Second use Cereal Boxes

**Englishlady** · 04-14-2005, 06:26 PM

I have found Cereal boxes very useful after they are empty!

Cut bottom of box off to a height of about 3 inches, fill with soil and plant seedlings, by the time they get to size where they can be planted outdoors, I just put the whole shebang in the garden,because by this time the cardboard is soggy and starting to rot down nicely, so compost and seed tray all in one

I cut the whole box open and when I have mopped the floor and it is wet, I put the boxes down (shiny side up) so that the dull brown cardboard inside the box, soaks up any excess water & prevents "damp foot prints"

I have cut stencils from them too.

My favourite is to cover the box with nice wrapping paper and if I have bought a gift that can be "detected" by size and shape (like a CD) if it is in a Cereal box they can't be sure what it is

Be aware that some people fall for this literally, I did this just this last Christmas, disguising a jar of Moisturizer for my Mum, she took the outer wrapping paper off the box of Cereal, looked a bit puzzled as to why I had bought her a box of Bran Flakes for Christmas, smiled and said thanks and put it on the pile of her other presents

Had I not been there to tell her to open it & look inside she might have ended up eating face cream for Breakfast

**Kimberlina** · 04-14-2005, 07:15 PM

I cut them to make magazine holders. Cut off the top ad down one side almost all the way to the bottom. Cut back up at an angle from that point to the opposite top coner on each side. Cover with paper and put magazines inside.

I like your idea to use them for planting. I use all sorts of other containers for seedlings, and for some reason that one didn't occur to me.

**QuilterMom** · 04-14-2005, 09:25 PM

Magazine holders here, too.

Here are a couple of things I posted in an old thread here on FV...

I made gift bags for last Christmas using cereal boxes and pop tart boxes. Just cut the top flaps off and paint the entire box with a solid color of acrylic craft paint. Then sponge paint with another color all over the box and allow to dry completely. Then sponge paint all over the box with another color (like silver, gold or bronze). Allow to dry completely and then punch a hole using a single hand-held hole puncher on each side at the top of the box. Insert a length of decorative cord/rope through one hole and tie in a knot inside the box. Tie off the other end of the cord/rope into a knot inside the box through the other hole - this will make a *handle* for your gift bag.

You can also use cereal boxes, etc. to make ornaments. Last year I cut them apart and traced cookie cutter shapes (bell, snowman, star, etc.) onto the cardboard. I cut the shapes out and let ds sponge paint a variety of colors all over both sides. When dry I punched a hole at the top and strung a piece of ribbon or yarn through (tied in a knot to form a *hanger* for the ornament).

Here's the thread - http://frugalvillage.com/forums/show...ghlight=cereal