Anyone who’s gone furniture shopping likely has a story about how their purchase didn’t work as well at home as it did in the store. It happens a lot with large pieces: when you see them in a big showroom, they feel like they’ll be perfect. Then you get them into your space, and things feel crowded.
But this phenomenon doesn’t just happen with big furniture; just ask Reddit user EsoRimmerX.
They thought the IKEA MAMMUT stool was perfect when they saw it in the store. But when they got it home, they realized their toddler couldn’t climb onto it comfortably without shoes on. What to do?
Some people might return the stool, but when you’re an IKEA hacker, you find a solution, or in this case, two of them!
What You’ll Need
- IKEA MAMMUT stool
- 3D printer (or access to one)
- Filament
- Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) filament
- Free design plans for the new stool feet
Creating a Shorter Mammut Stool
There really aren’t a lot of steps to these hacks, so it doesn’t feel right to list a bunch of them. Instead, all you need to do is remove the bottom of the MAMMUT’s legs and replace them with 3D-printed adapters.
It sounds simple enough when put that way, but of course you need a 3D printer (and the know-how to go with it). Luckily, EsoRimmerX was kind enough to share their plans for their 3D-print solutions for free.
They first decided to go with simple capped feet.
It easily lowered the stool height, allowing their toddler to climb aboard without a struggle. When a comment from u/Wise-Orchid-309 mentioned that the new feet looked like hooves, the hacker had a brilliant idea.
Why not up the cuteness factor of their toddler’s stool with some cat paws?
The new feet snap into place and lower the stool about 3.5 cm. The creator went a step further and also printed some TPU paw pads for extra grip (and additional cuteness). If you want to replicate the cat paws, they shared those plans, too.
What If 3D Printing Isn’t Your Thing?
A lot of people have gotten into 3D printing (and 3D printed hacks) over the past several years, but what if you’re not one of them? Instead of trying to buy a printer and learn the ins and outs of the art (unless you want to), there are a few other options.
First, if you do want to do it yourself, many schools, libraries, and community centers have 3D printers available for use. Check with them about the hours of availability and any special guidelines you need to know before you can use their equipment.
For example, some places require you to submit your plans via an online form for staff to review and print. Depending on the location, you might be limited in how many prints you can do in a certain time period, so keep that in mind if you’re trying to print four separate paws and additional pads.
Or, you could consult with someone knowledgeable at one of these places to help you with the printing project. Just make sure the plans are ready and accessible. In some cases, you may need to pay a fee to cover the cost of the filament and other supplies.
What Would Your New Stool Legs Look Like?
The best thing about 3D printing a solution is that you can create pretty much anything you can design. So if you prefer a set of dinosaur claws or some quirky robot legs, why not? What would you change your MAMMUT legs into? Share it with us!