If you’re like our family….you go through A LOT of cereal boxes. The funny thing is…we rarely eat cereal for BREAKFAST…it’s more of a snack item around here. Especially at night when I have announced that “the kitchen is closed” (ie. “you are on your own if you want anything more to eat tonight”). When left on their own like that, pouring a bowl of cereal is about all the menfolk around here seem inclined to do. (Tell me I’m not alone here!)
Subsequently we go through a lot of cereal and cereal boxes. I’ve never been able to figure out a good way to reuse them….until now.
I stumbled on a few cute ways to give new life to those old cereal boxes and HAD to try them out!
The mini pocket notebooks are my fav, but I also love the simply cute boxes….and the funky pencil cases!
These would make fun little gifts or gift packaging for the holidays!
I tried my best to take pictures of the process of making each one…but I’m afraid my A.D.D. got the better of me and I missed several steps along the way. Good thing there are excellent tutorials for all three already out there! :-)
I have linked each one to the website I found them at for reference.
Mini Pocket Notebooks
Inspired by Creme de la Craft.
Gift Boxes
Heart Flower Gift Box
Inspired by Stuff You Can’t Have where you can find instructions and the template to download.
Inside-Out Cereal Box Gift Box
Inspired by Instructables. Detailed instructions can be found here.
Funky Pencil Cases
Inspired by Makezine where you can find instructions and the template to download.
I love turning “trash” into “treasure”! Just check out the BEFORE and AFTER! Pretty impressive if I do say so myself. :-)
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Love the idea of upcycling like this. I really want to make some of the gift boxes, but they’re not the right size or shape for what I really need.
I’m making scrapbooks for Christmas, for my cousins, filled with photos of our grandparents and parents throughout the years. They’re only little books – the pages are 6×6, so the boxes don’t need to be very large. I have been able to find a couple of leftover boxes here and there that’ll work, but if I could make my own, that would be really awesome.
That is a great idea!!! Making a scrapbook is an awesome use for this!!!
http://www.roddyjones.com
I looked for a pattern, but none seem to be quite right for the size I need. I decided I just need to fiddle with it myself. However, I found a really awesome site that had a few more ideas for upcycling cereal boxes.
http://www.mnn.com/food/healthy-eating/blogs/kitchen-recycling-tip-cereal-boxes
Jillee,
You gave me the idea for hand made Christmas gifts yesterday-now I have learned a fantastic gift box idea that is TOTALLY FREE, from something I use anyway!! How awesome is that! Now I just need to stick Post Its on the cereal boxes-DO NOT THROW AWAY!!! :)
Thank you my dear!
xoxo
http://www.roddyjones.com
Save the inner bags, too. They’re super tough and great for crushing crackers, nuts, etc and a much better alternative to wax paper for pounding/tenderizing meat.
Brilliant! The plastic zip type bags always get holes in them when I crush corn flakes for my gluten free peanut butter chocolate bars! Thanks Deb. :-)
I had never considered keeping them, but that is brilliant! Thanks!
That is an amazing idea for the plastic liners!
They are great to pound chicken–doesn’t tear or get chicken stuff all over you.
Great ideas….. I also need different sized boxes and I bet if I go online and search for patterns to make gift boxes there will be a lot more sizes already thought out. Thank you for the idea.
Yes! I’m sure there are tons more out there. :-)
Very impressive indeed! Love them all. : )
Thanks for the great post! My kids just finished their 4-H county fair judging, and I was wondering how to save or display their ribbons. The gift box looks like it might be the perfect size. They can even store other mementos from the year, and we can catalogue each new year of 4-H. Love it!
My cereal box recycle is pretty basic. I use the large cereal boxes that come from warehouse stores like Costco. I use packaging tape to secure the flaps on the outside of the box; it also strengthens the box. I use the box this way as a small recycling box in rooms that don’t need a huge one.
I have one in my bathroom to throw toilet roll tubes, old prescription bottles, etc. Another is close to the family room chair where I sit and open mail, read catalogs, etc. I throw any junk mail, unwanted catalogs, etc. in that recycle box.
I’m a quilter and keep one next to my cutting/ ironing board for paper I use in the course of making quilts.
I could be creative and paint or cover the boxes, but I’m afraid I just don’t have the need. It’d be nice but I’d rather quilt!
Cool!!! My kids always steal them for their own crafts & they get very creative with them. But now it looks like I will have some uses for them myself.
how can you paint a little tikes washer and dryer and where can you find tickers for the wear and fadedcolors also how to clean cloth on play toys
I know that there is a spray paint that you can use on plastic that would work for the Little Tikes Washer and Dryer
I also love to reuse these kinds of boxes to make shipping containers for small gifts like jewelry or soaps. Things that need to be packaged with a little more care than usual, but are also smaller than most. A couple layers of the cardstock makes a really sturdy mailer. Plus it can be decorated any way you like on the inside and outside if you put the layers front to front!
Hello!
I am wondering if you would do a post on homemade Christmas gifts and then invite your readers to submit their ideas– maybe even a link up post? It would be great to have some ideas for the holidays, all in one place. Thanks! I enjoy your site very much and am happy for your success. You make it look effortless, but I am sure it is a lot of work.
M.
Yes, please! I would love to see a post on homemade Christmas gifts!
Ditto! What a fun idea!
Oh MY Gosh!!! That is so funny with the cereal because we are the same exact way I am 37 and I still love a bowl of cereal at night or for lunch or a snack and so does my 7 yr old we could probably eat cereal morning, noon , and night. I’m so glad were not the only ones that treasure the taste of a simple bowl of cereal. Love this post and ideas very creative. My 7yr old girl who I think is becoming a craft fanatic like her mama is going to love doing these. When we do them I will send pics to you!!! Thank you for inspiring us to see beyond what was the original use of the packaging!!!!! Have a wonderful day!!!
HAPPY CRAFTING TO ALL!!!
AMY
Ooh, Ooh, ooh~ I saw “box tops for education” in one of those pics! Please Jillie~ even though you don’t have young children, please save these for a local boy or girl scout troop that is collecting them, or an elementary school. Most especially here in CA, we need the extra $ for things like playground balls, etc. etc.
We go through ridiculous amounts of cereal, so I am really excited about this post. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for more great ways to recycle cereal boxes. Here are some I’ve done:
http://craftyjournal.com/fall-leaf-turkey-magnet/
http://craftyjournal.com/craft-with-cereal-boxes/
oooh goodie goodie! I have some cereal boxes close to being empty. heheheh
I love “upcycling” things that would otherwise get thrown away. A while back I made two cereal box makeup organizers, and I love them.
I love that little note book idea! I think I’ll make these notebooks for my kids as colouring books, I’ve been looking for a way of binding my downloaded colouring book pages…thanks so much for this post!
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Love the little notebooks, Jillee! I always have to have one with me at all times. Never would have thought about turning them inside out either, the kraft color is so nice to use because you can play it up with colors or keep it clean and simple. Great post
I use the large boxes to transport the treats my child brings to school for special occasions. The school requests that the treats be individually wrapped for the children to pass out. The box is easy to transport and disposable.
I’m new to your site, and after looking around a bit, I just want to tell you that I LOVE IT. So many great ideas here. Thanks!
wow! cool ideas!
Have you tried tackling those magic erasers yet ;)?? That is the “cleaner” I am in LOVE with haha. Your creations are genius though!
In our house, cereal boxes are cut up upon opening, flattened and added to the craft materials, without any ado. They are one of the most versatile and useful craft boards ever.
We are planning a road trip from NM to Ohio to Iowa and back. The gift box is perfect size for legos and toy cars to take for the children. The pencil case is perfect to keep the pencils from rolling all over the car on the trip. Thanks for the great ideas!!
Great post, thanks for sharing!
For everyone looking for other sizes, shapes – Melz stampz has an incredible collection of links to templates for boxes – which can be found here – http://melstampz.blogspot.com/2008/10/box-templates-tutorials-giftcardtreat.html . The site also has links for templates for Envelopes – 3D Houses – 200+ pressure embossing ideas – DIY Flowers – Gesso- Boxes – Purses – Bags – 3×3 boxes.
This is wonderful, especially with the holidays coming up. Great post :)
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Love the idea!
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It,s wonderful ,I love it.
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Hi! Just wanted to let you how amazing I think you are… I do not know how you can come up with this stuff day after day! There are so many things that you have post that I want to try… My kids and I resently made the pencil cases you posted here. They had a great time making them, and I love the fact that they are made from cereal boxes (an item that we seem to go through at an alarming speed) I also mentioned your idea on my blog… you can check it out here…
http://creatingbitsofenvy.blogspot.com/2012/12/handmade-gifts-pencil-case.html
You also inspired me to tap into the cereal box potential, which I used to create Christmas paper chains…
http://creatingbitsofenvy.blogspot.com/2012/11/paper-chain-part-1.html
and here…
http://creatingbitsofenvy.blogspot.com/2012/11/paper-chains-part-2.html
Thanks again for all of your insperation…
Jennifer
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Great ideas here! I had been making bookmarks from the decorative tissue boxes but your post gives me some more ideas. Thank you!
I like making picture frames from cereal boxes too! This is a great idea, now to get busy!! Thanks so much for sharing!
These are such great ideas!
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I love these! I think it’s great that you have found a cute and useful way to reuse old cereal cartons. Thank you so much for sharing. I will be featuring this post tomorrow on Creative Green Living.
I couldnt find the link for the notebook ones and i wanna try making them! theyd be cute homemade gifts! if you could let me know that link thatd be great!
Here you go!
http://www.cremedelacraft.com/2012/06/diy-mini-notebook-from-cereal-box.html