Ikea Messenger Bag

Materials: Ikea shopping bag

Description: Using 2 Ikea bags, yellow fabric, thread, bias tape, a zipper, the SY ikea sewing machine and the pattern found at this link you can create this upcycled Ikea messenger bag.

Using the Ikea bags as the pattern's body and flap and the reclaimed straps added to the messenger bags straps and decorative front give the messenger bag a decorative homage to the blue and yellow Swedish furniture mecca.

~ Brian Liszewski

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Kid's raincoat from Ikea bag

Materials: Ikea bag, sewing thread, scrap material, 1 pack press studs

Description: 1. With a quick-unpick (known as a seam ripper in US) rip apart the seams on your Ikea bag
2. Using an existing jacket as a template, trace around leaving 0.5cm for hems. You'll need to play the placement to maximize use of the bag as its basically long skinny pieces of bag.
3. Make sure you remove the handles, these are very good for making a belt or neck tie for the jacket.
4. Trace around & cut out.
5. I lined my jacket as I thought it will be too cold. Used some scrap material I had. Basically do the same but make more like a vest and leave shorter at bottom hem.

6. Sew together. Sew outer first, then sew lining, then sew together.
7. Insert press studs. Mine cost $5 at Spotlight. You just bang em in with a hammer.
8. I added a hood (not in my pattern) but its very very dodgy. There wasn't quite enough material left, so hood was deeper on one side than the other. Plus the stiffness of the material means it sticks up above my babies head.
9. Attempt to get toddler into new rain jacket = huge amount of tears. She does not think its as cool as Mummy thinks.

Things to consider. Don't do a v-neck. I did this & it's stupid. Means when it rains the rain will get onto that part of neck & trickle down inside.

Be prepared to blunt your sewing machine needle.

~ Sarina, Sydney, Australia

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Spotted: Ikea Santa

Materials: Frakta

Description: I was in NYC around Christmas and I came across this great Ikea Frakta outfit!

~ Tyler, Baltimore

Dog kennel from an Ikea bag and camping mattress

Materials: Ikea blue shopping bag

Description: We've had a cold winter here in Perth and I thought my little fluffball needed an extra cosy place to sleep. This kennel was simple to make and created entirely from things that would (should) normally be thrown away. I say 'normally' as most people don't hoard clutter like I do, but you just never know when it might come in handy, right?

All you need is a thin foam mattress (I used a camping mattress), which makes the roof, floor and sides, and some material for the front and back, an Ikea shopping bag is perfect - durable and easy to wipe clean.

Next, roll your mattress into a cylinder and hold the short edges together with bulldog clips or strong pegs. Then lay out your front and back fabric, the Ikea bag in this case, and bend your mattress into a kennel shape (a cylinder with a flat side). Trace the kennel shape on to the end piece. Cut two pieces from this to make the kennel front and back. I didn't take a picture of this as you kind of need both your hands and knees for this bit.

Cut a hole for the door and use duct tape or sew some sturdy fabric around it for added strength.

Now thread a nice big needle with strong thread and get stitching - all around the front and back and along the remaining bottom edge of the mattress.

Put an old pillow inside and it's done! I'm pleased to report that the dog LOVES it!!

See more pictures of the dog kennel from the IKEA blue bag.

~ meggipeg, Perth, Western Australia

A rain coat for my dog

Materials: Ikea Frakta bag

Description: With an IKEA Bag I made a rain coat for my dog!

~ Francesca, Rome, Italy

Teddy's Bag vs Ikea Bear!

Materials: Ikea Carrying Bag

Description: Toddybur is a Teddy bear made of an Ikea Bag. It's filled with wrapping material from Ikea Furniture. Ognev Vlaminck designs these bears in order to maximalise the waste produced by wrapping materials and damaged carrying.

~ Ognev Vlaminck, Belgium

Snow fun?

Materials: Ikea big blue bag

Description: So, it started snowing. And it didn't stop. The schools are closed, the roads are closed. Still, we can play in the snow yeah? um well no actually the girl's waterproofs are em, yep at school.

As the snow is now 2' deep this posed a problem. Until with a flash of genius, scissors, duck tape and two Ikea big blue bags.......... ta daa.

Waterproof dungarees that kept her dry all day in the snow. Disturbingly they performed better than the bought ones her sister was wearing.

Two bags = 4 trouser pieces, belt loops, belt and shoulder straps. Double taped inside and out at the seams.

They are holding up just fine too. Just as well really, day three in the snowy wilderness...

~ Ingenius, 223

When Chanel met IKEA - fall fur accessories

Materials: OLEBY or RENS rug, FRAKTA, metal chain, buckle

Description: I made a Chanel inspired fur bag and boot covers from Rens and Oleby
IKEA rugs and Frakta bags. Cheers to style and warmth this fall!

Make an AFFENPINSCHER.
FOR THE BAG
1. Cut out one large rectangle from an OLEBY or RENS rug that is approximately 12� x 16.�
2. Cut out two rectangles from two sides of the FRAKTA bag that are the same size as the bag exterior, approximately 12� x 16.� Use scissors to remove the long handles from the bag. Keep the short handles in place.
3. From the excess FRAKTA, cut two small rectangles, approximately 4.5� x 5.5.�
4. Using a straight stitch, hand or machine sew the two small rectangles to one or both facets of what you designate as the inside of the FRAKTA lining. (These are your pockets for your phone + wallet + gum!)
5. Pin together the edges of the two large FRAKTA rectangles with interior sides facing each other. Hand or machine sew the sides and bottom of the rectangles together, using a straight stitch, leaving a .25� seam.

FOR THE HANDLE

1. Cut a metal chain 36-40� in length, depending on your personal preference. You can ?nd chains at craft or sewing supply stores. If you don't have metal cutting capacity, then you can ask the store personnel to pre-cut the chain for you.
2. From the excess FRAKTA, cut one long strip that is .75� wide and 8� longer in length than the chain. Cut two more strips that are .75� wide and 2.5� long. Place these shorter strips aside.
3. Attach a safety pin to one end of the long FRAKTA strip. This will help you as you weave the strip through the chain. Once you have ?nished weaving, leave at least 2.5� excess fabric on both sides of the chain.
4. Take these tail ends of your strip and hand or machine sew a loop that attaches the chain to one end of the buckle. Do this for both sides of the chain.
5. Take your two small FRAKTA strips and sew a tight loop that attaches them to the other ends of the buckles. Leave a tail of at least 1-1.5� on each side of the FRAKTA strip. Now hand or machine sew these two tails onto the inside of the FRAKTA bag lining.

PUT IT ALL TOGETHER

1. Fold and pin the fur rectangle in half, with exterior furry sides facing towards each other.
2. Using a glover needle or another type of needle suitable for sewing leather, hand sew together the two side edges of the fur rectangles. Use a straight or blanket stitch.
3. Align and pin the FRAKTA lining to one side of the fur exterior.
4. Use a blind stitch to hand sew the sides and one side of the top edge of the FRAKTA lining to one facet of the fur.
5. Turn the fur piece right-side out. (You're almost there!)
6. Use a blind stitch to hand sew the other top edge of the lining to the fur exterior.
7. Click in the chain.

ROCK IT.

~ Adriana

See more of Adriana's fur bag and previous hack: Ikea blue bag halter dress with new photos.

Ikea bikini + summer clothing line!

Materials: Frakta shopping bag

Description: It's summer and I made a Frakta bikini!
And then developed a whole line of Ikea inspired swimwear.
It is also a hack of the H&M summer swim line.
So it's a double Swedish hack!
And those are ovenmitts as bikini tops!
Too hot to handle, we hope!

Enjoy + Lots of Sun!

See more at BetterThanLiving.com.

~ Adriana

bag this hack

i'll not look at those big ikea yellow (or blue) bags the same again, after this hack from funk-station. two nifty cuts, some sewing and voila, you have a shoulder bag - big and sturdy enough to hold 2 laptops.

"the basic idea behind this hack is to transform a huge inconvenient bag into a small fashionable bag." and who would have thought those big blue plastics could ever be this chic.