Unexpected Ways to Use Old Cardboard in the House
Do you feel like you take boxes apart every day and throw them in the trash every night? Especially at this time of year, the convenience of having items delivered straight to your home is unmatched, but boxes can quickly pile up in huge numbers, both in terms of how unstable they are and how annoying they are to get rid of. them. However, you can reuse your boxes for a variety of purposes around the home that you never thought of. Here are a few household uses for cardboard that you should try.
Create more “shelves” in the fridge
Use cardboard to create mini shelves in your packed fridge, especially during the holiday season. Instead of stacking cakes or ingredients directly on top of each other, which can cause food to dent or flatten, cut out pieces of cardboard slightly larger than the materials you need for storage and place strong paper goods between containers to keep them stable. while eating. heap.
Rake leaves in the yard
This is advice we’ve advocated in the past, but it works: use cardboard as a plow to collect all your leaves and yard debris during the colder months. Break the box into large panels, press the panel to the ground, and push it across the yard to make it easier to rake.
Get cunning
Of course, you can use cardboard to make crafts , but you can also use it to clean up when you’re done. Lifehacker Senior Health Editor Beth Skwarecki recommends laying down a piece of cardboard to protect your floor or table while your kids paint Picasso. The best part? When they finish their projects, you can just pick it all up and throw it away.
Protect your floors
As a last resort, use cardboard as a durable floor mat if your office chair scratches the floor or doesn’t slide well on carpet. The University of Colorado Boulder also recommends cutting cardboard into small pieces and tucking them under furniture legs to protect floors or make it easier to move couches, tables, etc.
Kill the weeds
Plus, according to the University of Colorado at Boulder, you can also use old crates to kill weeds. All you have to do is break the box down, put it on the weeds, wet it with a hose, and cover it with earth. The weeds will suffer and you will be happy.
Make your trash can more functional
Use cardboard to make an insert that will help you keep the trash bag from slipping inside even the smallest trash can. It’s a little tricky and requires step-by-step instructions , which you can find here, but with some measurements, folding, and tape, you can secure the inside of your jar to keep the dangling bag from leaking mush.
Fold your laundry
You can buy a laundry folder for about $10 on Amazon, or use an old Amazon box to make one for free. It’s really your choice, but it’s an easy one. All you need is an old box and scotch tape. See how to do it and then get ready to have more space in your drawers.
Store cords, jewelry, or craft supplies
This tip, courtesy of Family Handyman , is great because it recycles cardboard from toilet paper boxes and rolls. Take an old shoe box or a small cardboard box and arrange your old toilet paper rolls in it like a honeycomb. Each roll can hold a cord, a necklace, sewing tools, craft supplies or anything else you need to store: it’s amazingly versatile.
Entertain cats (and protect furniture)
If your cat is torturing your sofa, you may not be able to worry about aesthetics and can simply wrap the base with cardboard. It’s functional and we don’t blame you. However, if you really want to entertain your feline friend, Family Handyman recommends cutting cardboard into strips, rolling it into a spiral circle, and sprinkling it with catnip. Your cat will spend time attacking this textured toy, not the curtains or the Christmas tree .