Woman Turns Simple IKEA Serving Bowls Into A Console Table That Looks High-End

Who knew you could turn IKEA salad bowls into a functional table you can use anywhere? For this DIY, we're focusing on a console-style table from DIY extraordinaire Brittany Christina. She uses bamboo serving bowls from IKEA to create curvaceous legs on either end. And for the top, she uses a shelf from an IKEA TV stand. The result is a tall table perfect for your entryway or behind your sofa.  

This project is a variation of the IKEA effect that makes you love assembling your own furniture. Instead of assembling items out a box, you're piecing together IKEA products to create a custom table. IKEA's BLANDA MATT Bamboo Serving Bowls create the legs — you'll need 12 of the 11-inch bowls to recreate the inspiration project, but you could create a shorter version with fewer bowls. The creator uses the top shelf of the LACK TV Unit as the tabletop. You'll also need construction adhesive to secure the bowls together, wood filler to smooth the gaps, and paint to give the unit a cohesive finish.

Keep in mind that this isn't a low-cost project. Each bowl costs $24.99 and the TV stand costs $54.99. The bowls come in two other sizes: 5 inches for $8.99 and 8 inches for $12.99. Using the smaller versions saves money, but you may need more of them to achieve a similar height. For the top, you could cut a piece of scrap wood or glue together leftover planks of wood to create a lower-cost top. Repurposing the top of an old console table is another option.

Start by gluing eight of the bowls into pairs to create sphere shapes using the construction adhesive — you'll end up with four of the spheres. You'll have a noticeable ridge where the bowls meet. You can fill those gaps with wood filler and sand it smooth if you want. Or, add accents in those ridges, like faux gemstones or thick rope. You can repeat that material where the bottoms of the other bowls meet to make it consistent. Then, assemble each leg: a single bowl, two of the spheres, and another single bowl create one leg. Repeat for the second support leg.

Painting is optional, but it helps hide the fact that you used serving bowls as the legs. A new color also influences the overall look of the table and helps it fit into your space. You may need multiple coats to get the look you want. When the legs are just right, test out the spacing by putting the tabletop on them — it's just over 47 inches wide. Adjust them as necessary to make sure the legs are straight and evenly space. Then, use construction adhesive to glue the top to the legs. 

To add a little pizzazz to the original design, consider adding wood trim around the edges of the tabletop. You could also add a piece of wood underneath the legs to create a lower shelf and add stability to the piece. Either use the other shelf from the TV stand or cut a piece of wood to size, making sure it's larger than the bowl legs and stretches underneath both of them. If you want to expand your DIY furniture set, turn IKEA serving bowls into a trendy coffee table that looks high end.