TikTokers are gluing dollar-store dowels onto their furniture. Interior designers say it's smart if you do it correctly.

• TikTokers are using cheap wooden dowels to give their furniture an expensive fluted look.
• Two interior designers told Insider they thought the idea was smart and affordable.
• They also said sandpaper and glue could help give the final piece a polished, professional look.

Across TikTok, a growing population of people are experimenting with furniture hacks and transformations.

One recent trend involves gluing wooden dowels to bland furniture and decor items, which creates a fluted, grooved look.

A handful of TikTokers, including @imrebeccaheart and @hammer_and_glamour, have shared how affordable dowels elevated their furniture.

@hammer_and_glamour

May have taken me forever... but worth it ##diy ##decoration ##dupe ##hack ##diyprojects ##homedecor ##diyhomedecor ##tiktokdiy

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Rebecca Heart, who posted her version of the hack on TikTok, transformed an Ikea Tarva dresser, which costs $179, using wooden dowels she picked up from the dollar store.

@imrebeccaheart

IKEA HACK! Fluting my tarva dresser for a cute and affordable glow up using dollar store dowels. All steps saved on my ig @imrebeccaheart #ikeahacks

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Heart said she finished the project in an afternoon and loved the finished look.

"It was so easy to do, and it was a fun way to customize the dresser," she previously told Insider.

Insider spoke with two interior designers about the DIY trick, and they said it's a great way to add texture to a piece. But they warned that if you don't do it correctly, it could look cheap and fall apart.

Interior designers said the hack was smart and affordable

Insider spoke with two interior designers who said the idea was a smart way to upcycle unloved furniture.

Garrett LeChic, a professional interior designer who creates YouTube videos, said he thought he would probably be fooled by the wooden-dowel trick.

"These projects have been coming out amazing and look like they are straight out of a designer showroom," he told Insider in an email.

Sandy Saintilus, a professional interior designer and YouTuber, also loved the idea and thought it was a cost-effective way to mimic the look of trendy fluted furniture.

"This DIY is a great way to get the look for less," she told Insider in an email.

But first-time crafters should be aware that the project requires time and patience, Saintilus said.

"Gluing individual dowels to a piece of furniture can be tedious and will definitely test your patience," she wrote. "New DIYers could be easily turned off by how long this DIY takes."

Using sandpaper and the right type of glue will help create a lasting piece

Saintilus urged DIYers to think about the type of glue and how often you'd be using the furniture or decor piece.

"If you're gluing dowels to a piece of furniture that gets used a lot, like a dresser or a headboard, then use something strong like E6000 or Gorilla Glue," she wrote. "However, if you're gluing dowels to a vase that sits on a shelf and rarely gets used, then you can get away with just using hot glue."

If you're planning to try this DIY, LeChic's advice is to pay attention to the details.

He suggested sanding down the end of each dowel so it doesn't have a rough, unfinished look, which could make the piece look cheap.