IKEA Hack: 15 Minute Desktop Speaker Stands

SKIP TO THE END FOR THE QUICK AND DIRTY VERSION!

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

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

STEPS:

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