17 Things to do with Your Empty Cardboard Boxes

Most people just throw their boxes away once their initial usefulness expires. Below I will show you 17 things to do with a cardboard box other than throwing it out.

Re-Gifting
You can save those cardboard boxes until a time comes when you need to give someone else a present. You can use an old cardboard box to create and sturdy thank you card.

Dinner Circles
You can use an old cardboard tube, such as the ones found in aluminum foil or paper towels to create a custom napkin ring. Simple paint them up or wrap fabric around the cardboard tube and you have a beautiful one of a kind napkin ring.

Make a Plant Pot
With just a cardboard box and a trash bag with a few holes in it, you will be able to make the perfect plant pot, but although the trash bag will keep the inside of the box from getting wet, it is best to keep these cardboard plant pots inside to avoid them getting wet.

Children’s Toys
You can make some great activities for your child with a cardboard box. Sit down with your child and have an arts and crafts day and create something unique!

Storage Containers
With just a few sheets of fabric and some glue you can create some simple, yet luxurious totes. People won’t believe that you made them yourself.

Cat’s Best Friend
We all know felines love playing with boxes, but did you know you can shape and glue cardboard to make an excellent scratching post for your whiskered-friend?

A Maze
If you’ve just moved chances are you have a lot of empty boxes and probably some empty space in your house. Take the boxes all to one room and create a maze for your child to play with – at least until its time to furnish that new room.

Coasters
Get yourself some decorative duct tape or a jar of waterproof finish and you can make some drink coasters whose design is only limited by your imagination.

Tags
You can use cardboard cut outs as gift tags, price tags, or simply as labels to keep your things organized.

Weed Killer
Take a peace of cardboard and place it on a weed riddled area of your lawn. By spraying water on the cardboard, the weeds below will drown with no access to the sun to dry them up, now just lay over some fresh top soil and plant your grass.

Paint PaletteĀ 
A simple cut out of a cardboard box makes an excellent paint palette for the artists out there.

Book Organization
You can use rectangular cardboard containers to store your magazines or books in on your bookshelf.

Party Decor
A lot of people use paper to create streamers and banners for their parties, but if you use cardboard it make give your party a much more professional look.

Canvases
Coat your cardboard with primer and white paint. The cardboard wont have the same properties as real canvas but any artist worth his weight could still make it work.

Bird Feeder
By using the cardboard in a paper towel row, you can make a bird feeder for the local birds.

Gift Bags
Teachers can use cardboard to make unique gift bags for their students on special occasions. Perfect for parents too!

Picture Mats
Cut the cardboard in a square and wrap it in thin fabric and you have a custom made picture mat. They will make an excellent addition to your frames.