Tip of the Day - Reuse Your Cereal Box

Posted on June 9, 2008 by Allie

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I was about to toss a cereal box into the recycling bin, and started to wonder if there was something else I could do with it. Apparently, there are lots of ways to give new life to an old cereal box.

Frugal Families has some great suggestions, including using a cereal box to make a magazine holder.

Kowai suggests using them for everything from extra insulation, to a homemade hamster house.

Curbly has instructions for making cereal gift boxes.

Lifehacker uses a cereal box to make an iPod speaker.

Wrapcandy shows us how to make a cereal box purse for playing dress up.

9 Comments +

  1. I’ve never heard of peanut butter bumpers, but it either sounds like a hot new dance craze, or something more “adult.”

    June 9th, 2008 at 1:20 pm
    Comment by Noelle
  2. Hahahaha. I gave up the Bumpers b/c I’m trying to cut down on sugar, but they are freaking awesome. Like PB Captain Crunch. Not as exciting as something “adult,” but still good.

    June 9th, 2008 at 2:04 pm
    Comment by Allie
  3. Oh, man. I L-O-V-E Bumpers–I have to fight my kids for them. You know what I need some recycling ideas for? Markers. Kids go through them like candy, and then how can you reuse them when they’ve dried out so you don’t have to just throw them in the trash? I’m not very crafty, either, so I’m looking around for ideas today.

    June 9th, 2008 at 2:59 pm
    Comment by Amy
  4. Oh good idea, Amy — I’ll look into that.

    June 9th, 2008 at 3:11 pm
    Comment by Allie
  5. The liners of the cereal boxes make great sandwich wrappers. You can also cut them open and use them as you would waxed paper. The boxes, I admit, I just recycle.

    June 9th, 2008 at 3:25 pm
    Comment by organicneedle
  6. Other uses:

    Compost - shred first
    Backing for picture frames
    Stiff material for mailing photos

    I know there are other uses but I’m drawing a blank right now.

    June 9th, 2008 at 3:53 pm
    Comment by Chile
  7. That purse idea is so cute! I’ll have to give that a whirl! Thanks!

    June 9th, 2008 at 6:00 pm
    Comment by Beth Shea
  8. some cool ideas ! thanx :)

    June 10th, 2008 at 3:45 pm
    Comment by shannon
  9. I never have to worry about disposing of this kind of thing because my daughter (aka Queen Pack Rat) won’t let us get rid of any boxes! She’s always creating something with them . . .

    June 12th, 2008 at 3:58 am
    Comment by Ann at One Bag Nation

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Tip of the Day

Bring Your Own Utensils

I carry a titanium backpacking spork around in my purse.  I know that sounds kind of weird, but it saves me from using disposable utensils when I eat out, and it’s so light, I never even notice that I’m carrying it.

Before the Industrail Revolution it was common for guests to be expected to bring their own utensils with them when invited to dine, because utensils were expensive, labor intensive items, and most people didn’t own extra sets.  Now, when it’s possible to buy a set of 1,000 plastic utensils for under $20, people don’t even think about bringing their own.

But think of the plastic waste that can be saved by slipping a fork from home in your purse on the way out the door.  You don’t need anything fancy.  Grab one from your kitchen drawer, or if you’re worried about loosing a piece of a set, pick up a few spare utensils the next time you hit a discount store, thrift shop, or yard sale.  It’s simple a simple way to cut down waste, and it’s always nicer to eat with real utensils anyway.

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