Three armrest side table hacks that transform your couch into the comfiest spot you won’t need to get up from

There is nothing like sitting back on the sofa and putting your feet up – that is, until you you have to get back up whenever you want to grab your beverage.

It might seem trivial but it’s the little things in life that make the most difference to our happiness and comfort at home, and making the couch more relaxing is a simple fix.

To get your drink or snacks within easy reach, all you need to do is turn the armrest into a mini side table and it doesn’t take much effort or money.

Watch the video above.

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For DIYer and social media star Christina Dennis, “this easy Ikea hack changed my mornings forever.”

In a TikTok video she used the Stolthet bamboo chopping board to turn her sofa armrest into a side table to pop her mug on.

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The $19 product doesn’t need any alterations at all and simply slots over the armrest, thanks to the two raised sections on the base.

If the side of your couch isn’t wide enough for the board, you might like to take inspiration from Grillo Designs who has it tucked over the side and a cushion.

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Ikea serving tray hack

If that’s not your style or you want your coffee or tea even closer and you don’t mind a little DIY, then this hack is for you.

Using the Smorling serving tray, which is a set of two different sized trays for $25, DIYer Kirsty made a mini table that can be wedged in the space between the cushions. She showed how she made it in a TikTok.

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To make the tray table, all you need to do is take the smaller tray and hold it lengthways on the edge of a bench with half of the tray hanging over the edge. Then use a hammer to bang the free half off – essentially this splits the tray in two pieces.

Next, use strong glue to attach one of the halves to the middle of the larger tray. Once dry you can pop it on the sofa next to you.

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You could also glue both halves of the smaller tray to the larger one for an armrest side table if you don’t want a table tray in the middle of the couch.

This would be more adaptable to different width armrests than the chopping board, but it requires more work.

Bunnings sofa sleeve DIY

For those who have power tools and want an armrest table that is more refined, sturdy and custom-built, try DIYer Kristine Ham’s $36 project.

The idea for this project was inspired by a lack of floor space Ham had for a side table.

It requires round timber panels and a rectangular timber panel from Bunnings, which are cut to the size you require, stained and then assembled using wood glue and a nail gun.

If you want a cup holder built in you can just drill a hole in the top panel for one.

Watch the video above for step-by-step instructions.

“I’d started the project when I came up with the idea of the cup holder… it was accidental. I was putting it together and I didn’t like that I could see the joins [between the two pieces of wood] whereas if I added a second piece of timber and used the top piece as the finished bit I could hide the joins,” she said.

Of course if you’re not keen on using a chopping board as an armrest table or doing any DIY you can always purchase armrest trays already made. But where would the fun in that be?

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