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Home / Projects / Woodworking / Ikea Hyllis Hack – Rolling Cart

Ikea Hyllis Hack – Rolling Cart

June 6, 2019 By //  by Hannah 27 Comments

Ikea Hyllis Hack Rolling cart

Happy June friends!  I’m so excited to be sharing my tutorial for my IKEA Hyllis hack!  If you followed along with my One Room Challenge laundry room renovation then you’ve already got a sneak peek of this IKEA hack.  Today, I’m sharing the step by step process for this IKEA Hyllis hack – rolling cart.

My laundry room is pretty darn tiny and I needed all of the extra space that I could get.  There is a whopping 11″ of space in between my washer and dryer that I wanted to take advantage of but fining a cart to fit was an impossible task.  My first thought was to build a wooden rolling cart from scratch but I was in the midst of a 6 week deadline to finish my entire room which included building a utility sink, laying floor and wall tile and much more.  I just didn’t have the time.  So I went to my favorite store (you guessed it, IKEA!) and found out that they now make a 29-1/8″ tall version of the Hyllis shelf!  And to top it off, it was only $9.99.  It’s about 10-3/4″ wide so I knew I could make it work for my space.

Ikea Hyllis hack rolling cart

The first thing that I did was build it upside down and set it in the space.  This was more to get a feel for my design than anything else.  You can see below that I really needed some more height to make it look nice in the space.

Ikea Hyllis hack rolling cart

For added height I decided to use 2.5″ casters on the bottom and build a box out of 1×6 boards on the top.  Here is what I came up with in sketchup.  Keep scrolling for a list of materials, tools and step by step directions.  This post contains affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will make a commission if you click-through and make a purchase.

Ikea Hyllis hack rolling cart

Materials

IKEA Hyllis Shelf

(4) 2.5″ Casters

(4) Simpson Strongtie Corner Brackets

1×6 x 96″ board

1×10 board (you’ll only need 22″ in length so get a short piece if you can)

1/2″ thick plywood.  I used scrap pieces but if you need to purchase one, a 2’x4′ piece will be more than enough

(56) 10 x 1/2″ Screws

Brad nails

Wood glue

Wood filler

Stain

Polyurethane

Spray Paint (optional)

Sand paper

Loctite Glue

Tools

Miter Saw 

Table Saw 

Drill

Drill Bit

Brad Nailer 

Clamps

Tape Measure

Pencil

Ear Protection

Eye Protection

Directions – Ikea Hyllis Hack: rolling cart

Step 1 – Drill new holes for the shelves

Before you get started, throw away the directions that come with the shelf.  You’ll actually be building it upside down and drilling new holes for where the shelves need to be spaced.  Below is a graphic that shows where the new holes should be drilled (8 total for the top and 8 total for the middle shelf).  The bottom shelf is flush with the bottom of the four legs.  The middle shelf is centered 16- 3/16″ from the top of the legs and the top shelf is centered 3 – 3/16″ from the top of the legs.  I used a 9/16″ bit and it fit the screws that came with the shelf.

Ikea Hyllis hack rolling cart 24

IKEA Hyllis Rolling Cart

After the holes are drilled you can attach the shelves using the screws that came in the box.

Step 2 – Add Casters

I couldn’t screw the casters into the bottom shelf since it’s a thin metal so I cut two pieces of scrap 1/2″ thick wood that I had to 9-1/4″ and glued them to the bottom of the cart.  I used loctite glue and clamps to hold them in place until they dried.

Ikea Hyllis hack rolling cart

Ikea Hyllis hack rolling cart

Then I glued the casters on and used #8 x 5/8″screws and washers to attach them to the wood because I had them laying around but the #10 x 1/2″ screws will probably work just fine too.

Ikea Hyllis hack rolling cart

Ikea Hyllis hack rolling cart

Step 3 – Build the storage box

You’ll want to start out by ripping a 1×10 down to a width of 9-1/16″.  Then, you will need to cut it to 22″ in length.

DIY Wood Box

The sides, front and back are all made of 1×6 boards.  Both sides are 22″ long and the front and back are 10 – 9/16″ long.  Start out by attaching both sides using wood glue and brad nails.

DIY Wood Box

DIY Wood Box

Then, attach the front and back using wood glue and brad nails.

DIY Wood Box

DIY Wood Box

DIY Wood Box

Stain the box your choice of color and if desired apply polyurethane.  I used Varathane Briarsmoke stain and Minwax semi gloss polyurethane on mine.

Step 4 (OPTIONAL) – Spray paint the shelf.

This step is not necessary but if you want a specific color for the metal you can always spray it any color that you want!  I went with a satin nickel for mine.  Just be sure to tape off the casters before you spray it (or spray it before you add the casters).

Ikea Hyllis hack rolling cart

Step 5 – Install the wood storage box

Drop the wood box in place.  When I did this I thought that the top of the shelf legs would sit nice and flush with the box but they definitely did not.  To fix this I drilled holes through the legs into the wood (careful not to go all the way through though!).  Then I used #10 x 1/2″ wood screws to tighten it up.

I also installed simpson strongtie corner brackets at the top of each of the corners of the box to even out the look.

Ikea Hyllis hack rolling cart

And here are the final pictures of the IKEA Hyllis hack rolling cart in my laundry room.  It couldn’t have turned out any better and gives me some much needed storage!

Ikea Hyllis hack rolling cart 24

Ikea Hyllis hack rolling cart

Ikea Hyllis hack rolling cart

Ikea Hyllis hack rolling cart

Ikea Hyllis hack rolling cart

If you want to save this tutorial for later you can pin it below 🙂

Ikea Hyllis Hack Rolling cart

Where would use this slim storage cart?

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If you love IKEA hacks as much as I do, check out my IKEA hacks page for more tutorials!

 

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. makewisethesimple

    June 7, 2019 at 9:18 am

    My husband and I are going to be in Atlanta next week and I am trying to talk him into a trip to Ikea…it would be out first. I think he is afraid because of posts that I find like this 😉

    Reply
    • Hannah

      June 8, 2019 at 6:34 pm

      Haha. I can totally see why he’s pushing back. Maybe you can sell him on the Swedish meatballs.

      Reply
      • Marty

        June 8, 2019 at 10:10 pm

        We’ve heard about the meatballs!

        Reply
  2. Crissy @ First Day of Home

    June 7, 2019 at 5:44 pm

    What a great organizing hack! Having the rollers is a game changer. Thanks for sharing at Tuesday Turn About!

    Reply
    • Hannah

      June 8, 2019 at 6:32 pm

      Thank you Chrissy!

      Reply
      • Greg Hough

        June 24, 2019 at 6:45 pm

        Only thing I would add, is some type of soft protection where each side is near the washer or dryer. As it is now you will end up scrapping up the washer and dryer.

        Reply
        • Hannah

          June 25, 2019 at 9:38 am

          Hi Greg. This isn’t an issue for me since it doesn’t physically touch the washer and dryer. If it were a tighter space some felt could be added if someone was concerned about scratching the washer and dryer.

          Reply
  3. apronstringsotherthings

    June 8, 2019 at 7:24 am

    Wow! Love the transformation – you’ve created the perfect laundry cart.
    Thanks for sharing this week at our Encouraging Hearts & Home blog hop 🙂

    Reply
    • Hannah

      June 8, 2019 at 6:31 pm

      Thanks so much! It really fits my space perfectly. 🙂

      Reply
  4. Michelle Meyer

    June 9, 2019 at 8:44 am

    Brilliant project Hannah! Good looking and great for organizing. Pinning!

    Reply
    • Hannah

      June 11, 2019 at 8:53 pm

      Thanks for kind words and for sharing it on Pinterest Michelle. 🙂

      Reply
  5. kimberlymast

    June 9, 2019 at 7:56 pm

    Hi Hannah!
    This is such a great hack! I love the addition of the wooden box and the casters. I found you by way of Turnabout Tuesdays. I would love for you to share your projects at Homestyle Gathering link party via Serving Up Southern.

    Reply
    • Hannah

      June 11, 2019 at 8:54 pm

      Thanks Kimberly. I missed the link party this week but I’ll add it to my weekly parties and stop by next week. 🙂

      Reply
  6. pyxiidust

    June 9, 2019 at 8:42 pm

    I’m all about using storage in tiny spaces! Thanks for sharing at Tuesday Turn About! Love this makeover… pinning to several boards!

    Reply
    • Hannah

      June 11, 2019 at 8:54 pm

      Thanks so much!

      Reply
  7. Teresa B

    June 12, 2019 at 1:10 pm

    It’s a great idea! I would love to have something like this in my kitchen.
    Thank you for sharing at The Really crafty Link Party. Pinned.

    Reply
    • Hannah

      June 12, 2019 at 9:06 pm

      Thanks Teresa! 🙂

      Reply
  8. wendy watson

    October 18, 2019 at 9:56 am

    love this hack! definitely going to use it.

    Reply
    • Hannah

      October 19, 2019 at 6:00 pm

      Awesome Wendy!

      Reply
  9. Kristy

    October 18, 2020 at 12:35 pm

    LOVE this and it’s the perfect item I was looking for! I am ordering the cart now to make soap. BIG thank you!!!

    Reply
  10. Janet

    April 29, 2021 at 2:39 pm

    genius! I’ve had my eye on that shelf…it’s such a great price.

    Reply
  11. Shelli Aderman

    July 17, 2021 at 12:47 pm

    Brilliant!!!

    Did you also drill and screw the wood bits in on the bottom? I’d be nervous about them wiggling free after a while.

    I’m now trying to figure out where I can use this in my home!

    Reply
    • Hannah

      July 17, 2021 at 1:01 pm

      Thank you! I super glued the wood blocks onto the bottom and then screwed the casters into the wood. They have held strong with no issues.

      Reply
  12. Michelle Elam

    October 16, 2021 at 3:48 pm

    Where did you get the baskets you placed in the cart?

    Reply
    • Hannah

      October 17, 2021 at 11:14 am

      I bought them from At Home. They had the largest selection of baskets that I found.

      Reply
  13. Parth Patel

    July 23, 2022 at 12:57 pm

    I have a question about the brackets you used. the listing you provide says both “wings” are 1.5 inches long, but in the pictures it looks like one side is longer than the other? can you confirm the measurements since it is hard to find one with the same size on both sides of the bracket

    Reply
    • Hannah

      July 29, 2022 at 2:06 pm

      The link in the post is exactly what I used. They are 1.5″ on one side and 2″ on the other. I put the shorter “wing” on the front of the cart.

      Reply

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