What to Do With Your Old IPSY Bags (18 Genius Ways to Reuse Them)

1. Add to Your Wardrobe

Creator @ladygamez came in hot with one of the most creative Drawstring Bag repurposes we’ve ever seen. Using the fabric and drawstring from an old April 2022 Glam Bag Plus, she sewed a cropped halter top so on trend, you’d be hard pressed to find something as cute in stores. And while her sewing skills are definitely #goals, the tutorial is simple enough that anyone can DIY.

2. Pay It Forward & Donate

Donate bags filled with unused grooming basics to homeless shelters, or donate self-care essentials to women’s centers and nonprofits, like Project Beauty Share. During times of crisis or depending on the specific shelter, certain items may be in higher demand than others—just be sure to check with your local donation centers for up-to-date needs and guidelines.

3. Dine Sustainably

With the Earth in mind, it’s always a good idea to cut back on single-use plastics. They’re a tough habit to break when you’re out and about, but Glam Bags or Drawstring Bags can help! Create a pack filled with the dining essentials (reusable straws, utensils, a corkscrew, and compact grocery bags for leftovers) to accompany on-the-go meals and impromptu picnics.

4. Get Your Glam Organized

Nothing takes the joy out of a morning routine like spending 15 minutes searching for your eyelash curler. Tidy up a chaotic makeup station by using your IPSY bags to store smaller beauty items, like single-pan shadows, gloss tubes, liners, and more. Want to go the extra mile? Try coordinating your IPSY bag design with the colors of your products.

5. Quick Clothing Repairs

Be prepared for wardrobe malfunctions while you’re out and about. Use a Glam Bag to build a repair kit with a needle and thread, safety pins, a Tide pen, and extra buttons to get a little extra protection for that inevitable marinara splatter at dinner.

6. Tech-Savvy Bags

Ever try to find your lip balm at the bottom of your tote but can’t get past the monster of tangled headphones and charging cords? Same. Tidy all your techy needs by keeping an IPSY Drawstring Bag dedicated to chargers, cables, USB drives, batteries, and battery packs. It’ll make it easier to find the things you do need. Plus, it'll make transferring your essentials from purse to purse foolproof.

7. Mini Emergency Kit

Picture this: You’ve just started your day of errands, but it’s 10 a.m. and a blister is already forming on your heel…with no bandages in sight. Keep a Glam Bag stocked with small medical must-haves—a couple bandages with Neosporin, an extra dose of medications, feminine hygiene products—and pop it into your car’s glove compartment or tote bag for when those mini emergencies (like breaking in your new loafers) hit.

8. Self-Care Packages

Have more mascara than you know what to do with? Save them before they expire by offloading your unused (!) extras to your beauty and skincare-loving friends and fam. Then, just donate any leftovers that don’t make it into your shipment—your vanity clutter will thank you.

9. DIY Spa Night

Destress and give your skin some TLC. If you’re hoarding samples, put them to good use by curating a facial-in-an-IPSY-Bag. Create a full regimen with as many steps as you want—exfoliators, toners, essences, serums, masks, and more. Keep it on hand for your next spa night or snail mail your BFFs for a cute surprise.

10. At-Home Hotel

Give guests the five-star treatment while they’re staying at your home—another fun tip if you don’t know what to do with your old IPSY bags. Create a grooming kit filled with travel-sized toiletries like toothpaste, floss picks, shampoo/conditioner, and any other little things that are commonly forgotten when traveling.

11. Pack Like a Pro

It’s no secret that IPSY bags are the ultimate travel companion for storing your makeup and skincare. They can also be used to stash snacks for long journeys with little ones (and for yourself, let's be honest), socks and underwear for weekend trips, vitamins and supplements—the options are endless.

12. Plus Presents

The versatile IPSY Drawstring Bags are more than just a handy way to stow your five full-size products—they also make the *perfect* gift bags. Just pop your gift inside the pouch, add a bit of tissue paper, tie the drawstrings into a bow, and you’re all set.

13. Expand Your Clutch Collection

When the IPSY bags are this cute, it’s kind of hard not to want to wear them everywhere. This one would look adorable paired with a coquette makeup look, and you could even attach a strap to the zipper pull to make it a wristlet.

14. Protect Your Jewelry 

Bracelets, earrings, necklaces, and watches all take a hit when we throw them in our purses or makeup kits without a second thought. Repurposing your Glam Bag or Drawstring Bag as a jewelry bag can help with that. Stash an extra one in your purse or luggage so you have a soft place to store your accessories when you’re at the gym, in the shower, or going for a swim—really any time you know you’ll be taking off your precious trinkets and want them to be protected. 

15. Cute Little Coasters

Got an IPSY bag design you really love? Transform your bag into a coaster (or two!) that you can use around the house. You’ll want to look up a quick tutorial on YouTube to achieve this one, but we promise the results are well worth it. Not only will you get to refresh your home decor, but you’ll also get to exercise your creative side.

16. Make Unique Keychains

If you followed our last tip and made yourself a Glam Bag coaster (cuuuute), then, chances are, you have an extra zipper pull lying around. If that’s the case, it’s time to get crafty. Grab a key ring, a pair of pliers, and a few jump rings—then pull up a quick YouTube tutorial—and create a keychain charm that will make you smile every time you look at it. 

17. Receipt Organizer

Next time the Trader Joe’s cashier hands you your receipt, you’ll finally have somewhere to put it that isn’t the deep recesses of your pockets, never to be found again—or at least until you do the laundry. Tuck an extra IPSY bag in your purse, and you’ll have a dedicated place for all your receipts to hang out. 

18. Bachelorette Beauty Kits

We’ve all seen those hilarious hangover survival kits passed out at bachelor and bachelorette parties, and even at weddings themselves. This idea is like that, but with a beauty makeover. Gather up your unused IPSY bags (make sure you have one for each person in your party), then stuff each one with beauty products you think they’ll love. For the one committed to the clean girl aesthetic? Skincare, brow gel, and a gloss. For the mob wife babe? Eyeshadow, eyeliner, and a bold lip color. Your bride squad will love you for this one.