5 Ways to Reuse Cardboard Boxes

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Cardboard Box uses

Say you’ve finally finished unpacking your brand new house or gathering all the ribbons, giftwrap, and cardboard boxes that accumulated on your floor over the holidays. Before you can take a deep breath, you need to figure out what to do with all those cardboard boxes that are stacked as high as the ceiling in the entryway. Sure you could get a truck, load them up and take them down to the recycling center, but recycling is just one-third of the eco-friendly equation.

The movement to reduce, reuse, and recycle whatever materials or products possible has spawned many creative ideas from families around the country. And there’s no reason that cardboard boxes – one of the most common household byproducts in existence – should not be part of the fun. So here are five practical, possibly fun ways to reuse cardboard boxes.

1. Crafts

Craft time. Maybe craft-time will work as a fun and creative way to get the kids to break down that fort they built in the living room. Grab some paint and cut up the boxes to create art canvases, mobiles, and more. Recycle the leftovers!

2. Garage Floor

If someone in the house is mechanically inclined, old cardboard boxes are often used to protect the garage floor from oil spills and falling tools.

3. Shipping

Save your boxes for reshipping. This is especially relevant during the holiday season when you’ve gotten gifts from family and friends around the country and the world.

4. Frame Backing

Leftover cardboard can be backing for framing posters or other artwork that could use a little strengthening.

5. Decorations

Sure this goes with number one, but ’tis the season so crafty cardboard gets a little extra attention. Plus it’s an easy recipe: cut out stars (or other shapes), paint, apply glitter or colored glues to decorate and put on the tree or in the window. Christmas is over, but the New Year is right around the corner.

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Leah Ingram Says:
December 31st, 2008 at 8:49 am

There are other ways to reuse cardboard boxes as well, including giving them away so others can use them, too. I recently did a blog posting on this very topic on, what else, boxing day: http://suddenlyfrugal.wordpress.com/2008/12/26/boxing-day-bonanza/ I must admit, though, the cat-in-the-box on your post made me smile.

Thanks.

Leah

Zeus Packaging Says:
November 5th, 2009 at 3:48 am

i recently read this article

http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/cliff-kuang/design-innovation/no-joke-these-guys-really-do-work-out-cardboard-box

completely surprized how innovative people can work on things we consider useless

Dan Says:
November 5th, 2009 at 11:37 am

Great link Zeus! I too was blown away by their cardboard creativity. Definitely brings all sorts of ideas to mind:)