Forget buying, you can absolutely make this stylish raffia bag

I decided to make the bag because this year raffia bags are in fashion and the first thing that came to mind were the IKEA placemats.

It took me 3 days because I had to think about how to do each of the pieces and which one would go before the next.

IKEA items used:
  • 3 placemats (model LÄTTAD)
  • 0,60 metres fabric (model MARGARETA)

raffia bag materials

Other materials and tools:

Hack Instructions for round raffia bag:

First step: To make the side of the bag is to undo one of the placemats to take advantage of the same straw and the same thread. For this, you have to go holding the straw with tweezers so that it does not fall apart.

raffia bag from IKEA placemats

Second step: You have to join and shape the side with the same type of sewing, with 6 straw strips of 0.80 meters and covering the ends with 2 pieces of leather.

raffia bag from IKEA placemats

Third step: With other 2 strips of straw of 0.75 meters, the handles of the bag are lined and sewn to the 2 placemats at the front and back (you can put or not the ornamental rivets)

raffia bag from IKEA placemats

raffia bag from IKEA placemats

Fourth step: Make the part of the zipper and join it to the 2 placemats.

raffia bag from IKEA placemats

Fifth step: Join all the pieces made so far.

Sixth step: Sew the lining to the inner seam of the zipper

The cost:

  • Ikea: € 12 for the 3 placemats and € 4 for the fabric
  • Leather: € 2
  • Zipper € 0.70
  • 6 rivets € 0.90

Total = € 19,60


With what was left over from the third placemat, I made a pot stand.

raffia bag from IKEA placemats

What I liked most about the hack is that there is no other raffia bag like that and the comments that people made on my Facebook page.

The hardest part was to sew the zipper and the lining, but it did not have much problem.

Pay special attention to the order of the joining of the pieces. It is essential to do so in the order that I have described.

If I did it again, I might have added 2 more strips to the width of the side, but my friends told me that this was great.

I received a lot of comments on my personal facebook page and another page that I have of things I do with leather (when I’m unemployed like now) as well as on the street, people love my Ike-bag.

My link in Facebook to the raffia bag photos is “Isa en Cueros

~ by Isabel Rejes Canoura, O Valadouro (Lugo – Spain)