20 new uses for IKEA shopping bags

Melissa Breyer (@MelissaBreyer)
Living / Green Home
May 10, 2017

From clogs and caps to cat forts, the iconic blue FRAKTA bag packs an endless array of hacks.

The great linguist of our times, Google Translate, tells us that fracta means "carry" ... and if there is one thing that IKEA's iconic blue FRAKTA bag is good for, it's carrying things. Debuting in 1996, the polypropylene jack of all trades has a 19-gallon capacity and can carry up to 55 pounds with ripping. It is rated for 1000 trips; meaning that if you use it once a week for your groceries (use #4), it would last nearly 20 years! But beyond carrying things, there are oh so many other ways to put the versatile blue bag to work.

The recent news of luxury fashion house Balenciaga creating a pop knock-off bag (with a price tag of $2145) seems to have sent cheeky fashionistas and IKEA fans into a DIY frenzy, as evidenced by the explosion of FRAKTA hacks flooding social media. Since DIY and upcycling and hacks in general are all part of the TreeHugger standard operating procedure, we've gathered a selection of them here for a bit of inspiration.

1. The FRAKTA fanny pack

A post shared by 7eonard (@_ballistics_) on May 6, 2017 at 11:46am PDT

2. Face mask + top-knot holder

A post shared by Zhijun Wang (@zhijunwang) on May 7, 2017 at 5:29am PDT

3. A sweet Swedish smock

A post shared by IKEA Switzerland (@ikeaschweiz) on May 10, 2017 at 6:57am PDT

4. "Non-Ikea shopping" shopping bag

A post shared by Daria Kurtyka (@v.artistico) on May 5, 2017 at 10:27am PDT

5. Blue booties

A post shared by STUDIO HAGEL (@studiohagel) on May 5, 2017 at 6:49am PDT

6. The FRAKTA cap

A post shared by Sarah Fager (@sarah.fager.ikea.designer) on May 4, 2017 at 1:44pm PDT

7. Cat fort (it's inevitable)

A post shared by von (@thevon1920s) on May 10, 2017 at 5:28am PDT

8. Geta Japanese flip-flop clogs

A post shared by Felipe Borges (@felipetborges) on May 9, 2017 at 4:54pm PDT

9. Recycled recycling container

© IKEA

10. Coin purse card case

A post shared by YINGA CHEN (@yingachen) on May 9, 2017 at 4:52am PDT

11. Plant bag

A post shared by KOES26 (@koeskusniaty) on May 3, 2017 at 1:07am PDT

12. FRAKTA flak(ta) jacket!

A post shared by Bapeguevara™ (@bapeguevaracorea) on May 10, 2017 at 4:11am PDT

13. Vegan wallet

A post shared by 7MorE7 (@more.handmade7) on May 3, 2017 at 10:50pm PDT

14. Container garden

A post shared by Monika (@saksms) on Mar 29, 2017 at 7:40am PDT

15. Victorian underbust corset, of sorts

A post shared by FASHION.HR (@fashionhr) on May 10, 2017 at 6:43am PDT

16. Laundry bag

© IKEA

17. Black tie in blue polypropylene

A post shared by Felipe Borges (@felipetborges) on May 9, 2017 at 5:02pm PDT

18. Dumpster diving / treasure hunting

A post shared by venislav (@venislav_g) on May 9, 2017 at 7:52am PDT

19. "To Be Donated" bag

A post shared by Mae (@unit.st) on May 8, 2017 at 7:32pm PDT

20. And last but not least ... baby tote!

A post shared by @imiolek_paulina on Apr 28, 2017 at 7:45am PDT

And all of which doesn't include overnight bag, tarpaulin, beach bag, emergency rain poncho, gear storage, wrapping paper, rubble hauling, and at least 101 other uses.