25 Genius IKEA Raskog Utility Cart Hacks

This popular miracle on wheels can store just about anything you can think of.

By
Jodi Gonzalez
Jodi N. Gonzalez
Jodi Gonzalez

Jodi N. Gonzalez is a home trends expert and veteran journalist with over two decades of experience covering topics such as home decor, organization, cleaning, and celebrations. She has been published by the Tribune family and the Austin American-Statesman.

Learn more about The Spruce's Editorial Process
Published on 11/03/21
Family games cart.

Abby Lawson / Instagram

IKEA has shown the world many times over that put-together furnishings can not only be sturdy, but also incredibly adaptable. The internet regularly finds new and creative ways to use many of the superstore's items, and the creators love to show off and share their "inventions." Here are some of best ideas out there for how to use the popular Raskog utility cart.

  • 01 of 25

    Grow and Go

    Succelents storage in Raskog.

    Cassidy / succulentsandsunshine.com

    A lot of people use utility carts to haul their plants in and out of the house, but Cassidy of Succulents and Sunshine decided to use hers a little differently. She used her as a multilevel planter. On her site, she give readers step-by-step instructions and a pro tip: Make sure you put the entire thing together before you start planting your succulents.

  • 02 of 25

    Barbies' Dream Cart

    Barbies storage in Raskog.

    Mika Perry / mikaperry.com

    Professional organizer Mika Perry was looking for a way to corral Barbie, her friends, and all of their very tiny gear. Enter her utility cart, outfitted with white organizational bins typically used in drawers. She was able to organize all the dolls' shoes and other accessories easily.

  • 03 of 25

    Fun and Games

    Family games cart.

    Abby Lawson / Instagram

    Like many of us, Abby Lawson of Just a Girl and Her Blog has been spending a lot of time with family over the past several months. Playing board games, cards, and doing puzzles have helped her family pass the time and bond. She made it easier to organize and transport their favorites by piling them in a cart and labeling each shelf neatly.

  • 04 of 25

    Snack Shack

    Snack cart

    @larissa_anotherday / Instagram

    When spending so much time doing fun things with family, you can work up an appetite. Larissa Zitzman of Larissa Another Day is another labeller, and she packed her cart full of drinks and snacks to keep family and friends fortified while watching a movie or playing some games.

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  • 05 of 25

    Favorite Things

    Nursery cart

    Danielle House / Instagram

    Kids create clutter, even when they are still in a crib. Danielle House of The House on Hillside Lane keeps baby's board books and favorite stuffed loveys in one spot. Having a cart with wheels in the nursery makes it easy to bring all of the fun stuff from room to room.

  • 06 of 25

    Coffee Shop

    Coffee cart

    Abby Lawson / Instagram

    Abby Lawson shows up again with another fabulous idea for her beloved aqua blue Raskog. Lawson, of Just a Girl and Her Blog, brought a coffee cafe to the sunroom with three levels hosting a coffee maker, pods, cups and add-ins. To make the top, she flipped the top shelf upside down for a flat surface without the edge. And as a bonus: By moving the coffee bar out of the kitchen, she reclaimed some counter space.

  • 07 of 25

    Handy Holder

    Paper towel holder

    @robinseggbluecreations / Instagram

    It's easy to get messy in the creative process. Robin Vanatta of Robin's Egg Blue Creations found a way to keep cleanup supplies at the ready. She took a magnetic paper towel holder made for a metal toolbox and attached it to her Raskog. Now she never has to search for a towel when she needs one right now.

  • 08 of 25

    A Solid Plan

    Planner materials cart

    @jessica.plans.and.craft / Instagram

    Are you a planner? Working to keep all the threads of your life together can mean a lot of paper, notebooks, pens, Sticky Notes ... you get the picture. Jessica of @jessica.plans.and.craft first painted and decorated her Raskog, then added toppers for each shelf. This creates not only a solid surface for items she is using at the time, but also hidden storage for things she might need later.

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  • 09 of 25

    Library on Wheels

    Book cart

    @_jammycanread_ / Instagram

    You never know when the mood to get lost in a good book will strike. Keeping favorite tomes and new reads close by makes that a little easier. Instagrammer @_jammycanread_ says her book cart motivation was really just to give herself more shelf space!

  • 10 of 25

    Painter's Pride

    Paint cart with dividers

    @thecrippledcrafter / Instagram

    Sam Lewis of The Crippled Crafter loves to paint, but she doesn't love when her paint bottles roll around, making it difficult to find exactly what she needs. So she took a piece of form board and created dividers that exactly fit her Raskog. Now each little paint bottle has its own space, and she can get a clear view of her hues.

  • 11 of 25

    Cleaning cart

    Cleaning cart

    @odetoless / Instagram

    Bev of Ode to Less gathered favorite cleaning products, towels and sponges and organized them on her Raskog. She added hooks to the sides so she could also keep brushes and other tools handy. Taking this room to room makes cleaning up faster, and who doesn't like that?

  • 12 of 25

    Cutting Edge

    Cricut storage

    Emma Fox / planinspirecreate.com

    Cricuts are a popular tool for crafters everywhere. Emma Fox of Plan Inspire Create is one such crafter, and after reorganizing and decorating her craft room, she found that she had no place for her Cricut. Enter Raskog. The machine was wider that the cart, but Fox found a great way to make it work. First, she painted the cart to match her new room. To create a flat surface, Fox flipped the top shelf upside-down. The other two shelves were used to keep all the Cricut accessories and supplies nearby.

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  • 13 of 25

    Essential Storage

    Bathroom cart

    @vuokrattu / Instagram

    If there is one place in the home where space can often be at a premium, it's the bathroom—especially when you have a family of four! Finland resident @vuokrattu created a storage area in a tight space to hold toilet paper, towels, and many other things you need close by in the privy.

  • 14 of 25

    Drawers to Go

    under-desk storage

    Robyn Sidney / Instagram

    You can carve usable space from even the most unlikely of places. Robyn Stanley, of @the_house_acc and co-host of Pimp Up My Pad, used a nook for an office area, adding a piece of wood from her utility room as a desktop and a Raskog underneath as storage for all her office essentials. The cart allows for a clear workspace. Stanley took the wheels off her Raskog so it fit perfectly under the beautiful stained wood.

  • 15 of 25

    Creation Station

    Kid craft cart

    @astheygrow.me / Instagram

    Once again, the Raskog is a lifesaver for parents looking to contain kid clutter. Dubai-basked Harkee of As They Grow had promised her two kids she would make them a special place to store their art supplies. When she suddenly had to keep the kids home from school for four weeks, she put plans into action and enlisted her her Raskog for the task. Now her children can tote their gear all around the house, and even out to the garden on nice days, to create while they are out of class.

  • 16 of 25

    Ironing station

    Ironing station

    @sew_saba / Instagram

    Sewers know that having an iron handy is essential when you need to press seams just so. However, ironing boards can be unwieldy, and even tabletop versions require clear counterspace. Saba Ansari of @sew_saba came up with an IKEA-centric solution. She took a Raskog and topped it with a Jäll tabletop ironing board. This combination solves a space problem and adds crucial storage space.

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  • 17 of 25

    Keeping It Clean

    Sanitizing cart

    Abby Lawson / justagirlandherblog.com

    Abby Lawson of Just a Girl and Her Blog has another great idea for her Raskog, one especially important during these times. She loaded the cart up with hand sanitzer, antibacterial wipes and more, with hooks on the side to hold fresh masks. You never know when you are going to need one!

  • 18 of 25

    No Pressure Here

    InstantPot kitchen cart

    @velvetshimmer / Instagram

    The Instant Pot is undoubtedly one of the hottest kitchen appliances going right now. Storing one on the counter is great if you use it every day—and if you have the space. Most sizes also easily slide into a cabinet—also if you have the space. If you are short on square footage for the "magic pot," do what Pam Reyno of @velvet shimmer did: Use your Raskog. She stores plastic containers and her most-used kitchen items on the shelves below.

  • 19 of 25

    Wrap It Up

    Wrapping station

    Melissa George / Polishedhabitat.com

    We are entering prime wrapping season. Do you know where your paper and bows are? Melissa George of Polished Habitat does. She repainted her Raskog and used beautiful labels to keep all of her paper, bags, bow and more in once place. And, like our other genius ideas, all of this can be taken into any room so you can easily move all your supplies. This makes short work of getting gifts ready to give!

  • 20 of 25

    School's In

    Virtual schooling station

    @bizzybeeorganizing / Instagram

    Many children do school work at home. When it's time for a virtual class meeting or to dig into some homework, they need to have their laptop, pencils, and paper ready to go on time. The best way to do that, according to Toula Adu of Bizzy Bee Organizing, is to find a place for everything and keep everything in its place. Her Raskog keeps all learning supplies in one spot, with the ability to move the classroom from one place to another, depending on what is going on in the house that day. Labeling each shelf helps children learn how to keep all of their things organized.

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  • 21 of 25

    Herb garden

    Herb garden

    @ecakess / Instagram

    Cooking with fresh herbs is a game-changer. You can buy them at the grocery, or grow your own. If you don't have a plot of land or time to tend to one, such gardening can be difficult. Emma of @ecakess found a fabulous solution. She constructed a multi-level her garden with her Raskog, some burlap, garden soil and her favorite herbs.

  • 22 of 25

    Cat Hotel

    Multilevel cat bed

    Jenny / Astheworldpurrs.com

    Cat owners know this is true: If you have a spot where a kitty will fit, it will park itself there. Why not create a cozy space just for your furry friends? Jenny of As the Purr Turns added some small blankets to each shelf of her Raskog, providing a resting roost for her cats. From there, each one can have a good view of what's going on in the room.

  • 23 of 25

    Music recording cart

    Music-making cart

    @fever_fever_fever / Instagram

    Who says a home music studio has to take up a lot of space? Naoyuki Ohkado of @fever_fever_fever created an amazing compact cart that holds everything needed to make beautiful music.

  • 24 of 25

    Holiday Happy Hours

    Bar cart

    Michele Delory / Instagram

    Michele Delory of Modern and Minimalist has gotten great use out of her Raskog. Her family used it as art cart and then even as a barber station during lockdown. As the holidays approached, they repurposed the cart as a festive bar for their home celebrations.

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  • 25 of 25

    Tinkerer cart

    Tinkerer cart

    @tincubate_ / Instagram

    Working on many home projects and hobbies seems to make little screws and wires and tool multiply. To stay on track, and save some sanity, Joe and Marianne of tincubate use their Raskog as a mobile toolbox.