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I wanted to share an update that we made to our Ikea Homework Station. My husband built it a few years ago and it’s been one of the most-used spaces in our house, aside from the DIY murphy bed that he & my dad built.
The kids use this DIY Homework Station constantly. I use it, as well. I love to sit there to do my work, check emails, etc…
I knew that I wanted a homework station, but I couldn’t figure out where to put it. There wasn’t really wall-space in our kitchen and I didn’t want it in the living room. I decided to put it in our living room.
I had a little spot against the wall, in the corner of the room, where we decided to put it and it has been perfect. It is a built-in desk and I love it. Below, I’ll share the directions to make the desk, the products we used, the accessories, and a few affiliate links that I could find online.
How we made our Homework Station from Ikea Furniture:
First, we bought two of these Linnmon white Ikea table tops for $6 each. My husband cut one of them in half because together they were too long.
He then uses brackets to hold the table together (he reinforced it by using three of them).
He screwed two pieces of wood to the wall to create a ledger. This is what the table sits on. You can then nail the tabletop to the ledger (nail it on an angle)
We bought the buckets and dial rod at Ikea, as well. The buckets were $7 each (Fintorp Flatware Caddy). The Fintorp Rail was $9. The total for these is right around $37. (They have plastic ones for 99 cents, but I really loved these ones!)
We filled them with everything that they would need to do their homework. Pencils, crayons, scissors, glue sticks, erasers, highlighters, and markers.
I bought this little black organizer at Home Goods on clearance for $7.00 and I use it to keep their homework. We always know where it is (away from any food or water that could reach it and ruin it, since they can’t eat in this room). You can write on it with chalk, too.
I used to use InGolf Chairs that were $49.99 each from Ikea with Malida chair cushions that were $4.99 each. Now I have Parson’s Chairs from Kirklands (they are just more comfortable). They are similar to these chairs, although I wish I had seen these chairs sooner (so pretty)! 🙂
We found the end table at Hobby Lobby and my husband cut the legs off of it, to make it the right height to hold the desktop.
I love it because I use it to store all of their school supplies! I use the drawers to keep leveled books, text books, and workbooks.
I also keep a drawer with construction paper:
You get the idea…
That’s really all that there is to it. It works perfectly for what we need!
We even added a shelf (also purchased at Ikea) and light to give us more storage. I added a tiny cork board, too, for our kids to hang things or add important notes.
I love having the light because if the kids are doing their work in the evenings, it makes it bright and easy for them to use.
It’s worked out so well – the entire homework station.
The kids come home right after school and take their backpacks into that room to “unload” their work. They then bring their lunch boxes into the kitchen and drop their empty back-packs off at our DIY mudroom bench that my husband built.
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This is so darn cute!! I so love the buckets! 🙂 My nephews would love this for their space!
I need a set up like this myself too. We still apartment live while we save for a house. Its small so something like this will work in my space and easily move with me. I wish we had an Ikea!
Thanks. It was so easy to make! 😉 (well I can say that b/c my husband did it)
This is awesome! Can you provide more details on the wired end table and drawers. I’ve been to Hobby Lobby and they cannot provide any details on this item
Oh man! I don’t know any of the details, but it was just one of the little shelves they had at the time. I’m sorry. Good luck! Any cute storage unit will work!
Love this!! I will be featuring your homework station in a round up on the West Valley Moms website with a direct link back to this post. Would you mind if I use one of your photos in the post? Thanks so much!
Oh- thanks so much, Kara. Use whatever you’d like. 🙂
We are needing to cut the same table top from IKEA, as it is too long, can you please share what tools you used to make such a cut?
Thanks!
Great idea! How did you get the tables from not chipping on the top while cutting them? Thanks so much!
Hi Becky,
I love your DIY homework station idea! How long ago did you do this? I’m searching for the end table from Hobby Lobby, and I’m afraid they may not stock it anymore. We’re the drawers included with the table?
Thanks,
Anne
It was last year, but they always have cute tables (yep- the drawers came with it)
This is super amazing this DIY work station. Youve just given me a brilliant idea for my twins room.
Hi.
I love your blog, thanks for writing it. It’s been helpful. I’m a busy mom too, I have 3 beautiful children ages 4, 2 and one. I was wondering if you can send me a link to the mud room area you and your husband made? I read it a while back ago and it encouraged me and I would like to make my own.
Thanks,
Jen
yay!! I wrote out how to do it here: https://www.yourmodernfamily.com/how-to-start-a-wordpress-blog/
Hi. Just coming across this and love the end table you used from Hobby Lobby. I know its older but is there anything you can share with regards to markings on the back, sku number, anything that I might be able to find one. I already have Linmon and similar set up but LOVE this. Thank you in advance.
I can’t find anything, but if I run by there this week I’ll stop in and see if they still have info on it. 🙂
That’s cute and simple. I love it.
Most attractive things are the buckets for storage. I will soon gonna try this out.
Thanks for sharing.
Can you tell me at what height the desk was installed? Thank you
We just put ours at the same height as our kitchen table because I was using the same chairs like the ones at the table. I’d suggest putting yours at the same height as a table that fits the chairs that you will be using.
Great ideas, I’m impressed with everything