Here’s the thing, my son has tons upon tons of LEGOs, and those little bricks are tricky things to organize and store. My husband and I also enjoy building but that only adds to the overflow and we have LEGOs coming out of our ears. Therefore, we’re always trying to figure out clever ways to store the colorful bricks.
More importantly, we need a method that will actually persist and not end up back in chaos. That’s why I was so smitten when I saw this IKEA hack from Codyaner @codyaner.bricks. It transforms IKEA’s ALEX drawers into the ultimate storage for his LEGO Room.
Of course, the hacker created his storage as part of an entire LEGO room, which I don’t have. However, I do have a few ideas for modifications to make it a better fit in my son’s room, so there’s hope. Whether you have the space for a full LEGO room or want to create better storage for all your bricks, this hack’s worth a look.
What You’ll Need
- 4 IKEA ALEX storage drawers
- Screw gun and drill
- Extra screws
- Pencil
- Measuring tape or ruler
- Circular saw (if you’re cutting your base and top)
- Sander
- Solid wood tabletop or board in the desired size
- Thin piece of wood or MDF for the base (37.8” x 52.756”)
- 5 Large wheels
- Drawer inlays for sorting and storing LEGOS
Turn IKEA’s ALEX Drawers Into a Mobile LEGO Storage Table
1. Assemble the ALEX Systems
Put together the four ALEX drawer units according to IKEA’s instructions. Leave off the wheels.
2. Combine the ALEX Drawers Into One Unit
Flip the units over, place them two-by-two, and attach using screws (make sure the screws aren’t too long that they go through). Lightly sand the bottom and connect the thin piece of board to create a solid, single base.
3. Add the Wheels
Install a wheel at each corner and in the center. The larger wheels provide better support.
4. Attach the Tabletop
Flip the unit, then attach the tabletop using screws from the bottom. Get a board the size you want, cut, and stain or paint it yourself. The hacker purchased a tabletop on Amazon and mentioned there are various sizes available.
5. Insert Storage Compartments
Codyaner uses these acrylic drawer organizers. You may prefer different configurations depending on what types of LEGOs you have.
No matter how you decide to set up your drawers, pay attention to the measurements of the containers so they fit snugly. The hacker mentions needing to sand the organizers in the last row slightly to fit them.
A Closer Look at the ALEX Drawers
Codyaner addresses the fact that the drawers don’t open fully, which can make it tricky to access all of your bricks. To solve this problem, he puts the longer inlays in the back and runs them vertically to keep everything accessible. He talks a bit more about the drawer inlays for his LEGO table here.
Commenter, @inetcentral, shared a tutorial they found on YouTube that shows how to make the drawers fully extend. You could also try this hack for fully extending the ALEX drawers but note that they may be less stable.
So Many Drawers! How Do You Remember What Goes Where?
Many commenters wonder how the hacker possibly remembers where everything is in his mobile LEGO island. He admits that it’s a lot, but that’s why he’s working on some ideas for labeling and finding what he needs quickly.
Peter Maris (@maris_peter) suggested, “I’ve seen people put double-sided tape on the front and put a 10×6 plate on it and stick the brick types included in the drawer on it.” This method would make it easy to switch things around if you decide to rearrange things.
Not Just for LEGOs
If you’re not into LEGOs, this is still a sweet hack. Many commenters jumped in with their ideas.
Brianna @poeticallygreen said, “This would be a fantastic craft storage and workbench!!” and @chris_oakly chimed in, “That’s a very cheap way to build a kitchen island as well.”
For me, I would never be able to fit something this size in any of my rooms, but it’s so easy to make it smaller. You can just use two ALEX units, or opt for the narrower ALEX systems if you like the two-by-two setup. Or give one of these other LEGO storage ideas a try.
Check out the beginning of this LEGO table and watch the build to see how the whole project comes together. Also, make sure to follow Codyaner @codyaner.bricks for other exciting LEGO creations and to see what he comes up with for labeling his new storage.
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