4 Surprising Uses for Our Favorite $3 IKEA Organizing Staple

Shifrah Combiths
Shifrah Combiths
With five children, Shifrah is learning a thing or two about how to keep a fairly organized and pretty clean house with a grateful heart in a way that leaves plenty of time for the people who matter most. Shifrah grew up in San Francisco, but has come to appreciate smaller town life in Tallahassee, Florida, which she now calls home. She's been writing professionally for twenty years and she loves lifestyle photography, memory keeping, gardening, reading, and going to the beach with her husband and children.
updated May 1, 2019
pinterest
comments
We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.
Post Image
(Image credit: Joe Lingeman)

The magic of IKEA pieces is not only in their well-thought-out, small-space-maximizing design, but also in the numerous ways each versatile piece can be repurposed and hacked. And that includes the VARIERA bag dispenser. Yes, the thing you buy to store your used plastic grocery bags.

Here are four ways to transform one of our very favorite IKEA staples into more than meets the eye.

(Image credit: IKEA)

Buy: VARIERA bag dispenser, $3 at IKEA

(Image credit: Joe Lingeman)

1. Use it to store workout equipment.

Vertical VARIERAs are the perfect circumference for storing rolled yoga mats and for stuffing exercise bands and the like; you can pull them out easily through the holes or hang them from S-hooks suspended from the holes.

(Image credit: Joe Lingeman)

2. Use it to organize gift-wrapping supplies.

Gift-giving is a pleasure and wrapping them can be too when your supplies are stored aesthetically and accessibly. Use the dead space in a closet to hang a vertical VARIERA full of wrapping paper.

(Image credit: Joe Lingeman)

3. Use it to create a vertical planter.

To eke out space for growing succulents, flowers, or even strawberries, fill the bag holder with moss and dirt and use it as a planter.

(Image credit: Joe Lingeman)

4. Use it to organize cleaning supplies by task.

By storing the cleaning tools and supplies you need for particular tasks together, you eliminate the brain drain of having to gather supplies when it comes time to, say, clean the kitchen. The VARIERA, hung horizontally, is the perfect size for storing just what you need for each task, along with a few refills.

This post originally ran on Apartment Therapy. See it there: 4 Ways to Hack Our Favorite $3 IKEA Organizing Staple

Have you come up with any other fun uses for this organizer? Share them in the comments below.

Filed in:
Product Review
Shopping
Surprising Ideas