Ikea hack – Orla Kiely mini chest of drawers

I’m sure everyone has the Moppe mini chest of drawers from Ikea. It’s not cheap but we’ve had ours for years as they are perfect for storing my smaller sewing notions. The only problem I have with things from Ikea, is that everyone has them, so I love to add a personal touch. As an Orla Kiely fan I knew they would look amazing covered with my favourite stem paper, so that’s what I did!

image from Ikea

I love quick and easy DIY projects but I have to admit – this isn’t one of them. The easy option was to cover each drawer with stem print. The harder option was to cover the entire front of the unit with paper.

The wood is untreated so I lightly sanded the front to remove any uneven bits or splinters of wood. I measured and cut my pretty stem print paper. I gave both the paper and unit a light cover of spray mount, waited a few minutes then placed the paper on the drawer unit.

When it was firmly in place I cut around each drawer with my Swann Morton scalpel, it was easy to feel around each drawer and I find my scalpel perfect for this kind of project, especially if you use a fresh blade. I smoothed down any nicks with my finger.

I think the overall effect is really stunning. You can see there is a really thin edge around the unit and between the drawers so this was quite fiddly, but well worth the effort.

You might also be interested in my Orla Kiely inspired suitcase and Orla Kiely biscuits.