While clean, dry cardboard is one of the easiest materials to recycle, the recycling process is not always as cost-effective or environmentally friendly as we wish it could be. For example, recycling waste requires transporting, sorting and cleaning it, and all these activities use non-renewable resources like fuel, electricity and water. If you have leftover cardboard boxes, you may opt to reuse them instead of sending them to a recycling plant or landfill. Here are a few of our favorite ideas for what to do with cardboard boxes.

1. DIY Storage Hacks

The possibilities for transforming cardboard boxes into storage solutions are virtually endless. For example, gluing a piece of fabric such as burlap or denim to the outside is a quick, easy way to give plain cardboard textural and visual interest. Once you’ve decorated your cardboard, you can use the boxes to create extra storage in your pantry, closets, workshop, office or any other area where you could use more home organization.

2. Furniture

If you’re a craftsperson on a budget, you can repurpose heavy-duty cardboard into durable, Earth-friendly furniture that fits into any decorating motif. From lamps to end tables, high chairs and couches, check out these DIY projects you might want to try next weekend.

3. One-of-a-Kind Home Decor

Arts and crafts enthusiasts love upcycling cardboard boxes into things like picture frames, bookends, shelving, lanterns, artificial plants – the only limit is your imagination.

4. Kids’ Activities

If you have kids, doing cardboard crafting together can be a memorable, low-tech bonding activity and a way to minimize screen time. Simple activities like coloring a piece of cardboard or cutting out shapes with safety scissors can help younger kids practice their motor skills. Older children can flex their creative muscles with projects like advent calendars, shadow puppet theaters or even box cars.

5. Cat Furniture and Accessories

It’s no secret that cats love cardboard boxes. Boxes appeal to cats’ natural hiding instinct and can help anxious cats calm down and be less skittish. Creating a kitty hideaway is only one clever idea for using extra cardboard boxes. You can use sturdy cardboard to make a scratching post, lounger or ingenious toys to keep curious cats occupied.

6. Holiday Decorations

With the holiday season quickly approaching, you might be hunting for new decorating ideas to brighten up your living space. Reuse excess cardboard to craft ornaments, Christmas trees, garlands, wreaths and more. You can even make extra to have handmade gifts for family, friends and colleagues.

Count on Our Team to Simplify Your Next Move

At Fox Moving and Storage, our polite, professional movers are proud to serve the Charlotte community with our experience. We are a full-service company that fulfills a complete range of residential and commercial moving needs, including packing. We always use durable, high-quality packing materials and boxes to give you the confidence that your precious belongings will remain safe and secure, whether you are moving to another town or a different state.

Let us make your next move a seamless, low-stress experience by handling all the details from start to finish. Start by requesting a free quote today.