When I was pregnant with Rowan, I bought a beautiful vintage (like, turn-of-the-century vintage) rattan highchair. I had the best of intentions, but as soon as our little one arrived earthside I quickly realized a) how squirmy babies are and b) 1910 safety standards were a bit lacking. Enter the IKEA high chair makeover!
The IKEA Antilop highchair is only $20 (less if you get it secondhand on Facebook marketplace like I did,) and looks like it. However, all hope is not lost! With just a few simple steps, you can DIY it to look like a million bucks! It’s also high customizable, which I love.
Bamboo Leg Wraps
The first thing I did was to cover the less-than-cute grey legs. The pre-cut leg wraps that I got on Etsy are a high quality vinyl. They are so easy to apply and look like real wood!
Bamboo Footrest
Next I added a footrest. In my opinion, this was what really took the IKEA high chair makeover to the next level. As a bonus, our pediatrician told us that using a footrest helps babies concentrate on what they’re doing with their hands while they eat, developing those fine motor skills!
Cushion + Cushion Cover
Sunny Day
Then it was time for the fun part- picking out a cushion cover that fit our style and existing home decor! I ended up picking out this sun print, but they have lots of really cute options so I’ll leave my favorites below!
Breakfast of Champions
Brown African Mudcloth
Hand Drawn Leaves
Placemat
The last step was to add a silicone placemat for easy cleanup. I got two so that we have a spare for when one gets messy and needs to be washed. It fits perfectly in the tray so you can just peel it up and not have to wipe down your highchair!
Here’s the Instagram reel of the whole process:
And voila! The finished product is SO cute and I love that we have the option to swap out the cushion covers and placemats for different holidays or just to refresh our dining room for a bit. I HIGHLY recommend Yeah Baby Goods, who makes all the items I linked above, and is a small business run by a sweet family! You can visit their Instagram for more IKEA high chair makeover inspiration here.
Shop the IKEA High Chair Makeover
Disclaimer: this post may include affiliate links, meaning that I make a small percentage of the purchase price (at no additional cost to you) if you order any of these items online! I promise to only recommend products I genuinely use and believe in. This post is not sponsored.
