Unexpected uses for cardboard

Updated: Apr 1, 2021

Cardboard. It comes in literally every delivery you buy, it's what toilet roll tubes are made out of, and some shops will even give unwanted cardboard boxes away for free. Considering it is a free, readily available, reclaimed resource, I thought I would make a list on things you can do with it.

Reusable present boxes - Make the boxes look attractive by painting or decoupaging them, and maybe make a special way of opening them, and you have reusable boxes for Christmas or birthday presents!
Small gift box - Flatten a toilet roll tube, press in the ends, then tie with a piece of string for a cute little gift box. You might want to decorate them.
Dressing up costumes - Get creative!
Kid's playhouses - Again, get creative!
Stop trousers creasing - Get a kitchen roll tube, or two toilet roll tubes, cut them lengthwise, slip them on the bottom of a hanger, then tape them closed. Hang your trousers/leggings/jeans over the tube.
Organise stationary - Get an old cardboard box, cut it so it's like a tray, then fill it with toilet roll tubes cut at different heights. Decorate and add your stationary.
Organise cables and cords - Slip cables and cords through a toilet roll tube for easy organisation. You could label them as well.
Mobile phone holder - Fold a piece of cardboard so there is a rim, a flat part, a backing, and some support at the back.
Business card holder - Make like the mobile phone holder
File storage - Place a cereal box vertically, cut out the top and diagonally down the widest sides, leaving the bottom of the cut thinner side for labelling. This could also be used for books!
Paint palette - This one may not last long.
Wall art - Use shoebox lids as art canvases.
Photo frames - Get creative!
Sign - They can be used to label anything you like, just bear in mind that they might not last long.
Headboard - This one will need to be a large cardboard box, and I think you are meant to wrap the cardboard in fabric.
Floor protection - Flatten large cardboard boxes and place on the floor. It should protect your floor from damage when needed. (why not use some cardboard as a picnic mat?)
Temporary wall - Over the winter, we kept two of our chickens in a 10 x 10 foot dog kennel/pen with two open wire sides. In bad weather, we covered one side with a tarp, the other - you've guessed it, cardboard!
Building material - Yes, really! It's called paper crete or paper adobe. You make it by soaking paper or cardboard in water, then mixing it with sand and Portland cement, lime, or clay. It is then formed into bricks (or it could build it free form?)
Paper maché - I don't see why you can't do paper maché from cardboard?
3D model - If you have a project you are planning, you could always do a scaled down 3D model plan to help you visualise it.
Animal play/nest box - Either open-top or a whole box with a hole cut out. These can be used for cats, rabbits or chickens (for egg laying).
Chicken nest box dividers - Some of our chickens live in a pre-made coop. We lost the manufactured wood dividers that were used to separate the different nesting boxes. So, I figured, considering the nest box alcoves were waterproof, that I could cut nesting box dividers out of sturdier cardboard. And they work! They're pretty strong too!
Chicken nest box liners - Cut some thick but fairly soft cardboard to fit the bottom of a chicken nesting box to make sure their eggs won't break on the hard bottom of the box.
Rabbit foraging box - Cut the top off a cardboard box, fill it with hay, and hide treats inside.
Rabbit foraging bridge - Attach toilet roll tubes together, leaving the ends open, and fill with hay, greens and veggies for a homemade rabbit toy.
Small pet tunnel - A tiny pet such as a mouse can use a toilet roll tube as a play tunnel.
Small pet wheel - Use some cardboard as the bit they run on.
Garden knee pad - Garden knee pads you buy are made from foam. Embrace the cheaper and more sustainable option by cutting one from some cardboard!