This $4 IKEA hack will make your bed look so much more expensive – and it's so easy anyone can do it

All that's needed is a small IKEA rug, a glue gun, and some microfiber stuffing

A bed in front of a window decorated with a fringed, boho style pillow
(Image credit: Future)

Thoughtful and considered decor is one of the easiest ways to elevate your home's design without huge costs or commitment. It's even cheaper and more accessible when it comes in the form of a simple DIY project with the primary material costing less than $5. 

This clever little IKEA hack promises just that. Shared by home stylist Kirsty (@kjg_home) over on her TikTok, her viral video demonstrates how to make a boho-chic throw pillow using just a small IKEA rug, a glue gun, and some microfiber stuffing. The result instantly elevates her space to make her bed look more high-end, and we're seriously impressed by its ingenuity.

For a super simple bedscaping addition that makes your sanctuary space feel like a luxury hotel, give this hack a go; it's the sort of project even the less DIY savvy among us can try their hands at, too. Here's how. 

A bedroom with a small beige rug by the side of the bed

(Image credit: IKEA)

Now I know what you're probably thinking - a rug, on a bed? Well, the rug in question is the SORTSÖ, a fringed, flatwoven cotton mat measuring just 1 ft 10 inches by 2 ft 9 inches. They're typically used as a small bedside rug, but Kirsty decided she'd move it from the floor to the bed to make a rustic pillow, perfect for her boho bedroom idea

She starts by folding the rug in half so that the two fringed ends meet, before folding the top half of the material back on itself to meet at the crease and then folding the other edge over to create a layered fringing effect. She then uses a glue gun to stick one edge of the throw pillow together so that all the layers are secure.

A beige flatwoven cotton rug

(Image credit: IKEA)

To fill the pillow, Kirsty then adds some microfiber stuffing into the open end until it's plump and soft. She then glues that edge closed and adds a small amount of glue to the top fringed layer on the front of the pillow to keep the folded fabric in place, giving the tassels a little comb through with her fingers - no sewing machines or complex measurements necessary!

This is styling a bed done right. We love the textural, boho vibe it adds to Kirsty's neutrally decorated bedroom, looking right at home among her ceramic vases filled with pampas grass and the earthy throw draped over the end of the bed. If you're a fan of color, it also comes in a light green and a light blue shade as well as the natural beige, perfect for an understated pastel scheme. 

If there was ever a lesson on how to make a bedroom look more expensive, this would be it. That said, the pillow would look just as good on your living room sofa, too. 

A thrifty, stylish DIY project in under 10 minutes? It's a yes from us. 

@kjg_home

♬ original sound - evie

DIY throw pillow essentials 

Lilith Hudson
News Editor

Lilith Hudson is the News Editor at Livingetc, and an expert at decoding trends and reporting on them as they happen. Writing news, features, and explainers for our digital platform, she's the go-to person for all the latest micro-trends, interior hacks, and color inspiration you need in your home. Lilith discovered a love for lifestyle journalism during her BA in English and Philosophy at the University of Nottingham where she spent more time writing for her student magazine than she did studying. After graduating, she decided to take things a step further and now holds an MA in Magazine Journalism from City, University of London, with previous experience at the Saturday Times Magazine, Evening Standard, DJ Mag, and The Simple Things Magazine. At weekends you'll find her renovating a tiny one-up, one-down annex next to her Dad's holiday cottage in the Derbyshire dales where she applies all the latest design ideas she's picked up through the week.