I Transformed $3 IKEA Basics into the Cutest Kitchen Accessory

When you picture an IKEA hack, you’ll likely think of things like sleek BILLY built-ins or custom BESTA media units. For me, though, with limited time and budget, it’s the little hacks made with IKEA marketplace finds that are the most fun. After all, IKEA’s marketplace is a treasure trove of goodies with so much hacking potential — even on the tiniest of budgets. Case in point: IKEA’s RÖRT cooking utensils that I turned into salad servers with just a little paint. 

When I spotted the RÖRT spoon and RÖRT fork, I instantly thought they’d make cute salad servers when paired together. Except they were a little too basic to use as serveware — especially for dinner parties and gatherings. But the untreated wood and plain design meant they would be quick and easy to zhuzh up with some paint.

For this project I used one RÖRT spoon and one RÖRT fork, which cost just $2.99 apiece, acrylic paints, a thin paintbrush, and some washi tape. I created a color-blocked look using white and metallic copper paint, but the color combos you can create are endless. 

I started by tightly wrapping some washi tape around the middle of the handles to mark my first painting area. You could use painter’s tape instead, but I find washi tape gives a much neater finish — especially for small projects like this one. I then applied three coats of white acrylic paint below the taped area and left it to dry. 

My trick for super-crisp lines: Make sure to apply paint over the bottom edge of the washi tape, as this seals the tape and helps to get the cleanest line once removed.

Once the paint was dry, I peeled off the washi tape and applied some fresh tape to mark out the smaller area above the white. I then added three coats of my copper paint, making sure to paint over the bottom edge of the tape for a crisp line, and let it dry before removing the tape. I deliberately didn’t tape the base of this area, as I didn’t want to risk the white paint peeling off. Instead, I carefully freehanded it using a thin brush. The results are really striking, and it was so easy to do.

The one thing you should know is that these utensils should only be hand-washed, as you’ll need to avoid getting the paint wet. You also should keep the paint to parts of the tongs that won’t touch your food. If you want a little extra security, you can add a couple of coats of clear varnish over just the painted area to seal and protect it.

This hack is such a simple way to bring a custom touch to your kitchen without needing to spend a lot of money or time. And that’s the best type of IKEA hack there is!