IKEA Wants You to Turn Its Iconic Blue Shopping Bags Into Outfits for Your Dog

It's a lifesaver when it comes to transporting oversized items, it comes in especially handy when moving house and it even makes a pretty mean bucket hat. Now, there's another nifty new use for the ubiquitous blue IKEA Frakta bag — edgy doggy fashion for the oh-so-stylish canine.

Yes folks, the Swedish furniture giant is taking a dip into the world of haute couture for dogs. The chain isn't selling the extremely blue outfits, though. Instead, it has released a series of instructional patterns to help you upcycle those signature bags into some very dapper looks for your pooch.

In the spirit of its renewed focus on sustainability for 2021, IKEA has dropped DIY guides for three Hund Couture dog outfits, complete with the same sort of step-by-step instructions that accompany its flat-pack furniture pieces. With these designs, though, there's no Allen key required — and you won't have any pesky stray screws left over at the end of the build.

The Hund Couture line features a ruffled raincoat, an eye-catching frilled-necked lizard-inspired get-up and even an AM-to-PM look centred around a dashing detachable collar. To recreate them, you'll need a sewing machine, some velcro, and — depending on which garment you're going for, and the size of your pooch — between three and seven Frakta bags.

After first announcing the new pet-focused release on April 1, the brand had many people writing it off as an April Fools' Day joke, which is how it started out. But IKEA has come through and given canine lovers the step-by-step details on how they can turn the DIY pieces into legit dog outfits. You'll find all three designs and their accompanying manuals available to download for free on the company's website. All that's left to do is let your four-legged fur-shionista choose which glam statement piece they want you to whip up first.

Check out IKEA's Hund Couture range over at the company's website.