Saturday, January 17, 2015

Ikea Litter Box Hack



2017 UPDATE: I can't believe how many views and repins on Pinterest this article got, thank you all for your support. I'm so glad everyone loves this content. We still use our Ikea litter box hack to this day and absolutely love it! Thanks for stopping by and supporting our blog, I'm currently hoping to come back and start producing content again but am currently working on building  faithfilledhome.com    :) 


We all know that every indoor cat comes along with that lovely EYESORE of a litter box.  So I found myself searching for a solution to hide this box but no matter what shape or color you make them, they still seem to scream "Hey, I'M A LITTER BOX!" And please don't even get me started on the prices....I am pretty sure I was making the same face she was in the picture above when I found out what these would be costing.





I immediately began looking into litter box "covers" as I knew I wanted to actually cover the litter box. My two main options are pictured above. I could pick between something that was bulky and took up more space than the night stand in my room or I could pick something made out of plastic wicker that still seemed to give off that litter box vibe.



After much deliberation I made my decision....NEITHER. I opted to try to make something half the price and much more appealing with my home decor. I came across this beauty at IKEA, listed at $59.99, it does seem somewhat pricey but let's get serious, I was actually considering spending almost $200 on a bulky cabinet to hide my cat's bathroom. I took measurements of my litter box and compared them with the dimensions listed online and it fit perfectly (my litter box even has the hood cover and it fits!) What I love about this is it even has room to store her extra litter and supplies.





















Now on to the DIY! I first purchased my "chest" as IKEA calls them. They come in two different colors and I picked the "gray" version. The wicker is durable enough that it will hold up overtime but still thin enough that you can cut it with little effort (wire cutters were my tool of choice.) I took my cats litter box and placed it inside the chest. Since the chest is partially see through when looking closely, I was able to trace with a pencil (I strongly suggest pencil as it is very forgiving) where I needed to cut out her entrance. I recommend looking at your basket and litter box entrance and cutting as close as possible to the main supports running vertically. Not only is this more convenient when getting a straight looking entrance but also makes your entrance much more durable. 





















After doing this I hot glued twice around the hole. The first to secure the bond between the woven wicker and the vertical supports. The second so I could place ribbon around the entrance, giving it an overall finished look. My ribbon was actually holding two decorative pillows together that I purchased from Home Goods. The color went perfectly! And that's it, the whole project took me LESS THAN AN HOUR and now I don't have to look at that eyesore of a litter box. Total Cost: $59.99




I personally feel the chest, although large, still feels airy because of the wicker texture. You could style the top of this and I swear people would have no idea it was hiding that dreadful litter box! I chose not to display anything on the top of mine because I try to clean my cat's box every other day and I feel objects on top might be too much of a hassle. I did however buy a scarf at Goodwill for only .99 cents, folded it a few times, and then made it peek out of the chest, making it look like a throw blanket, disguising the litter box even more.

WANT TO KNOW A SECRET?! 
This chest is collapsible when you go to IKEA they are collapsed in their packaging. This means each side of the basket has a hinge and screws. These screws give you the option of taking your chest apart and changing the sides of the basket, giving you the ability to put the entrance on either side! This is a nice bonus because if you ever move or change the location of your basket it caters to YOUR design needs.

Hope all you cat lover's enjoyed this DIY! faith filled home

6 comments:

  1. Unfortunately, I cant seem to find this basket online at IKEA any longer. Too bad because it looked like a great solution at a good price!

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  2. I know it’s been a few years so it may not be there anymore. But I can’t find it on IKEA! Did you order online or in the store

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  3. This is awesome! Thank you so much for sharing. Can I please just ask why you put the hole closer to the top of the chest and not down the bottom? Also, how is the entrance holding up with your cat going in and out? I am wanting to do this for my cat so was just wondering!

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  4. I wanted to thank you for this great read!! I definitely enjoying every little bit of it I have you bookmarked to check out new stuff you post. Best litter box for large cats

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  5. We have a wicker basket which I would like to use for this purpose. We bought it at Pier 1 around 25 years ago, made in the Philippines. Since then, we moved it around the world, and now we can make better use of it for the kitten we are taking in for our adopted Filipino son. It seems to even be the same breed as yours in the photo! Funny coincidences. :》
    Veronica

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