13 Clever Ways To Turn IKEA Metal Serving Bowls Into Elegant Decor And Furniture

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We've seen it all, so you don't have to. But you should, because 'it' is mostly spectacular. We've seen IKEA BLANDA BLANK (possibly not their finest naming moment for English-speaking markets) turned into... stuff. And then we found a bunch of people who have actually turned them into things you might want or need. There are lamps (more than a few, for good reason), tables, a centerpiece, and (wait for it) a different bowl. Oh, and a vase that doesn't hold water, but does hold a flower that doesn't need water. Clear enough?

Just in case you're curious about our somewhat less useful BLANDA BLANK finds that didn't make the cut, here's a few we came across: a grill cloche for melting cheese; a sail boat air vent lid, which will be at the bottom of the ocean before you finish reading this sentence; a fracking repair droid (that doesn't work); and a robot lamp that must make itself, since no one can figure out how to make it. We have also left off a Memphis Design-adjacent weathervane, which turns out to be something no one has ever written before, according to Google; a laser salad bowl clock, also another unique phrase that can only be found in the world of BLANDA BLANK hacks; and a "blank face basin," which is either a bathroom sink or something entirely less desirable.

There's also the world's worst bird feeder, which prompted us to include a couple of the world's best bird feeders. Seriously, though, you could probably come up with BLANDA BLANK DIY projects all day, and you probably should.

At this point, it seems like most YouTubers have a bowl-legged table, but none of them did it like TikTokker @frejodesign. Well, they did them exactly like this, but with a different kind of bowl. The tables were made by gluing pairs of BLANDA BLANK bowls together to form balls, which became the table legs, which are then used to subtly terrorize guests with a phobia of collapsing tables. But don't worry, these are perfectly stable if you do everything just right. But if you're wary, you could fill the spheres with cement to make them sturdier.

This hack basically requires making one extra leg for the table above, gluing two more BLANDA bowls to that sphere, then sticking a wood round on top... unless you're going for a tabowl rather than a table. (Dad jokes are free, don't complain.) The real problem with using stainless rather than bamboo bowls in this way is that you can't put wood filler in the seams to hide them. But stay tuned for one more version of this approach that wouldn't look right without the seams.

Instagrammer @menawox has so many brilliant midcentury modern-inspired IKEA hack lamps. This one is practically identical to the Lampada in una Ciotola created in 19686 by Italian designer Fabrizio Espansiva, all of which we just made up. It's basically a white globe lamp in a stainless bowl, but that doesn't begin to communicate the coolness. Pro tip: Use rubber grommets to protect electrical wires that'll be running through metal holes you've drilled.

This is basically a floor lamp version of the FADO lamp above, but with more of a glam mod vibe. Its creator, TikTokker @hannah_drakeford_design, does great work, and strongly believes that "if it's ugly, paint it". But she didn't paint this lamp, even with the seams showing. So clearly, the lamp isn't ugly, and don't you dare even think of painting it. Though you might opt for stainless steel rather than flashy chrome for a more (somewhat) understated look.

Utensil holders are pretty handy, even when turned into a lighted home decor piece with the help of an IKEA metal serving bowl. You can give IKEA's ORDNING utensil holder its day in the spotlight, quite literally, by pairing it with — you guessed it — a BLANDA BLANK bowl. Into the bowl you glue what appears to be a clear Solo cup, but can be glass. This you glue to an upended utensil holder, into which you place a puck light whose battery you will never, ever change. Or try wiring in a lamp kit.

Sometimes, when you're marshaling your army of 10,000 IKEA DIY lamps, you have to stop and smell the flowers. Or the cinnamon broom-scented twigs, or whatever you end up putting in this little masterpiece. This is a two-bowl affair, coated with matte spray paint or you can choose stone for a natural look. You're probably going to want something other than pine twigs because, let's face it, they're gorgeous but definitely a fire hazard to have so close to an open candle flame. Or swap the live candles for flameless taper candles.

In this edition of "Why did we ever stop making MCM lamps?" YouTuber @lonefox — possibly the happiest DIYer we've ever seen — shares his method for turning an IKEA coffee pot and serving bowl into an elegant lamp on a budget. @lonefox destroys a cheap lamp (which a pack fox would never do) to pull this DIY off, but you could probably manage the same thing with a lamp kit and a Solo cup. What happened to the carafe handle, we cannot say. But who says lamps shouldn't have handles?

"Blank and Matt" might sound like a sad entry from a prom limo reservation, but these are the names of IKEA serving bowls used by @nannabodeval in this DIY lamp that is virtually indistinguishable from a vintage flowerpot lamp designed by Verner Panton, one of the most influential Scandinavian furniture designers... except the Panton lamp sells for $7,500. And if you want a different vibe, you could simply sand and stain the bamboo bowls or paint them a bright yellow for an even more eccentric 80's look. 

You might not consider it decor, but will be such a species-ist outlook on design. (Hush. They're free, remember?) After all, this feeder just plain looks cool, and what's the point in that if it's not decor? The spray paint is probably necessary, because as good as it looks in stainless steel, we've heard some disturbing things about what these bowls can do in sunlight. Something about setting grapes on fire, which is not the kind of thing you'd make up unless you're trying to get IKEA to buy you some grapes.

As much as autocorrect wants this to be a pilloried bird feeder, which is no way to eat. Anyway, this is a platform feeder covered by an inverted BLANDA BLANK  bowl so that it looks like a place a Swedish minimalist would sit properly and drink room-temperature water. And even more unexpectedly, the whole setup looks great. While the bowl would likely not protect the feed from winds and rain, it's still a critical aspect of the DIY so we say right on.

The real question should be "Isn't this the same as the carafe lamp?" and the answer is that this looks more like a classic Mid-Century Modern mushroom lamp with its slimmer base. Most importantly, it was designed and crafted by BaremetalCo, a Singapore metalworking business that is not only the coolest place on earth, but also sells things like a metal "inflated" pillow (complete with zipper), and offers a workshop called Hammer a Metal Ghost. Yes, please.

When life gives you bowls, make a different bowl. After all, at some point you will have enough Mid-Century Modern lamps. And when you're tired of MCM, make Japandi, which is basically MCM without the occasional, disruptive burst of color. This bowl resists any outbursts via the simple expedient of being gessoed with a sponge brush and then painted with any color you want, as long as it's taupe. The creator, YouTuber @creativebydiy, shows examples of styling the bowl with the latest issue of "Cereal" magazine and a couple of what has to be bezoars from Harry Potter. 

Okay, this full project takes a lot of skills, and you might be tired of it by Wednesday. But the basic industrial table with the stainless top... chef's kiss. This involves cutting, folding, and welding steel, but if you can find a stainless or chrome round for the top you can probably eliminate all the cutting, folding, and welding, and limit yourself to drilling and bolting. And when you're done, you could even make like the folks at @baremetalco and decorate with a metal flower and vase. As I said earlier, just too cool.