New month, new Glam Bag, new beauty to discover. Each month, our team of talented designers creates bags that reflect the season and trends (March 2025’s strawberry-inspired bag was giving serious main character energy), making each of them uniquely collectable in their own right. While we love the idea of creating a gallery of those gorgeous bags inside your home, we get that constructing a beauty museum is a bit too delulu to actually happen.
So if you’re a proud owner of a collection of past Glam Bags and need inspo for giving them new life, we’ve got you covered with tons of earth-friendly ways to repurpose without tossing. Whether you’re looking for ways to make your daily routine a little greener, clearing space for the latest viral products, or searching for a crafty project to help you flex that creative muscle, you’re in luck—because these small-but-mighty makeup bags can be just as versatile as your lip and cheek tints. Keep reading for a list of easy and fun ways to recycle and reuse these monthly accessories.
Creator @ladygamez came in hot with one of the most creative Glam Bag repurposes we’ve ever seen. Using the fabric and drawstring from her 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.
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.
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 a Glam Bag 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.
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 Glam Bags to store smaller beauty items, like single-pan shadows, gloss tubes, liners, and more. Want to go the extra mile? Try coordinating your Glam Bag with the colors of your products.
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.
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 a Glam 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.
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.
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.
Destress and give your skin some TLC. If you’re hoarding samples, put them to good use by curating a facial-in-a-Glam-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.
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 Glam 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.
It’s no secret that Glam 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.
The versatile drawstring pouches that used to accompany your Glam Bag Plus were 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.
When the 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.
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 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.
Got a Glam 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.
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.
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 Glam Bag in your purse, and you’ll have a dedicated place for all your receipts to hang out.
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 Glam 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.