The IKEA MAMMUT children’s table looks like any ordinary kids’ table. But is it?
Lift off the top surface, and you’ll find something IKEA created as a structural design — a honeycomb of compartments built into the base, hidden just beneath the tabletop.
One hacker discovered that these compartments are almost perfectly sized for sorting LEGO bricks by colour, size, or type.
No tools required. No modifications needed. Just lift, sort, and snap the lid back on.
No Hack Required! Just Take Off the Top and Start Sorting!
When it comes to organizing LEGO pieces, how you sort them is up to you. Some people like to do it by size, others by shape, and others by type. But no matter how you plan to sort the multitude of bricks, one thing’s for sure: you need a lot of different compartments if you plan to do any kind of detailed organization.
So, how did a simple kid’s table end up being the perfect solution without any hacking?
It all started when Designer and father Yaser Abdulal decided to disassemble the IKEA MAMMUT children’s table for cleaning, or as he admits, “the real reason was the love of disassembling things.”
Basically, all he had to do was remove the top by prying the teeth up one by one. When he did, he discovered the interior of the tabletop was loaded with divided sections.
He imagined how perfect the individual compartments would be for sorting small items, whether nails, screws, beads, puzzle pieces, or, of course, LEGO bricks.
The top itself became an impromptu splash pad, but can easily go back on the table as needed. Overall, Yaser said it was super easy and took less than a minute, though he cautioned that sorting the LEGO pieces is another story.
Could You Turn This Into a Full LEGO Table?
If you’re itching to make this a hack, perhaps attach some large LEGO base plates to the top with an adhesive or hook-and-loop fasteners. Store your sorted bricks in the compartments and build on the tabletop. When you’re done, reunite the top with the table. I’m sure clever hackers could come up with all sorts of ideas with something like this.
Finding the Right LEGO Organizer and Storage Tools
There really are so many different ways to store and sort LEGO pieces. What works well in your space may not work in someone else’s, so it’s important to think about a few things. Consider the available room; for example, if you don’t have much floor space, wall-mounted storage may work better.
Budget is another factor, making Yaser’s idea a slam dunk since he already had the table. Repurposing something you already own is always a great way to save money if you can get it to work how you need it to. Ultimately, consider the logistics and explore a few options to find the system that works best for you and your kids.
Do you have an amazing LEGO storage solution to show off? Or perhaps the MAMMUT’s many compartments already have your imagination working on overdrive? Share your hack or idea with us to inspire and help others tackle their brick chaos!