We finally got round to doing up our IKEA ivar cabinets at the weekend, and I’m so happy with the finished result!
I’ve loved the look of French cane furniture for a while now and it’s very on trend currently… but it can be very expensive. As our budget didn’t quite stretch that far, we decided to create the look ourselves, forming a sideboard out of two IKEA ivar cabinets and some cane webbing…
You will need:
- IKEA ivar cabinet(s)
- Jigsaw
- Drill with wood drill part
- Sand paper
- White furniture paint
- Paint brush
- Mini roller
- Cane webbing
- Staple gun
- Scissors
- Brass Legs
Cutting
To begin with, we popped off the doors from our pre-made ivar cabinets and marked out where we wanted to cut out. We decided to go 4cm in from the edge (I wouldn’t recommend going any lesss than this, as you’ll need plenty of space to staple your cane webbing to the back).
We drilled holes in all four corners, and then used a jigsaw to go round and cut out the middle of each door. Once you’ve finished cutting, make sure to sand your door frames to ensure a smooth edge.
Painting
Whilst Jack cut the doors, I started painting the outside of the cabinets. I used Rust-Oleum Chalky Finish Furniture Paint in ‘Chalk White’. It gives a lovely matt finish, and you don’t need to prime beforehand which is always a bonus!
I applied 2-3 coats on the cabinets (using both a brush and mini roller), and then did the same on the doors once they’d been cut and sanded. We let these dry fully before cracking on with the cane webbing…
Cane webbing
I searched high and low to find affordable cane webbing, and I came across the perfect one at Seat Weaving Supplies. They have a range of different rattans and cane webbings depending on the look you want to achieve. We went with 11 feet of their 18″ wide six way weave cane (1/2 inch spacing). This was just enough for the four doors.
All orders for Seat Waving Supplies are done over the phone. Our order was shipped that same day and arrived two days later. Including delivery, our order came to £89.
We divided and cut our cane webbing by four and then soaked in warm water for 30+ minutes. This makes the cane flexible and therefore safer to cut.
Once the cane webbing had finished soaking, we stapled the pieces to each of the four doors. We started by stapling the top, and then gradually working our way down the door, pulling the webbing tight. Make sure to keep your webbing nice and straight all the way down (you don’t want it looking wonky from the front)
Once all the cane webbing was safely in place, I cut off the excess around the edges. We then popped the doors back onto the cabinets. If your doors don’t shut fully, you might need to cut more webbing excess off.
Legs
I knew I wanted simple brass legs, to match the legs on our tv stand. I came across a swedish company, Pretty Pegs who specialise in creating legs and handles for IKEA furniture. So perfect for upcycling projects!
We bought six of their Hedvig Little 160 legs in shiny brass and they arrived within a few days. As they’re specifically designed for the IKEA ivar cabinets, they were super straight forward to install.
And voila… we have our beautifully unique cane sideboard!
What do you guys think to it? Is it something you might try yourselves?
The Comments
Anna
You made those cabinets look so so beautiful… Very impressive!
Cecilia
Hi Meg, how do you think it would look if I wanted to keep the IVAR natural without painting it? Too “woody”?
Thank you very much
Cecilia
Meg Monde
CeciliaHey Cecilia, I think it would look just as good unpainted as it does painted! It depends what sort of feel you’re going for x
Renate
Wow! Love the finished result – good job and Thanks a lot for the inspiration 😁