Monday, October 8, 2012

Dress-up Center Ikea Hack

My daughter's dress-up clothes have been in a little cloth toy box for the last year. This little box is messy and unorganized but little dress-up centers are very expensive and not in my budget...until now.

About a week ago, I noticed the Ikea bookcase I have all the girls' books on is the perfect size for a little dress-up center. For $39.99, we purchased the white bookcase and created an adorable dress-up center the girls love. You can certainly find cheaper bookcases at Wal-mart or Target, but the Ikea Billy bookcase is the perfect size to hang the dress-up clothes and have a shelf for baskets and shoes. My only problem with it is that it was too narrow on the side to find a decent mirror, so we added vinyl flowers and a quote I cut from my Cricut.

This little center was a perfect gift for my little 3 year old. The best thing about it is that it brought all of their dress-up clothes and accessories out in the open. When they were in the box, they were barely played with. Now, my little divas are dressed-up all the time. Here is how I did it...
What you'll need:

1 Bookcase- I used the Billy bookcase from IKEA
curtain rod- the type that sits inside the window sill
hooks- I purchased mine from IKEA- 6 for $1
hot glue
1 yard of fabric
spray adhesive
adhesive hooks for jewelry
vinyl decorations- I cut my from my cricut, but you can find them at Target and Home Depot
Poly-urethane- spray or paint can
small baskets
mirror, if desired

Assemble Bookcase.













Attach curtain rod. The rod has to mount to the sides of the bookcase. This is why you need to get an in the window type. The back of the bookcase can't support the clothes.



























Hot glue hooks in place. We skipped this step and had to go back. The hooks from IKEA were perfect with the flat curtain rod because the small end fit but they also come off very easily. Two days of picking up hooks brought out that glue gun!























Using spray adhesive, glue fabric to the backing of the bookcase. One yard is perfect for the Billy Bookcase.

Adhere hooks. We just put up three to hold necklaces on one side of the bookcase.













Decorate with vinyl. If you have a cricut, the possibles are endless. Otherwise, Target has plenty of vinyl clings in the home decor aisle. Although not necessary, you should apply a few coats of poly- urethane to seal in the vinyl. Little fingers may try to peel them off if you don't.








Add baskets and mirror, if desired. We had issues finding a mirror, but my husband did find one at Menards online that would have fit. I had already decorated the sides. We may add a mirror later. FYI- if you get the Billy book case, the mirror can be no wider than 11"






End result...one happy little girl on her birthday! Do you have any IKEA hacks to share?

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