Last week, I shared the things I upcycle into dog toys. Cardboard boxes made the list because I always have tons of them and he loves to play with them. However, I got to thinking, there are probably lots of great ways to upcycle cardboard boxes. So, I started looking around online to figure out some options. Here’s what I came up with.
Cardboard Coin Sorter
Instead of dumping all of your coins into a single jar that you have to sort through later, you can save yourself a step by creating a coin sorter. Use a simple cardboard box system to separate out your pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters.
DIY Cardboard Postcards
Bob Vila suggests that when you receive a gift in a box, you immediately re-gift the box in the form of a postcard. Take a postcard-sized piece of the box, write a thank you message on it, and send it in the mail. Of course, you can also use any other cardboard to create postcards or greeting cards. I make these often but I usually use paper, rather than cardboard, so I love this fresh idea. I’ll definitely implement it.
You can similar upcycle cardboard boxes into gift tags.
Storage Cubes
I use cardboard boxes just as they are to store my dog’s toys (the ones he actually gets from the pet store.) However, Bob Vila notes that you can use fabric to turn a basic box into a beautiful storage cube or storage tote.
One Good Thing points out that you can similar use boxes, decorated or not, as laundry hampers, trash cans, and toy boxes.
Cat Scratching Pad
My dog loves to scratch at the cardboard boxes. So, it’s no surprise that Bob Vila also suggests that cats love this option. Use corrugated cardboard to create a scratching pad for your purring companion.
Make a Seedling Tray
If you have a garden, then you might use seedling trays. You plant the seeds in these first, grow them until they’re ready to go, then transplant them into the garden. You can buy seedling trays. But why? Instead, use cardboard boxes as cheap substitutes for seedling trays. Note that you can also incorporate your paper towel and toilet paper tubes into making these.
Cardboard Boxes in the Garden
In addition to using them for seedling trays, you can use cardboard boxes for weed control in your garden. One Good Thing explains that you break a box down until so that it’s flat. Then you remove some of the soil from your garden. You lay the cardboard down, soak it with water, and replace the soil.
Make Signs
Having a yard sale or setting up a lemonade stand? Write out your neighborhood signs on old cardboard boxes. After all, why would you pay money for new signs when you can use what you already have to make your own?
Pet Bed
This idea from One Good Thing brings us full circle back to my dog. Line a cardboard box with blankets and you have an instant dog bed or cat bed. Get creative with hanging one of these for a cat hammock.
Read More:
- Reduce, Reuse, Recycle to Save Money
- Frugal Ways to Extend Household Items Life
- 20 Tips for a Zero Waste Life
Kathryn Vercillo is a professional writer who loves to live a balanced life. She appreciates a good work-life balance. She enjoys balance in her relationships and has worked hard to learn how to balance her finances to allow for a balanced life overall. Although she’s only blonde some of the time, she’s always striving for total balance. She’s excited to share what she’s learned with you and to discover more together along the way.