wallpaper to add a unique pattern to the drawers. This is a great way to add some personality to your Rast.
- Add a mirror: Attach a mirror to the top of the Rast to turn it into a stylish vanity. Or you could add mirrors to the drawer fronts for a custom look.
- Add a fabric backing: Attach fabric to the back of the Rast to give it a cozy and inviting look. You can choose a pattern that matches your style.
- Add legs to the Rast and paint it in a color that complements your entryway. Use it as a place to store shoes and other essentials.
- Turn it into a trendy piece of modern furniture by adding cane webbing to the drawer fronts.
Creating custom furniture doesn’t have to be complicated! I purchased a $40 chest of drawers from Ikea and turned it into a woven cane nightstand! Even better, this DIY Ikea Rast Hack only took me one weekend to complete! Here’s how!
Full disclosure, this project was done in 2021 and with inflation and rising costs, the Ikea Rast is now $59.99
DIY Ikea Rast Hack: Woven Cane Nightstand
This project is sponsored by Arrow Fasteners. For my full sponsorship and disclosure policy, click here.
We really needed a nightstand, but I didn’t have time to build one from scratch. So, I turned a $60 RAST Dresser from Ikea into the caned webbing nightstand of my (literal & figurative) dreams.
Here’s what it looked like before:
… and here is what it looks like now!
Cane webbing is so trendy and has been for a few years. It looks fresh and modern and is such a unique way to do a DIY Ikea Rast hack.
Best part is that this transformation was completed in ONE weekend! Here’s how!
What I Used:
Tools
Arrow Fastener E21 Cordless Electric Staple Gun
Miter Saw
Circular Saw
Drill/Driver
Pocket Hole Jig
Sander/Sandpaper
Scissors
Wood Clamps
Safety Goggles
Pencil
Tape Measure
Carpenter’s Square
Materials
(1) IKEA Rast Nightstand
(1) 36” Laminated Pine Board
(2) 2 x 2 x 8’ Common Board
½” Thick Trim Boards
Cane Webbing
Drawer Pulls
3/8″ Staples
1 ¼” Pocket Hole Screws
2 ½” Pocket Hole Screws
Wood Glue
Wood Filler
Wood Finish (I Used Golden Oak Stain)
The Steps:
1. First, I removed the drawers and hardware from my pre-existing dresser and patched any holes using wood filler. I’m making the top drawer into a shelf, so I wanted to make sure the holes from the drawer slides were repaired.
2. Next, I trimmed the bottom of the cabinet off using my circular saw so that I could add a custom base for a unique look.
3. I then cut and added a bottom panel and a top shelf panel and attached them to the cabinet using pocket hole screws and wood glue. The pocket holes will ensure that this Ikea Rast hack remains sturdy and lasts for a long time.
4. Once the cabinet was sturdy again, I switched my attention to the drawers. I removed all of the original hardware and patched the holes using wood putty. Once that dried, I then sanded everything flat.
5. Next, I added a layer of cane webbing to the drawer fronts and attached them using my Arrow Fastener E21 Cordless Electric Staple Gun and 3/8″ staples. Using a cordless staple gun made making this cushion an absolute breeze. I was able to attach all of the webbing in one charge, and save my hands from a lot of agony!
6. Once the webbing was stapled to the drawer, I cleaned up the edges by gluing and clamping trim pieces to the drawer (P.S. I made sure to stain these pieces before adding them).
7. As the trim dried, I created a base for the nightstand by cutting 2 x 2 boards into leg and frame pieces. I then attached them to the base of the cabinet using wood glue and screws.
8. I then sanded and stained the entire cabinet in a golden oak color. Although this is a pre-made piece of furniture, it’s still raw unfinished wood and you want to make sure to sand it completely to make sure your paint or stain will go on evenly. Don’t skip this step!
9. Last step was to add the drawer hardware and re-assemble! These drawer pulls look amazing and they are so much better than the original round wooden knobs.
Not bad for a cabinet glow-up, am I right?
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what do you think?
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5 COMMENTS
Elyana Clarke
2 years agoThank you for sharing your blog, seems to be useful information can’t wait to dig deep!
Cynthia Scott
2 years agoYou’ve done a great job! The woven cane nightstand you made looks more bautiful than the original one.
Cynthia Scott
2 years agoI like this so much! It is a creative idea!
Toni
1 year agoDo you happen to have any of the cut measurements for the foot base and added bottom shelf?
Caroline
1 year agoI would love the measurements for the shelf you added where the top drawer goes! I am about to do this project but thats the one part I am stuck on!