Don't Know What To Do With All Your Blue IKEA Shopping Bags? Use Them To Expand Your Garden

You might have made one too many trips to IKEA that left you with an abundance of blue shopping bags. Storing reusable bags in your pantry or closet allows you to grab them when you're headed to the store and want to avoid purchasing a bag, but over time, they can pile up. IKEA shopping bags are large, so storing multiple can take up a lot of space. Instead of throwing them out, why not reuse them around the house? For instance, they're perfect for hanging planters, especially if you've run out of floor space to display your plants. They'll keep your plants off the ground and add a pop of color to your home. Or, if you have the floor space but lack pots, the shopping bags make excellent garden grow bags.

Creating hanging planters can be expensive, and it takes a long time to plan out how you will set them up. However, DIYing a hanging planter is easy with IKEA shopping bags since you don't have to purchase planter bags. Simply gather your IKEA bags – or buy a few for $1 — along with scissors, measuring tape, needle and thread, fixed chains, and S hooks. You can complete your hanging planter in a day, and it's suitable for all DIY levels.

To make hanging planters, lay out all of your bags flat on the floor. Take one bag and cut the seams to open them up. You should have a long piece of plastic spread out. Using your measuring tape, cut a rectangle from the bag that measures 10 x 10 x 10 cm, then sew the ends and the bottom to create a miniature bag. Tuck the corners inside the bag to create a box and sew them. Finally, sew the handles from the original bag to each side of the miniature bag. Repeat the steps to make as many small bags as you want for your hanging planter. You'll want to add a small hole to the bottom of each bag to allow proper drainage for your plants.

After you've made your bags, set them aside and attach the fixed chains where you want to showcase your hanging planters. Picking the right place is the secret to thriving hanging plants. They need enough sunlight and shade to grow. Once the chains are in place, fill your IKEA bags with your plants. You can grow various plants in your shopping bags, like ferns, begonias, pothos, etc. Hang your miniature blue bags on the chains with the S hooks and watch your plants bloom.