IKEA Hack: 15 Minute Desktop Speaker Stands

SKIP TO THE END FOR THE QUICK AND DIRTY VERSION!

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MATERIALS:

• 2 SKOGSTA Chopping Boards (13 ¾ x 7 ¾") from IKEA ($5.99 each)
• 2 packs of CAPITA Legs (4 ½ ") from IKEA ($12.00 per pack of 4)
• Drill
• Pencil
• Phillips head screwdriver

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I needed a couple of monitor stands for my home recording studio. I don’t have room to put my speakers on detached stands behind my desk (ideal), so it was either mount them on the wall (not ideal), or use desktop stands (not ideal, but not not ideal).

My monitors are JBL LSR305’s resting on some 7½ x 11 x 1 ½ inch isolation pads. I did some measurements, and to get the speakers in the proper position, I needed 6-inch stands. I priced out some pre-fab options, but since I’m trying to build on a budget, I decided that spending a ton on this would be silly. So instead…

I BUILT MY OWN!!!

Well, sort of. I googled some other DIY ideas–there were some interesting ones, but the cheapest solutions looked kind of janky, and the nicer ones looked kind of complicated. So instead, I turned to everybody’s favorite Scandinavian home furnishings store…

Step 1: An IKEA Idea

My first thought was to look for some sort of small storage crate or shelf that would fit my desk. I did find a couple of small crates that were just shy of 6 inches tall, but they didn’t seem sturdy enough to support the speakers (they’re about 9 pounds each), so I kept looking. I figured that at the very least, I could buy some cheap furniture legs from Ikea, and then go buy some wood and hack them together that way, but that’s when I spotted the SKOGSTA cutting board.

This bad boy is 13 ¾ inches long, 7 ¾ inches wide, and 1 ¼ inches thick making it a near perfect fit. It's nice and sturdy. It’s a little longer than I needed, but as you’ll see later, that turned out to be a lucky twist.

Also, it has a hole. Hmmm…

The best thing? SKOGSTA is only $5.99. Plus, it looks nice, and the wood is finished–unlike the plywood I probably would have ended up using. So, we were at 1 ¼ inches. I still needed another 4 ¾ inches of speaker stand… I turned to those furniture legs and found CAPITA.

Step 2: It's Got Legs. It Knows How to Use Them...

While they were a little expensive–$12 for a pack of 4–CAPITA legs were perfect for a few reasons. First, they look cool. Second, they are sturdy. And finally, and most importantly, the height is adjustable–they can range from 4 to 5 inches, so not only could I get my 4 ½ final inches of height, I could also fiddle with them to stabilize the stands and keep them from rocking and vibrating. It must be fate.

So, for $36 bucks or so, I had everything I needed to make some monitor stands! Let’s do this.

Step 3: Some Assembly Required--guaranteed to Be Anticlimactic.

Just like anything you buy from Ikea, you’re guaranteed to put something together. Amazingly, this time, it didn’t involve Allen wrenches. Eerie.

Anyway, first I laid out the boards and the legs and mark the spots where I would screw the legs in place.

Next, I took my drill and made a tiny hole at each mark.

Finally, I attached the legs with a tool the pros call a “screwdriver.”

And that's that. See? Anticlimactic. Took about 15 minutes. It would have probably gone even quicker had I not misplaced my pencil (it was behind my ear the whole time).

Step 4: Stand and Deliver.

Voila!

Step 5: Oh Yeah... Remember That Hole?

BAM!

Step 6: Quick and Dirty Version.

You'll need:

• 2 SKOGSTA Chopping Boards (13 ¾ x 7 ¾") from IKEA ($5.99 each)
• 2 packs of CAPITA Legs (4 ½ ") from IKEA ($12.00 per pack of 4)
• Drill
• Pencil
• Phillips head screwdriver

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STEPS:

1. Choose a side of the chopping board to be the top of the stand. Flip it over.
2. Line the legs up on the corners of the chopping board and use the pencil to mark the screw holes.
3. Use the drill to make some 'starter' holes for the screws.
4. Use the screwdriver to screw the legs in place.
5. Flip the stands back over and adjust the legs so the stand is stable.
6. Enjoy!

NOTES:

These stands work perfectly for most 5" inch studio monitors and bookshelf speakers. There exists a larger size of the SKOGSTA Chopping Board and taller CAPITA legs, but I don't know if they would be adequate for bigger speakers, so you'd have to take some measurements and see for yourself.

Comments

[daddio307]

you never mentioned what you used for the foam part.

[AlexS802]

Yes they did.
It was said they were already on isolation pads. 👍

[Shaner85]

Awesome project!

Got mine together - perfection! I ended up with slightly thinner cutting boards from Ikea. Mine also had slightly rounded corners. I ended up using my Dremel tool to remove the corners on the under-mounts for the legs so the corners wouldn't protrude.

Foam pads from local craft store and voila!

Thank you for sharing!

[benny.koffler]

I was looking for small speaker stands to use with bookshelf speakers that sit on my desk either side of an iMac. I went to IKEA this lunchtime, bought the chopping board and legs and made the stands. My speakers now sound much better and are at the ideal height for when I’m sitting at the desk and for indoor cycling using Zwift.

[chriscalifornia88]

This is awesome! What desk is that and whats the height?

[jrobimages]

Speaker stands need to look as cool as you speakers...and this chopping board did just the job. Also, I got the higher legs as my speakers needed raising a few inches. Top idea!

[AlexH345]

Amazing hack! Exactly what I was after. I needed to raise up my speakers by 6-8 inches to get the tweeters to ear level when I am at my desk. Desktop speaker stands were very basic and expensive here snowmen I found this hack I didn't hesitate to try it. I opted for the longer CAPITA legs which I think were £22 for 2 sets of 4 and then I got the APTITLEG 24cm x 15cm chopping boards for £2 each and I couldn't be happier.

[Mucusman]

Looks like these smaller SKOGSTA Chopping Boards are discontinued.
Despite IKEA's website saying there were some at my local IKEA (Denver),
there were none, and it was an employee there who told me they were
discontinued. I ended up still buying the legs and managed to get some
left-over wood cut for me at Home Depot gratis. Have stained and coated
these and assembling them tomorrow. Won't look quite as nice as the
SKOGSTA board, but it'll work. Thanks for the inspiration.

[rnijland]

Very nice, I'm considering to use it for my monitors (instead of a few books)

[iridebikes]

NICE! Q: Is that foam under the speakers?

[TheShoes76]

Yes--they're 'isolation pads' which help to soak up vibrations from the monitors so they don't rattle or vibrate the desktop or stands.

[RayJN]

Nice and easy, no cutting or finishing.

Your starter holes, are called pilot holes. You want them a 1/64th or 1/32nd of an inch smaller than the screw. Bar soap or candle wax scraped onto the treads with make it easier to screw them in.

[TheShoes76]

Good to know! Thanks for the tip.

[RichardeM]

Neat.. Funny descriptions too.. :-)

[Cliffystones]

Quick yes. But "dirty"? Those look like fine furniture from uptown! Great idea. I'm always looking for materials to make my amplifiers look better, so I need to make a trip up to Ikea. Another great material is pre-finished hardwood flooring. Youn can get remnants and odd-lots from the Habitat for Humanity "ReStore" for a buck or two a board or cheaper.

[JeffM15]

Nice

[Hrollur]

Very nice! Good idea.

And you can use the space underneath for storing small items / pencils etc.

[MattBothell]

Nice monitors!

[seamster]

This is a great idea. Nice work!