This post shares my DIY cat tree using Ikea tables. It is featured in a roundup of my 10 best painted furniture projects.
DIY Cat Tree Using Ikea Tables
We have two very spoiled kitties named Henry and Blanche. Henry is almost 2 years old and Blanche just turned 1 a few months ago. They’re both rescues and are very active. They love to run around and chase each other, and they are not de-clawed, so we need to make sure they have plenty of entertainment and scratching posts.
We have two cat trees with scratching posts and lounging spots, but both trees are pretty ugly and falling apart. Unfortunately cat trees can also be pretty expensive, so I’ve been researching ideas for an aesthetically pleasing DIY cat tree. This idea really sparked my interest, especially since I already had one of the tables I’d need, paint, and a staple gun.
HERE’S WHAT I USED
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- Ikea LACK Coffee Table
- Ikea LACK Side Table
- Sisal rope
- Hand-held staple gun
- Gorilla Glue
- Faux fur fabric (browse here)
- Paint
- Small hook eye (browse here, but better to just pick a little packet of them up at Home Depot)
- Various toys (Update: sad mouse is being replaced with this bird, which Henry loses his mind over)
And here’s how I made a DIY cat tree using Ikea tables!
(Affiliate links below. You can read more about that here.)
Step 1: Apply faux fur sections
I worked with the tables first; to get started, I made sure both were disassembled. I had eight legs, two tops (square and rectangle), and the coffee table’s bottom shelf.
I laid the coffee table’s bottom shelf on the fabric. Then I cut a piece that was just big enough to wrap around the entire shelf. Using the staple gun, I stapled the fabric over the entire shelf like I was upholstering a chair cushion. Then I did the same thing for the top of the side table and set both aside.
Step 2: Create scratching posts
Using the sisal, I created the scratching posts. I decided to wrap only two and a half of the side table’s legs. I bought two 50-foot rolls of 3/8-inch sisal and used it all.
To wrap the sisal around each leg, I stapled the end of the sisal to the bottom of the leg using my staple gun. I began wrapping the sisal tightly around the leg; every few inches, I stapled the sisal to keep it in place.
(Note: I only stapled on one side of the leg to ensure the stapled side faced the wall when I attached the legs to the table. I didn’t want to hurt my kitties.) Then I set the two scratching post legs aside.
Step 3: Paint pieces!
At this point, I had seven pieces that I hadn’t touched: six table legs and the coffee table’s top. I decided to paint these pieces using some leftover paint I had in the closet. I mixed a few colors from the DecoArt Americana Decor Chalky Finish line and ended up with a purple, which was great because I knew I wanted a bright color.
This paint sticks to anything, meaning it sticks just fine to the slick Ikea furniture finish. I used a matte finish because I wanted the piece to look polished, but I didn’t want it to look shiny.
Step 4: Assemble all pieces
When the paint was dry, I assembled the pieces. First I assembled the coffee table by screwing all four legs on and setting the furry shelf in. Then, I assembled the side table.
Step 5: Glue tables together
Before I attached the two tables to one another, I needed to decide how I wanted the finished piece to look. I wanted the higher side of the piece to back into the corner of our living room wall, so I positioned the side table so that the scratching post legs were not against the wall.
When I was happy with the arrangement, I dabbed some glue onto the bottom of each of the four side table’s legs. Then I carefully put the side table on top of the coffee table and placed a few heavy books on top of the side table to ensure the glue got a firm bond.
If you like this project, check out my indoor cat house build plans, my raised pet feeder for cats and a sleek feeder for dogs, my easy cat scratching post, and my DIY cat tree using real branches.
Step 6: Adorn with toys
I stuck a small hook eye into the bottom of the side table so that I could hang one of their toys from. I also glued one of those door knob scratchers (that they never used) onto the top of the coffee table.
And that’s it! You can easily customize this, and I’m so pleased with how it looks. The cats love it!
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FABULOUS!
🙂 Thanks!
like the condo… been thinking of something like this for my hubby’s cats
It was really easy to make. 🙂
Love this! We are in the market for a new cat tree, and prefer a DIY route. How clever! Lucky cats 🙂
They love it! And there are so many good DIY options out there. I wanted to find some good secondhand furniture, but I liked how easy the Ikea tables were to work with. Good luck 🙂
Finally a cool looking cat condo idea that doesn’t have you buy 2×4 lumber – LOVE! This would work with a thrift store table too. I might try a skinnier – taller version for our newest addition, Wolfie, who showed up in the yard one day, skin and bones and super skittish. Now he feels at home and the addition of a cat condo would be the icing on the cake – and keep him from clawing at the carpet and rugs. Purrfect!
Aww, welcome home, Wolfie! Henry isn’t a big scratcher, but Blanche is (the smaller one). She loves stretching up from the floor and clawing the outermost post. I had thought about doing a thrift store table as well, but I couldn’t find something, and my impatience got the best of me.
LOVE! Told my hubby we are making this for our two cats 🙂
Yes! They will love it!!!
This is super lovely!! Well done! 🙂 xox
Thank you!
This is a fabulous idea and we’ll definitely do something like it when our current scratching post/perch starts to disintegrate 🙂
You could always make it now…I’m sure they wouldn’t complain! Our living room has three cat trees in it. I felt bad for them because they are indoor kitties cooped up in an apartment, so they need plenty of entertainment. 🙂
So cute! Love that it’s easy to do and very customizable. Do you have any measurements for how tall the finished piece is? Just rescued a kitty and want to make her something she can relax on while watching out the window 🙂
Hi, thank you! The total height is 36 inches. If you want to go the Ikea route and that isn’t the height you want, they have lots of other affordable options for tables with different height options. Enjoy your new kitty.
I love the end results! Fabulous idea! Would you mind telling me the cost of this project?
Hi, Molly! Thanks! It’s hard to say what the exact final cost was because I had some of the materials already. I already had the smaller of the two tables and repurposed it for this project, but it was $10 when I bought it. The bigger table is $25. I used about $10 worth of sisal rope for the scratchers, and I already had the staple gun, which was under $10 new. The paint I used is ~8.50/can (it’s the Americana Decor Chalky Finish brand, but I mixed two colors), and the fabric was a faux fur from Jo-Ann that was ~8.99 (always search for a coupon before shopping at Jo-Ann!). I think Gorilla Glue is about $5. So if you’re starting from scratch, you’re looking at ~$80. If you want to keep it cheaper, you could always do two of the $10 tables stacked on top of one another and not paint it. I didn’t originally plan to paint it, but I had some paint already, so I went for it.
Thank you! I just happen to have an old coffee table and an unused side table. After pricing out cat trees, this DIY will be quite a life saver! Awesome job!
Thanks, Tami! Good luck with yours!!
You’ve got a Lotta time huh? I like it.
I just love my babies. 🙂
OMG!!!! You are a genius!! I just ordered both the tables online from ikea…. thank goodness I could order it online, ikea is an hour away! I just got 2 new kittens and I cannot wait to make this for them!! Eeeee…. I am so giddy. I’ve been searching for the perfect cat ‘play house’ and everything in the stores is either way too expensive or way too boring! You are a life saver, only wish I could tell you in person. THANK YOU!!!!
-xoxoxo
Awww, you’re sweet!! I hope your kitties love it! 🙂
AMAZING SO FAB THANKS IT LOOKS BEAUTIFUL
I made this yesterday with my daughter and my cats LOVE it. Even my cat who hides all day long came out after it was made and she has been using it ever since. This has been a god send!
This comment makes my WEEK!! I am so glad your kitties love it, even your shy girl!!
Awesome! The cats must love it! Pretty and useful…two in one!…always great.
Thank you Jacquie!!
Hi – I LOVE what you have done here! I am going to modify the idea a bit to fit in a tight corner. I was thinking of using maybe a combo of the LACK side table with several EKET cubes. I was wondering – how is it holding up with just Gorilla Glue? I was thinking I would reinforce with brackets, but all the other hackers I have seen are using only glue. Does the glue really keep it all together? We have 2 kittens that will be getting bigger and bigger everyday – needless to say they are wild monkeys right now, flying off everything. Can Gorilla Glue withstand crazy kittens/teenagers?
Looking forward to your feedback!
Purrs & Love
We used your idea to build a kitty condo to put by our bedroom window. I wanted something that matched the rest of our furniture and this completely worked, so thank you so much for the idea!
I wish I could post a pic for you, it turned out great!