Challenge 02 · Entries open now

IKEA
Hacks

Design something 3D-printable that enhances, upgrades, organizes or transforms any IKEA product. Clips, brackets, drawer dividers, smart-home mounts, cable management, lighting add-ons. If it makes an IKEA product better, it qualifies.

Enter Challenge Scroll to rules View Entries
May 5, 2026
Entries open
31 Jul
Deadline for entries
13
Prize winners
IKEA-compatible designs

Millions of flat-packs. One missing piece.
The one you print yourself.

The ecosystem

Any IKEA product is fair game.

Millions of KALLAX shelves, LACK tables, SKADIS pegboards and ALEX drawers are already out there in homes worldwide. Your design helps people get more out of what they already own. No need to buy anything new. Just measure, model, print, and share.

Browse IKEA products IKEA things on Thingiverse
The brief

If it upgrades an IKEA product, it qualifies.

Design and upload a printable Thing that enhances, modifies, or extends any IKEA product. Accessories, organizers, mounts, adapters, lighting mods, structural upgrades, cable management solutions, kid-proofing clips. Functional, fun, or downright genius. Include STLs and clear documentation so other makers can print and use it. Tag your upload with #IKEAHacks so it appears in the challenge.

#IKEAHacks
Inspiration

What the community's already made.

The most-loved IKEA hacks on Thingiverse. Your entry doesn't have to look like these. It has to be yours.

Challenge entries

Tagged #IKEAHacks

Every Thing tagged #IKEAHacks on Thingiverse appears here automatically. View all on Thingiverse

No entries yet. Be the first.

Upload a Thing to Thingiverse and tag it #IKEAHacks. It'll show up here automatically.

Upload your entry
How it works

Four steps from idea to upload.

  1. 01
    Pick your IKEA product

    KALLAX, LACK, ALEX, SKADIS, BILLY, MALM, whatever. If IKEA sells it, you can hack it.

  2. 02
    Design the upgrade

    Measure, model, print, test. Clips, brackets, organizers, mounts, adapters. Make it fit perfectly.

  3. 03
    Upload to Thingiverse

    Include STLs, photos, and which IKEA product it fits. Tag your Thing with #IKEAHacks or it won't appear in the challenge.

  4. 04
    Get featured

    Winners get homepage features, newsletter coverage to 75K subscribers, and exclusive creator badges.

The Prizes

A podium worth building for.

Homepage features on Thingiverse. A slot in The Build newsletter (75K makers). Exclusive creator badges.

02Runner-up

Runner-up

  • Featured in The Build newsletter (75K subscribers)
  • Exclusive Thingiverse creator badge
  • Homepage showcase for one week
01Grand Prize

Grand Prize

  • Featured on Thingiverse homepage
  • Dedicated feature in The Build newsletter (75K subscribers)
  • Exclusive Thingiverse creator badge
  • Social media spotlight across Thingiverse channels
  • Priority consideration for future partnerships
Top pick
033rd Place

Third

  • Featured in The Build newsletter
  • Exclusive Thingiverse creator badge

10 Honourable Mentions

Ten more standout entries each receive a feature in The Build newsletter, reaching 75K makers worldwide.

Prizes are platform-based. No physical hardware or cash prizes at this stage.

The calendar

Three months to hack something worth sharing.

  1. Phase 01 · May 11, 2026
    Entries open

    Challenge goes live. Start designing, printing, and uploading. Tag your Things with #IKEAHacks.

  2. Phase 02 · Jun-Jul 2026
    Build and share

    Upload WIP posts, gather community feedback, iterate on your designs. We'll feature highlights along the way.

  3. Phase 03 · 31 Jul 2026
    Entries close

    Final submission deadline. Make sure your Thing has STLs, photos, and the #IKEAHacks tag.

  4. Phase 04 · 1-15 Aug 2026
    Judging and winners

    Panel review from June 16 - 29. Winners announced June 30 on the Thingiverse homepage and in The Build newsletter.

Dare to be Human

A competition for people
with calipers and hex keys.

We're not interested in AI-generated mesh dumps. We want the kind of hack that takes a tape measure, a Saturday afternoon, and the stubborn refusal to accept that IKEA didn't include enough drawer dividers. The kind you remix, fork, and improve when someone in the comments says "this doesn't fit the 2024 model." The kind that makes the next maker go, "why doesn't IKEA just sell this?"

Thingiverse was built on human craft. This challenge is a vote for keeping it that way. No generated geometry. No plagiarised files. Just real designs, real prints, real makers solving real problems.

The Thingiverse team

Make IKEA work harder.

You already own the furniture. Now design the upgrade. Upload to Thingiverse and show the world what flat-pack was missing.

Tag your Thing with #IKEAHacks so we can find it.

Enter the challenge Read the brief

FAQ

Anything 3D-printable that enhances, modifies, extends, or transforms an IKEA product. Drawer dividers, shelf clips, cable management, smart-home mounts, lighting mods, structural reinforcements, aesthetic upgrades. If it makes an IKEA product better or more useful, it counts.

It needs to be designed for at least one IKEA product, but there's no restriction on which one. KALLAX, LACK, ALEX, SKADIS, BILLY, MALM, HEMNES, BESTA, RASKOG. Any current or discontinued IKEA product is fair game.

Yes, with proper credit. Thingiverse has built-in remix attribution. If you're building on someone else's work, use the remix feature when uploading. The best remixes add genuine value, not just cosmetic changes.

No. IKEA publishes product dimensions on their website, and the maker community has thoroughly documented most popular products. You can design a perfectly fitted accessory using published measurements alone. Owning the product helps for testing, but it's not a requirement.

Upload your design to Thingiverse, include STLs and photos, and tag it with #IKEAHacks. That's it. Your entry will appear on this page automatically. Make sure to mention which IKEA product(s) your design fits.

Entries close June 15, 2026. Judging runs June 16 - 29, and winners are announced June 30. You can upload and iterate on your design right up until the deadline.

No. Thingiverse backs human creators. Your design can use CAD, scripting, parametric modelling, whatever tools you prefer. AI-generated mesh submissions don't qualify. Dare to be human.

You do. Standard Thingiverse licensing applies. Pick whatever Creative Commons variant you prefer when you upload. Entering the challenge does not transfer IP.