How to Make a Card Catalog From An IKEA Moppe

Who doesn't love a good IKEA hack?  Learn how to transform a basic IKEA Moppe storage chest into a four drawer vintage inspired card catalog.

If you have ever remotely perused Pinterest then you have more than likely come across many IKEA Moppe drawer hacks.  Updating, hacking and transforming these little drawers is nothing new, BUT I knew I had to update a set ever since coming across them years ago.  I looked for them every time I went to IKEA and every time they were never in stock.  Finally, last year our store had them and I stocked up.  I bought six with the idea in mind of making a large faux card catalog, but I nixed that idea after recently scoring a true vintage card catalog.   Not wanting to give up on these little Moppe drawers, I took just one set of four and turned them into a mini vintage card catalog.

SUPPLIES TO MAKE AN IKEA MOPPE CARD CATALOG

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- IKEA Moppe storage chest

- Minwax Espresso stain (or stain of choice)

- Ryobi Corner Cat sander and 120 grit sandpaper

- Hammer and screw (for distressing)

- Foam brush (for staining)

- Minwax water based poly

- Metal label holders

- Small metal cabinet pulls

- Screwdriver

- Paintbrush 

- Scrapbook paper

- Mod Podge

- Wood buttons (optional)

- Rub 'n Buff and metallic gray paint ( if adding button feet) 

- Wood glue (optional if adding button feet)

HOW TO TURN IKEA MOPPE DRAWERS INTO A FAUX CARD CATALOG

I would have liked to have found the six drawer Moppe storage chest, but our store only had the one with four drawers (and the larger chest with multiple size drawers), but being excited to just find any of them I grabbed the four drawer ones.  

          

You would think I would have been motivated to start on the project right away, but nope, they sat in our garage for months collecting dust.  I'm actually glad I didn't work on this project sooner because I ended up scoring a true vintage card catalog that's absolutely gorgeous!  It has 18 drawers and I can not wait to refinish it.

Okay, back to the IKEA hack. 

I grabbed one set of Moppe drawers and a few supplies (I couldn't get the lid off the Java gel stain, so I ended up using Minwax Espresso instead) and got to work transforming this basic unfinished box into a vintage inspired card catalog. 

In order to give it more of an aged look, I took a hammer and screw and roughed up the box and drawers a bit.   I poked the point of the screw into the wood, banged the hammer against the screw and gauged the wood with the claw of the hammer.

After I was done distressing I used my Corner Cat sander and sanded down all the corners and sharp edges.

I used an inexpensive foam brush and stained all four sides (inside and out) of each drawer as well as the outer frame.

I have a large stash of metal label holders (find my favorite label holder sources HERE), so I grabbed a set of four as well as four solid brass barrister bookcase knobs that I ended up not using for my barrister bookcase makeover.  I turned the drawers around, used small screws to attach the label holders then predrilled holes and screwed in the brass knobs.

***TIP*** If your screws stick out through the wood you can add a dab of hot glue around the screw end to avoid sharp edges.

I finished off the faux card catalog by lining all four drawers with scrapbook paper, adding alphabet labels to the label holders and button knobs to create little feet.

I LOVE how this IKEA Moppe turned faux vintage card catalog turned out.  The dovetail drawers and the solid brass knobs give it such an authentic look and you would almost never know it came from IKEA.  It would be perfect in an office, craft room or even styled in a bookcase. 

     

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