I’ve been de-cluttering the house—slowly—kickstarted by an autumn clearing group at the beginning of the month. My mistake, in hindsight, was tackling the largest problem area, the basement, first.
Our basement is a dwelling area for gardening supplies, tools, tubs of clothing, paper files, art supplies, seasonal items, sports equipment, and a large category of items I’d label as Things That Might Become Useful One Day.
I was excited to empty a box of items that had been down there since we moved in three and a half years ago. The large box was immediately confiscated by Sofie, who saw it and yelled, “My boat!” We dragged it upstairs and it kept her entertained for three days before being abandoned…back in the basement, of courses.
Sofie and Rizzo in her recycled boat.
However, it did inspire this week’s top 5 reuses for a cardboard box.
- Boat (or car or other vehicle). Large boxes entice kids to climb into them. Appliance boxes are especially fun – I remember making a backyard clubhouse from one as a kid. I believe Sofie’s boat was inspired by our recent reading of “Christina Katerina and the Box” by Patricia Lee Gauch. The picture book is from 1971, but it’s timeless in its tale of a girl’s fun imagination vs. her mother’s need for a tidy front yard.
- Dollhouse. Another childhood memory, as my creative mother built my sister and I a multi-room dollhouse for our Barbies. Everything, from the twin beds (empty spaghetti boxes) to the dishes (plastic linings that used to come inside soda bottles caps) was a reuse of some material. I attempted to make such a house for Sofie a few years ago. It started well, and has become one of my most popular blog posts, but I ran out of steam, and, honestly, her dolls seem to prefer having adventures on the floor.
- Storage. But I mean really nice storage – all prettied up with wrapping or fabric and decorative details. Who knew you could make cardboard look so classy?
- Scenery backdrop. If you’ve ever cared for guinea pigs or rabbits as pets, you know how much they like to chew cardboard. It’s actually good for their constantly growing teeth. When my husband and I had guinea pigs in our twenties, we offered them many a leftover box. One day I was inspired to draw this city/farmscape for Serenity to enjoy as she ran around for her daily exercise. I’m not sure what she got out of it, but I smiled every time I saw it.
- Skateboard or sled. As children, my sister and I flattened cardboard boxes and slid around the carpeted basement to 80s music. Somehow, this activity entertained us for hours. An alternative is the flattened-cardboard-as-downhill-sled. It eventually soaks through, but it sure can slide fast! (Not recommended for little kids.)
View more uses for cardboard boxes on WiseBread and this Pinterest page.
This post is featured on Small Footprint Friday.
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