Not quite worthy of the title “IKEA hack”, but definitely a repurpose; this little pouf gets it’s shape from two IKEA DRÖNA storage boxes, one inserted into the other.
Like many a household across the world I heart the IKEA KALLAX units and DRONA boxes for toy storage. With three young children to contend with however, the boxes can sometimes take a battering. They’ve been sat in, drawn on, stood on, used as go-carts – you name it, in our house, the DRONA boxes have endured a lot.
After replacing a few of the more worn-out looking boxes, I was stuck for what to do with the old ones. Around the same time I was also stuck for how I could make a cube footstool from T-Shirt yarn that would hold it’s shape, without having to buy copious quantities of filling. And one day the two problems came together to give me a solution. Oh happy day 🙂
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Add this pattern to your Ravelry queueCreating the frame
I packed one box tightly so that the footstool would hold its shape. I used old clothes that were earmarked for the charity shop but you could also use poly foam or an old duvet. Next, I pushed the second box down on top of the filled one. At this stage I stuffed an old cushion insert under the zip to give a little extra padding for the top of the stool.
Materials
Hook: 10mm (N/15) – 12mm (O/17) depending on the thickness of your T-shirt yarn (see Notes)
Yarn: 2 skeins of Hoooked Zpagetti (131 yds/120m per 850g skein) or other T-shirt yarn
Notes
Construction
The pouf cover is crocheted in three panels using only Single Crochet (SC) stitches:
- sides – one panel to fit around the four sides of the frame (seamed at one edge)
- top panel
- bottom panel
T-Shirt Yarn
T-Shirt Yarn can vary alot in thickness depending on the source fabric that was used to create it.
If your yarn is very thick you will probably need to use a 12mm hook. However, if it is a bit thinner, a 10mm hook might be necessary to achieve tight stitches and a firm cover.
Measurements
Measurements are more important than stitch and row counts for this pattern.
Each panel you make should cover the corresponding area of the frame when slightly stretched. This might mean your stitch/row counts end up slightly different to mine depending on the weight & stretchiness of your T-Shirt yarn.
Written Pattern (US Terms)
Abbreviation (US)
ch = chain
sc = single crochet
sl st = slip stitch
Side Panel
The 4 sides are all worked as one long panel.
Foundation Chain: Ch 23
Row 1: sc in second ch from hook, sc in next ch and in each ch across, turn [22]
Row 2: Ch 1 (does not count as a st), sc into each stitch across, turn [22]
Rows 3-90: Repeat Row 2 until long enough cover the 4 sides of the frame when slightly stretched (for me this was 90 rows). End on an even number of rows.
Top & Bottom Panel
Foundation Chain: Ch 24
Row 1: sc in second ch from hook, sc in next ch and in each ch across, turn [23]
Row 2: Ch 1 (does not count as a st), sc into each stitch across, turn [23]
Row 3-28: Repeat Row 2 until long enough to cover the top of the frame (for me this was 28 rows)
Repeat for the second panel
Assembly
1. Seam edges of side panel
Lay the side panel flat with the wrong side facing you, and fold each side inwards so that the edges meet in the middle.
Seam the edges together (I used a small crochet hook in place of a yarn needle – I didn’t have a yarn needle big enough!)
2. Attach bottom panel to sides
Turn the side panel the right way around.
Make sure to work with the bottom panel closest to you.
Join the panels using a round of slip stitches as follows:
3. Roll down the sides
When you are finished your round of sl sts you should have something like this:
4. Attach top panel to sides
Insert the DRONA box frame and attach the top panel in the same way i.e. using a round of slip stitches
All done!
I hope you have enjoyed this pattern, if you have questions at all, please don’t hesitate to contact me. And be sure to tag your finished pouf on Instagram or Facebook using @nedandmimi or #nedandmimi!
Happy crocheting!
Sarah
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