Recycling Cardboard Cereal Boxes into Useful Household Items

Written by: J.C. Wilkinson • Edited by: Niki Fears
Updated Jul 31, 2011

Most people at cereal, and of course, cereal boxes are recyclable cardboard. But why not use those recycle those cardboard boxes into something that you can use?

Don't throw out those cereal boxes! Finding creative ways of recycling cardboard cereal boxes can be a fun activity for young and old alike. Here we will explore three useful items you can make.

Recycling Cardboard Cereal Boxes into Magazine Holders

click to enlarge

For this you will need large cereal boxes, scissors, an exacto knife or razor knife, craft glue, old magazines, fabric, or heavy wrapping paper. **Note: White glue is not the same as craft glue, and is too thin for these projects.

Start by cutting the top off the cereal boxes. With a pen or fine tip marker, draw a line all the way around the box 3 inches up from the bottom. Then draw a diagonal line across the front and back of the cereal box from a top corner to the edge of the bottom line, as shown to the left

Cut along the diagonal lines on the front and back of the cereal box, then across the bottom line on the side of the box, and remove.

You can now either decoupage the box with pictures cut from the magazines, or cover the box with fabric, or heavy wrapping paper. Put your magazines into the box, with the spines showing, and you have a nifty magazine holder.

Pencil Holders & Desk Organizers

You can use any size cereal boxes for this project.

Open the top and bottom of your cereal boxes and flatten them. Draw lines two inches up from the bottom fold of the box, and two inches down from the top fold of the box.

Using scissors (kitchen shears work best), cut through the box along the lines, Open the rectangles up, cut side down. Use your white glue or tape to reclose and secure the top and bottom flaps.

Decoupage, decorate, or leave as is. These are the perfect size to hold pencils, pens, or small items in a desk drawer.

Recycling Cardboard Cereal Boxes into Disposable Coasters

With the cardboard left over from the drawer organizer project, you can make cheap disposable and biodegradeable cardboard coasters..

For this project, you will need craft glue or a glue gun.

Cut the leftover cardboard boxes into 4" squares. You will need 3 squares for each coaster. Glue the three squares of cardboard together, stacked on top of each other and let dry. You now have cheap, disposable coasters for your kids or your family.

These are just three ideas. Use your creativity, and you can come up with more ways of recycling cardboard cereal boxes into useful and decorative household items.

Source: The author has been finding ways to reuse and re-purpose materials since 1973 and writing about it since 2008. She loves finding new uses for things others throw away.