A DIYer Used a $20 IKEA Shelf and a Piece of Wood To Create a Dreamy Sideboard

If you train yourself to think outside the box, you can find so many ways to decorate your home stylishly while also sticking to a budget. Case in point: There’s a $20 IKEA shelf that’s going viral on Instagram right now because someone used several of them to create a totally chic sideboard. But these shelves are so versatile that you might find yourself buying one (or several!) of them for every room in your house.

“POV: all you needed were these $20 IKEA shelves to make a sideboard,” the burned-in text of Instagram user Alyssa Anselmo’s viral video reads. “The funnest part about making your house a home is realizing that you don’t need a high budget,” Anselmo wrote in the caption. “When building a sideboard I think the key is to have a mixture of personal items and visually captivating items that speak to YOU … the important thing is that it makes sense to you and evokes something in you whenever you walk by.”

Using three IKEA HYLLIS shelves, a piece of stained wood for the top, and her existing collection of home decor, Anselmo was able to create the sideboard of her dreams — a modern and eclectic piece that cost her less than $100.

The HYLLIS from IKEA is a galvanized steel shelf that can be used both indoors and outdoors. Despite it being made from heavy-duty steel, the shelf remains lightweight, which makes it easy to move around if necessary. And unlike other metal wire shelves, the solid shelf surfaces allow you to store smaller items without them falling through the cracks.

Use it for plants on your balcony, for tool storage in your garage, or for towels and linens in your bathroom. Or you can line up several to create a DIY sideboard just like Anselmo did.

You can’t beat the price of the HYLLIS shelf. Similar shelves not only cost more, but are also made with wire construction, which gives them a more utilitarian look. And this open shelving display from Wayfair, which has a similar vibe to Anselmo’s finished sideboard DIY, costs over $180.

Whether you make your own sideboard or decide to use the HYLLIS elsewhere in your home, you’ll love just how versatile this small-but-mighty metal shelf is.