Changing Table: Make a DIY Changing Table with this Ikea Hack

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Inside: A full tutorial on how to make a DIY Changing Table and it’s an Ikea hack! A simple update that has a lot of design impact and tons of nursery storage and organization.

Preparing for a new baby is a daunting task. There are just so many things to consider and think about, not to mention costs start to add up very quickly. I thought it would be fun (and maybe helpful) to talk about how to organize a nursery and repurpose old furniture all at the same time! We are teaming up with Munchkin Canada to help us out with our DIY Changing Table that’s an Ikea hack!

If you’re interested in other Ikea Hacks (and I mean, who isn’t??) make sure you check out this post of ALL the Ikea hacks and products I’ve purchased and love. Plus you might also want to have a look at the amazing DIY Alphabet Wall I made for the nursery.

I’m sure most households have at least one or two pieces that can be easily converted into nursery furniture, which can save hundreds of dollars when planning for Baby. Search your house. Check the garage. I bet you’ve got something you can repurpose! We are converting a standard Ikea bookshelf into our change table.

Munchkin is a favourite among parents on both sides of the border for all sorts of baby and toddler stuff – and I know I still have NO IDEA what life with a baby will be like, but I have a feeling all of these products will come in very handy. I’m especially fond of the Sound and Light Machine… *coughs* I may or may not be using it for myself right now … and this super adorable, I can’t even, owl shaped night light lantern. I’ve got a few of the other things linked throughout this post. Update! My baby is now two-years old and this project is still the BEST EVER and every product I have in this post we STILL use!!

Here is our shelf before we touched it. It’s a basic Ikea shelf we’ve had for years.

First, I needed to make sure everything fit. So I placed this Secure Grip Changing Pad and this Diaper Duty Organizer on top and a lamp to the left. There’s a spot on top of the caddy for a Mist Wipe Warmer too. I’m sure Froggy will appreciate having his/her bum cleaned with a warm wipe

CHECK! Everything fit beautifully on top. Being a brand new Mom, I didn’t even realize we would have to strap the change pad down (duh!) I was pleased the straps on the change pad easily slipped into the shelf and clipped in without creating bulk, and more importantly, the change pad didn’t slip around at all.

Now to spruce it all up! We aren’t finding out the gender of the baby, so I’m decorating the room using tones of white, aquas, greys and metallics, with pops of wood tone here and there.

Off to The Home Depot to pick up six 8-foot lengths of pine 1x6s. The shelf is 59″ long and 31″ high, but we bought 8-foot boards. We cut them down using our Mitre Saw and sanded them completely smooth. (Nobody wants a butt splinter!!)

Here are the cuts we made…err…I made:

six 60 3/8″ lengths
six 31″ lengths

We stained the boards using Minwax Stain Wipes in Natural Oak. Guys – I LOVE these stain wipes (definitely NOT to be confused with bum wipes hehe) The clean-up is a breeze and you don’t need all those harsh mineral spirits, so it’s preggo friendly. Once dry, we placed the boards along the shelf, making sure to line them up.

Make sure the boards line up on all sides

We did the long sides first and then the short sides, allowing the longer sides to hang over the exact width of the shorter sides so it was all flush. Secure with a nail gun! Make sure it’s set so the nails sink right into the wood instead of sitting on top.

Use a nail gun to secure the boards to the change table

Voila! Whoa. It’s starting to feel real Also, Dan made me pose for this picture. LOL

Stocking this shelf with the supplies and products we have collected so far was even more fun (and emotional) than I thought it would be.

Change Table and Storage Hutch with Munchkin Canada

We filled the Diaper Organizer with teeny diapers, some bum cream, extra change pad protective covers (I’ve heard there will be explosive poops?!?), and a roll of dirty diaper garbage bags. These actually came with the Diaper Organizer. I joked because they look like the same kind of bags we use for Buddy poop. Goodness, I hope our baby doesn’t poop as big as our Rottweiler

We’ve also got the diaper pail all ready to go – it’s The Step™ – Premium Diaper Pail and it works with the Puck™ Diaper Pail Baking Soda Cartridges and scented garbage bags as well. It will tuck away into the corner once the room is complete. We anticipate we will both like that it’s foot-pedal operated for when Baby is squirmy…

How to cover an Ikea bookshelf with Wood

The change table is finished off with a combination of fabric bins and shallow wooden crates (that’ll be a little project I’ll show you later!) And some DIY wall art…which saved me a bundle and will also be on the blog soon. (Although, I still have my eye on these bear prints from Minted. Maybe for a play area in the family room?)

How to repurpose old furniture for a nursery

Directly beside the changing station is an old dining hutch that I’ve repurposed yet again. We bought it for $100 on Kijiji five years ago! It’s been in our dining room, my studio, my upstairs office and now the nursery. I clad the back in the same checkered paper as our little bookshelf to carry that theme through the room.

Up cycle an old dining hutch for the nursery

Wall Paper the back of an old dining hutch

So there you go! How to organize a nursery and repurpose old furniture Our crib and a few other items for the opposite wall have just arrived in the mail. So we’ll be getting to work on the rest of the room very soon.