Modern living room corner featuring a black wine rack with patterned shelves and a large leafy plant beside it. An IKEA Malm dresser with a flat-screen TV and potted plants sits against a light wall adorned with minimalist art. A cozy dog crate blends seamlessly into the room's dark wood floor.
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Modern DIY IKEA Malm Dog Crate Hack from a Dresser

ByLisa
3 Comments

It’s been a while since I did a project for our dog Marvin, but it was time! I finally made him a new dog crate with this IKEA Malm dresser hack! One of my first projects of the year was to make some changes to our bedroom, one of which was our new bed. The other was to come up with a more visually appealing crate for our dog. The crate he has been using is not only way too big for him but also too big for our room. I had a good idea to make him a new crate from old IKEA furniture that I used as Malm nightstands. Who knew you could take an IKEA dresser hack and turn it into a dog house? Full tutorial on this IKEA Malm hack below 😉 

A brown dog sits inside an IKEA Malm dog crate, styled with a patterned background and cushions. This chic black and white crate seamlessly blends into the home decor, surrounded by lush plants and framed artwork.

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IKEA Malm Dresser Hack

You all know I have a serious love affair with IKEA and am always down for IKEA hacks. I had an extra Malm dresser that used to be my bedside table and I decided to tackle a fun hack and transform it into a sleek new crate for my dog. When I paired down the furniture in the guest room and moved the white Malm drawers into our room I had two extra IKEA Malm drawers leftover. I was about to list them for sale when I came up with a great idea to turn one into Marvin’s new dog crate. But before we dive into how I did it, let’ take a look at his old setup. Definitely nothing special and a bit oversized for a 20lb dog.   

A cozy indoor scene features a dog crate with blankets and a red cover inside. Nearby are a potted plant, an IKEA Malm cabinet, and a decorative rug on the wooden floor, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere.

Before I started tearing apart this IKEA dresser, I brought it into our room to see what it would look like. Since this piece was brown, I wasn’t sure if I should use some white paint to make it match the other white dresser and nightstands. Because I have another brown IKEA piece of furniture in the room, I decided to keep it as is to tie them together. I also kind of liked the two tone wooden look for a mid century vibe. Note, these basic IKEA dressers do come in different colors if this one doesn’t fit your style. 

A black IKEA Malm dresser stands beside a white one underneath a wall-mounted TV. A potted plant decorates the white dresser, while a cozy dog crate sits nearby. The room features dark wooden flooring and a patterned rug.

You can catch the full behind the scenes on this in my Insta stories highlight as well as the quick video tutorial. 

Supplies 

IKEA Malm 3 Drawer Dresser
2x4x8 Wood
2 – 1x2x8 Select Pine Wood
3/4 Inch Plywood
1×1 wood pieces or scraps for spindles
2×3 Wood Scrap 
Wood Glue
Flat L Brackets
Small Black Hinges
Slide Bolt Door Latch
Dark Kona Stain or Paint
Patterned Peel and Stick Tile
Liquid Nails
Clamps
24 inch Level
Orbital Sander
Router
Table Saw
Reciprocating Saw
Miter Saw
Drill & Driver
Nail Gun
Tape Measure

DISCLAIMER: I make no guarantees this is safe for your pet. Use at your own risk. Marvin (my dog) is not a destructive dog and is happy going into his crate. Your dog may behave differently and this may not be a good solution for you and your dog. Marvin is also a small dog at 20 lbs. This would not be well suited for a larger dog. I also recommend bolting this to the wall as IKEA suggests. 

Step 1 – Remove the drawers and drawer slides

Start by removing all the basic IKEA drawers in the Malm and the drawer slides. It is easier to remove the drawer slides after step 2, but I wasn’t 100% sure if my plan was going to work, so I refrained from cutting the front piece until I was certain. 

If you do not already have one of these dressers, I would look on Facebook Marketplace or some other second hand site. I see these available all the time! 

A partially assembled black dog crate with an empty frame is shown. A yellow power drill rests on the dark hardwood floor. A white IKEA Malm dresser with a potted plant on top is partially visible on the right.

Step 2 – Cut the drawer dividing pieces out 

Cut out the finish pieces between the drawers. If you are working with a new IKEA Malm I would just skip attaching these. Once the IKEA pieces are assembled, the easiest method is to cut these out. I cut them in the very middle with the reciprocating saw, but if you don’t have one you could also use a circular saw or hack saw as well. 

A yellow power saw rests on a partially constructed black wooden cabinet, reminiscent of an IKEA Malm design, in a workshop. The cabinet is open at the front, showing unfinished shelving. Tools and woodwork materials are visible in the background, indicating ongoing construction.

Once you have cut them down the middle, unscrew the cam bolt on the back and you should be able to pull off each side. I was left with a cam bolt screw and a wood dowel that I was able to simply unscrew and pull out respectively on each side. Note, my Malm is fairly old, so the specific parts might be slightly different if you are using a new dresser version, but they are still the same size.

Now you have a blank canvas to start building from. 

Step 3 – Build a platform for the bottom

Because the bottom of the Malm is hollow, you will need extra support for the entire dresser and need to build a platform for the bottom. I did this by ripping a 2×4 on my table saw to the height of the front threshold piece. Once the 2×4 was ripped, I cut it to length with my miter saw so it would fit in the bottom of the Malm with one in the front and one in the back. The piece along the back will not be the same height as  the back support on the dresser. That’s ok so long as the front lines up.

A yellow spirit level rests on a wooden beam, perfectly aligned with another against a black vertical surface in the workshop. Nearby, markings are visible on the concrete floor, reminiscent of an assembly space for an IKEA Malm or even constructing a custom dog crate.

From the same ripped 2×4, I cut 2 “joist” cross supports and made sure they fit snug between the front and back pieces. Then I removed all of them and used my nail gun to attach them to one another. I used two additional 2×4 scraps I had to make sure everything was squared off while attaching the pieces. 

A wooden step ladder frame lies on a workshop floor. Nearby, an orange pneumatic nail gun connects to a yellow hose. Various tools and items are visible in the background, including an IKEA Malm piece and a toolbox, all under the watchful eye of a traffic cone.

Once they were attached to each other, I laid them in the bottom of the dresser and once again used the nail gun to attach them to the Malm. I used the nail gun because I didn’t want to spend a ton of time patching holes. But I think the nail gun was sufficient in holding it all together. 

An unfinished wooden cabinet interior with bare wood supports at the bottom resembles the minimalist design of an IKEA Malm piece. The plain back panel reveals the structure behind potential doors, while wood shavings scattered on the floor suggest it could double as a cozy dog crate.

Step 4 – Attach the plywood base

Attach the plywood base. I used 3/4 inch scrap plywood I had on hand. As such, I had to piece mine together because I didn’t have one piece large enough. It would be easier with one piece however. You can usually find something small that would work in the project board section at Home Depot or Lowes. And if you don’t have a table saw they can cut the pieces for you as well. I attached the plywood base with the nail gun. Just make sure you know where the 2x4s are underneath so you hit them with the nails. 

A partially assembled cabinet resembling an IKEA Malm, with a wooden interior and black exterior, stands in a workshop. An orange and black nail gun connected to an air hose rests inside like it's waiting to build a cozy dog crate. Tools and shelves are visible in the background.

Step 5 – Fill holes and paint

Fill in the nail holes from the drawers and paint. I was actually hoping I wouldn’t have to paint the sides, but after I filled the small holes it just didn’t look great, so I decided to add a coat of paint. I used Benjamin Moore Espresso which I had leftover from my kitchen island. 

An open wooden cabinet, reminiscent of an IKEA Malm piece, holds a tube of wood filler and a putty knife on its bottom shelf. The cabinet is partially painted black, blending with the garage interior seen in the background.

Step 6 (optional) – Add peel and stick tile to the flat surfaces

Add the peel and stick tile. This part is definitely optional and I only did it because I already had these from another project and I never used them. I thought it would be cute so I went for it. You could also use wallpaper, paint, contact paper, or flooring. This also provides for easier cleanup as a dog crate with wipeable surfaces. 

A partially constructed cabinet with a patterned tile backsplash inside, featuring black and white intricate designs, sits atop what looks like an IKEA Malm dresser. Tools and materials are visible in the background, suggesting an ongoing DIY project in a workshop.

Well….. it turns out they aren’t really that sticky. SO if you use these or something similar, I HIGHLY suggest you also use liquid nails to attach them. My tiles started falling down and popping up even though I let them sit for several days with weights on them. I had to go back and attach them for a second time with liquid nails. You can see this whole debacle in my Insta stories highlight. 

The interior of the cabinet showcases dark wood walls and decorative black-and-white patterned tiles. Some tiles are partially placed, with yellow panels covering parts of the top and side, reminiscent of an IKEA Malm aesthetic. A signature reads "Garrison Street Design Studio.

After you lay them, make sure you add weight and let them set up, even with the liquid nails. 

A gym storage box lined with a patterned mat holds various dumbbells, including black and orange weights, much like the efficient design of an IKEA Malm piece. Red clamps are attached to the sides of the box, which sits on a concrete floor in a garage.

Step 7 – Make the doors

Make the doors. I’m not going to lie to you, I did not do this the best way. You can see the whole thing in my story highlights, but the cliff notes version is, use real wood (NO MDF) and DON’T miter your corners. I did both of those and learned the hard way. MDF is just a bad idea and we will just leave it at that. But the mitered corners just proved to be more work than they were worth IMO. I recommend using a butt joint and pocket holes. But that isn’t what I did, so I will show you how I did do it. 

A workshop floor with wooden frames laid out, surrounded by wooden planks and an orange extension cord, resembles an assembly zone for a custom dog crate. A small window is visible in the background, casting light on what could easily be DIY IKEA Malm assembly pieces.

I used mitered corners on pine 1x2s to make the door frame. Because of our room setup and because I know my dog, I opted for a fixed panel and a swinging door. The frame of the Malm is only 31 1/2 inches wide and I knew Marvin would be scared to go through a small opening. Also, I didn’t want the door to be too big because then it would just take up extra space when it was open. So I made the fixed panel 11 inches wide and the door 20 3/8 leaving 1/8 inch for the door to open and close. 

Next, sand the wood pieces for the door frames. I would definitely do this before attaching the door pieces. I used the orbital sander for this part with 220 grit sand paper. 

A collection of wooden planks arranged on a table, with an electric sander placed on top. Reminiscent of crafting an IKEA Malm masterpiece, the background features a garage door with a cord extending from the sander. An angled view showcases the wood grain and tool.

My original plan was to nail gun the door frame and fixed panel, BUT once I did, I realized it was not strong enough. At this point I was more than frustrated by my mistakes, so I picked up some flat L brackets. 

Two green packages of Everbilt flat corner braces are displayed, perfect for assembling your IKEA Malm or reinforcing a dog crate. Each package contains metal brackets and screws, with the size noted as 2 inches and featuring a sturdy zinc plating.

These of course didn’t come in black, so I also spray painted them. If you are ever in this situation and need to spray paint something with screws, don’t forget to spray the screws. I laid out all the pieces in a box and poked the screws through a paper towel roll I cut in half to get them to stand up. You could also screw them into a scrap piece of wood.  

An open cardboard box sits on a stone surface, reminiscent of assembling an IKEA Malm piece. Inside, metal brackets lie flat at the bottom with screws wrapped neatly in paper rolls.

While the paint was drying I stained all the frame pieces a dark brown to match the frame and the other Malm six-drawer chest I have in the room. I used a Kona stain I have had for years but it matched perfectly. Once all the paint and the stain was dry, I used the flat L brackets to attach the frame pieces. 

A close-up of a wooden frame corner showcases metal brackets and screws securing the joint. The wood, reminiscent of an IKEA Malm finish, contrasts against a plain white background. At the bottom, "Garrison Street Design Studio" is elegantly inscribed.

Step 8 – Add the crate bars

Add the spindles or bars for the dog crate. I’m not going to lie to you, this part did not go as planned either. I had quite a few pieces of oak scraps left from the finishing pieces on the bunk beds. They were quite small but the perfect size for bars and definitely strong because they are oak. My original intent was to attach them to the middle of the frames with, you guessed it, the nail gun. BUT since they were so thin and since the frames are 1.5 inches wide, shooting a 2 inch nail and “nailing it” was very hit or miss. Literally. 

Several wooden slats, reminiscent of the minimalist design of an IKEA Malm piece, lie parallel on a light-colored surface. The slats are of equal length and neatly aligned next to each other.

Mad about what poor planning I had done, I decided to try out my new router I got for Christmas and table this project for a bit. Well, I learned the answer was right in front of me this whole time. The router. I learned I could rout out a groove on the inside of the frames and simply attach my oak scraps this way! 

A workshop with woodworking tools on a table, including a yellow power tool, clamps, and a rectangular wooden frame surrounded by sawdust. Stacks of wood are in the background, resembling the precision of an IKEA Malm assembly or crafting a custom dog crate.

If you don’t have a router, don’t fret. In hindsight I realized I could have also attached my wood pieces to the outside of the door frame. I do recommend using slightly larger pieces for the spindles (I don’t know why I am calling them that, they are not round, but you get the point) if you do not use a hard wood. But quite frankly, I never would have used oak if I didn’t already have it because it’s pricey. I would use 1x1s in their place if you don’t have scraps like me. Mine were 3/8 x 3/4. 

A wooden frame resembling an IKEA Malm piece with horizontal slats rests on a table in a garage workshop. Tools and materials, including a drill and wood pieces, are scattered about. A red "World Series Champions" banner proudly hangs in the background.

After routing out two sides of the frames, I attached my oak strips to the back side of the frames with Titebond wood glue III. This is the strongest. I did not use nails so I only recommend using this glue specifically. To space them all out I used a scrap 2×3 and once I had the spacing right I taped them in place until I could glue them. Once they were glued, I put the tape back on to make sure nothing moved overnight. Wood glue is very strong if you let it cure. 

A round wooden table with craft supplies, including wood glue, a tape measure, blue painter's tape, and wooden slats arranged in a grid pattern. Nearby, an IKEA Malm bookshelf adds charm while a cozy bench with cushions sits next to a stylish dog crate.

Step 9 – Attach the doors

Attaching the door and fixed panel to the IKEA Malm. Once again, I used the nail gun and wood glue to attach the fixed panel. I laid the dresser on its back and placed both frames on top of the Malm furniture frame. Once the spacing was good, flush with both outside edges and a small gap in the middle, I ran a bead of glue along the Malm and placed the fixed panel frame on top. Then I used the nail gun to secure the panel to the dresser. I only nailed on the top and side out of fear the nails would curve on the bottom. 

A partially assembled IKEA Malm wooden bed frame features a decorative black and white patterned panel. Positioned on a gray patterned rug, it shares the space with an orange bag of tools nearby, resembling the organized charm of a sleek dog crate setup.

To attach the door to the left side of the IKEA Malm I positioned the frame so it lined up with the fixed panel and the outside edges. Then I taped it in place so I could mark for my hinges. I spaced mine in between the first and second spindle or bar. I predrilled these as well.

Two yellow and black power drills rest against a partially assembled black bed frame, reminiscent of an IKEA Malm. Blue painter's tape marks positions on the frame. The background reveals patterned wallpaper and a carpeted floor, creating a cozy setting possibly near a dog crate.

Step 10 – Attach the latch

Attaching the dog crate latch. I opted for a slide bolt latch in black to blend in with the dark frame. Because of the width of these and the width of the door frames, I had to attach one on bottom and one on top. When marking your holes for these, make sure the latch is closed so it all lines up. I also predrilled these. 

Close-up of a black sliding barn door rail against a wooden slatted surface, reminiscent of an IKEA Malm finish. The door features metal hardware, and beneath, a patterned floor is partly visible—a sneak peek into stylish home interior design.

Step 11 – Train your dog 

This step is important. You will need to train your dog to go inside the crate. As with anything, it may take some getting used to for your dog to feel comfortable going in. My method is simple. Add their favorite pillows and blankets and give them LOTS of treats! These salmon training treats are Marvin’s favorite 😉

Also, don’t lock your dog in right away. Teach them to go inside, praise over and over with treats and then start closing the door, giving more treats and opening right away so they don’t feel like it’s a punishment. I am not a trainer by any means, but these things have worked for us. But as I said above, Marvin was crate trained before I built this so it was just a matter of getting him used to it. 

A small dog sits inside a stylish, black wooden cabinet reminiscent of an IKEA Malm piece. The open door reveals a chic black and white patterned wallpaper interior. Seated on a soft gray cushion, the dog seems at home in this trendy space with plants adorning the top like a modern dog crate.

Looking for more ways to give an IKEA piece a new look? Check out my IKEA Kallax hack with fluted doors, IKEA changing table turned bar cart, my IKEA home office for two, or my IKEA Kallax reach in closet hack. 

A modern room features an IKEA Malm dresser alongside a wooden wine rack with horizontal shelves. A framed llama portrait hangs above, while potted plants like a small tree and succulents add greenery. Nearby, a stylish dog crate seamlessly blends into the decor.

Even though this IKEA Malm dog crate gave me a run for my money, I used mostly items I already had except for the hinges and the latches. The end result…..a furniture flip that was a fun way to repurpose something I would have otherwise donated. Not to mention this DIY IKEA dresser hack is now a home decor piece with a modern look while doubling as a dog crate. It was the perfect addition in our master bedroom and saves a lot of floor space which made a huge difference. Mommy built, Marvin approved!  

A modern interior featuring an IKEA Malm cabinet with a patterned insert. A "before" image on the cabinet highlights its plain design. Nearby, a leafy plant in a white pot, framed artwork, and a mounted TV enhance the space's aesthetic, blending function and style seamlessly.

Three year later…..this is still being used as Marvin’s dog crate and he still loves it! You can see how I make his bed here and how he typically lays in it. I’m not joking when I say some mornings I have to coax him out, he loves it that much, haha! 

A dog relaxes inside a chic black dog crate with patterned backing on a gray blanket. Next to the IKEA Malm cabinet and a potted plant, a framed animal photo adorns the wall above, while dark wood flooring completes the stylish scene.

If you enjoyed my IKEA Malm Dog Crate Hack, please share it on Facebook or hover over an image and save to Pinterest! And if you don’t already follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, or Facebook, I would love for us to be friends!

A stylish black wine rack with a decorative patterned back and light wood shelves stands in a living room, complementing an IKEA Malm dresser. Beside it is a potted tree and a white cabinet. Above the rack hangs a framed picture of a llama, with a TV partially visible on the right.

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A two-image collage showcases an IKEA Malm dresser cleverly transformed into a dog crate. The top image reveals the sleek integration, while the bottom image highlights a cozy dog lounging on a cushion within, surrounded by stylish decor.

This post, Modern DIY IKEA Malm Dog Crate Hack from a Dresser, appeared first on Garrison Street Design Studio.

3 Comments

  1. Loved it. I must do that for my four furry friends . Their own quarter to relax and peace for me..🤣

    Reply

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