15 Pretty, Practical IKEA Variera Plastic Bag Holder Hacks

A $2 Ikea plastic bag holder. Who’d have guessed there’d be so many fantastic ideas that could come from such an inexpensive item?

And we like when “inexpensive” and “Ikea” can be found in the same sentence. Because usually, Ikea is a pretty expensive place for a lot of us. NOT because their items individually are too dear. In fact, exactly the opposite, right?

Pssst…love IKEA hacks? Check out all of our IKEA hack content here!

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Here’s a quick video overview of these awesome ideas…

We find SO MANY great deals in that Ikea marketplace that aren’t on our shopping list when we first enter the store. Things we had no idea we needed, but suddenly we can’t pry from our own hands because “it’s such a great deal”.

That marketplace is the second most dangerous spot in the whole store.

The MOST dangerous spot? The restaurant. I have a dangerous affinity for those cinnamon rolls. Yum.

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1. DIY Ribbon Holder Ikea Hack | The Heathered Nest

Throw in your ribbon, and mount it in your craft closet, or junk closet, or wherever the heck it’s most convenient for you.

2. Guinea pig/hamster tunnel or ramp

We have allergies here that prevent us from having a cat or a dog, so instead my kiddos have guinea babies. And these pets are VERY beloved here. My daughter creates new little toys and little inventions for them all the time. Some of which have involved this popular Ikea item.

The guinea pigs love to “hide” in things. So this Ikea plastic bag holder is great as a tunnel, or a little ramp either in their cage, or outside during their “exercise” time.

3. 5-Minute Gift Wrap Organizer Ikea Hack | The Heathered Nest

I’ve seen this idea used with the gift wrap inserted horizontally into the Ikea plastic bag holder as well.

4. Ikea Plastic Bag Holder Turned DIY Light Fixture | Sister Suitcase Blog

This idea may take the award for the most creative use of this item. Check out the tutorial to see how Holly and Nat created these DIY sconces!

5. Toilet Paper Storage

Sit it on the bathroom floor, or hang the Variera on the back of a cabinet door to preserve storage space in the sink base, but have the extra rolls nearby when they’re needed!

6. Yarn Storage Station

A great way to keep that yarn in line…and it’s pretty, too!

7. Ikea Hack Vinyl Storage | Sweet Red Poppy

Are you a crafty type? If so, you may have one of those awesome Silhouette or Cricut machines? And if that’s the case, you probably have HEAPS of vinyl to store. Well, these little plastic bag holders can come to the rescue!

8. Variera Kitchen Storage

This little plastic bin makes a great place to stock your plastic wrap, wax paper, aluminum foil, etc.

9. Ikea Plastic Bag Holder Play Weapons Holster | That’s My Letter

Boys and their toys. What a great way to store all their weaponry without taking up a lot of space.

I’ve also seen this Variera mounted horizontally, and the kids’ lightsabers and such were housed by stacking them vertically into the perfectly-sized hole along the sides of the plastic bag holder.

10. Small animal hay feeder

This could totally work for rabbits as well! If being used inside an enclosure, you can easily secure this Ikea plastic bag holder with zip ties either vertically or horizontally.

11. Storage for Exercise Equipment

This is another idea straight from Ikea. Storing gym gear! The Variera is the perfect size for your yoga mat and straps, jump ropes and small exercise balls, even weights. When they posted this on their blog, they showed it with acouple of S-hooks hanging on the sides to hang additional gear on.

12. Cleaning Supply Storage

And this one, for storing all kinds of cleaning supplies.

Hang spray bottles by their triggers, and pack sponges, dusters, magic erasers and the rest into the self-contained bin where they’ll be able to quickly dry thanks to all the openings in the Variera’s design.

13. Umbrella Holder

IKEA often comes up with their own best “hacks” as you’ve already seen. And here’s another. This “plastic bag holder” works great as an umbrella holder because it’s small enough to squeeze into a tight spot in a closet.

It’s also terrific because you don’t have to worry about your wet umbrellas getting the rest of your belongings wet as they’ll be safely cordoned off in their own confined space (with lots of air holes for faster drying times)!

14. Easy Cord Management

We recently started using this Variera in yet another way. To manage cords!

You can shove a ton of cords in there, and neatly pull the ends through in a way that keeps the clutter down, and all those pesky dust bunnies from forming when you have 33 cords splayed out all over the place.

We have one of these behind our entertainment center, and it works GREAT!

15. Variera Face Mask Storage Container

Ahhh 2020. Who knew we’d ever need a place to stash the menagerie of medical gear we’d all end up stocking at home, right?

The Variera is a go-to here for face mask storage. It holds them without allowing them to fall out, but the openings are large enough to see through in order to pull out the lovely face mask you need to match any outfit, for any occasion. Le sigh.

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All in all, this $3 Ikea plastic bag holder is a super flexible, useful item to have around the house.

Be sure to pick one or two up next time you’re in IKEA. And definitely, don’t forget the cinnamon rolls ;).

Pin this post for later! And if you use any of these IKEA Variera hacks, leave a comment (or better yet, a photo) on the pin! That helps others know whether they want to try this project, too!