Wait! Before you take all of your moving or Amazon boxes to the recycling center, there are a number of ways to upcycle them! Upcycling is the innovative process of reusing cardboard boxes and other items in a way that creates more value than it was originally designed to do.
At Guardian Self Storage, we encourage our customers to think outside of the box when it comes to boxes. And to get your inspiration going, we have outlined a few of the top creative ways you can upcycle or reuse your boxes.
Reimagine Castles, Forts, Playhouses & Space Ships
When you have large cardboard boxes from furniture or large appliances, you can give your children hours of fun. With minimal effort and a bit of imagination, these boxes can easily become castles, forts, playhouses, and spaceships. For younger children, you can help them cut and assemble the structure. Make sure they have plenty of chalk, crayons, and markers for decorating.
Coasting on Upcycle Street
Coasters are extremely handy and useful household tools designed to protect your tables and furniture from unsightly water rings. And you don’t have to go out and purchase new coasters — you can easily make your own. All you need is decorative duct tape, a pair of good scissors, and cardboard. With these do-it-yourself coasters, you can be as decorative as your heart desires.
Spring Into Action with Green Cardboard Box Upcycling Ideas
Whether you’re into gardening or looking to find your unique green thumb, this cardboard box idea will help you spring into action. Simply dress up a couple cardboard boxes with stylish embellishments. Next, line the bottom of the box with a plastic bag and poke a few drainage holes in the bottom. Finally, you’re ready to welcome a plant into its new home.
It’s A-Mazing!!!
If you’re just moving into a new place, have received a large delivery of appliances, or enjoy the splendid delight of Amazon’s 2-day shipping, you can turn those extra cardboard boxes into hours of entertainment for your kids. Although one option is to just give them the box and let them have a go, making a cardboard box maze will offer them endless hours of fun and entertainment.
To do so, cut one or two doorways into each box, join them together with sturdy plastic clips, and watch the kids explore. As an added bonus, you can string LED rope lights through the roof of the maze to help guide your kids through the tunnel.
Create a Fantastic Feline Scratching Pad
Cardboard is a remarkable scratching material for cats — offering them a texture they truly love. To create this scratching pad, simply cut long strips of cardboard boxes and curl them into a circle. Use glue to hold it all together. You can even paint the exterior edges or cover them with fabric. For bonus cat love, sprinkle a little catnip into the cardboard as you create it.
A Natural Way to Keep Weeds Away
Cardboard is unique in that it is extremely sturdy — yet compostable. These key attributes make it a natural solution for a weed problem. Just lay out flat pieces of cardboard in the areas prone to weed growth. You can water these areas thoroughly to help it stay in place. Once you’re done, toss some mulch or soil on top to camouflage the cardboard, and you’re ready to go.
A Protective Paint Solution
Whether you’re teaching your kids arts and crafts or painting your home, cardboard can be the perfect protective backdrop. If you’re painting walls in your home, placing long pieces of cardboard against your baseboard can help protect flooring and carpentry. And if you’re painting arts and crafts, you can use the cardboard as a paint palette.
See Cardboard Saw Horses
While large cardboard boxes are an obvious slam dunk for kids, they can also offer ample utility to adults. For example, large sturdy appliance boxes can find a second life as collapsible sawhorses. Even though they are lightweight, these heavy-duty boxes can hold large, heavy workpieces with ease. And when you’re done, these space-saving workhorses will collapse and fold away in seconds.
Apartment Door Numbers
Demonstrate your creativity and personality to every passerby with stylish door numbers for your apartment. This fantastic idea works best for apartments because the cardboard tends to not stand up as well to the elements. In either case, print off the font of the numbers you wish to use Or if you’re really talented, you can freehand them. Then decorate the numbers to your fancy to create your own numeric expression.
Got Cord Confusion? Organize Them with Cardboard Innovation
Do you have USB, C-Type, and every other charging cord all about your desk or house? To keep these small cords organized, all you need is a shoe box and paper towel rolls or toilet paper rolls. Get started by filling a shoe box with as many empty toilet paper rolls that will fit vertically. Then, place one small cord in each tube, and voila!
Contact Guardian Self Storage To Open Up Space In Your Closet
At Guardian Self Storage, we offer affordable, reliable self-storage solutions for residents throughout the Hudson Valley and beyond. Contact us today to learn more about innovative upcycling ideas for used storage boxes or for the best self-storage options.