It takes a lot of boxes to pack and move an entire household. Once you get everything packed away neatly, the clutter of the boxes can be overwhelming. If you take a moment to think about it, you might come up with some surprisingly simple ways to re-use the boxes, so they don’t go in the trash.

Give them Away

Put an add up on a local give and receive site looking for another family that is moving, or talk to your friends to see if they need any boxes for storage or moving. Break each box down flat for easy transport that takes up minimal space.

Use for Storage

The large wardrobe boxes make excellent storage vessels for off-season clothing, extra winter coats, sleeping bags, or anything else you want stored neatly away. Consider placing one or two boxes in the basement or garage to store these items. Just keep them dry, and your stuff will be fine. Smaller boxes can hold recyclables, toys, books and magazines, or other items needing a place to be stored.

Let Your Kids Play

Indulge your kids for a time by letting them play in the boxes. We can all probably remember a time when creating a cardboard fort was foremost on our to-do lists. With several moving boxes, your children could set up a cardboard city. Encourage them to make windows and doors and decorate with paint and markers. You might be surprised how creative they are. You might even get involved to help them create a rocket, a giant caterpillar, or something even more inventive.

Trash Cans

Line small or medium-sized boxes with garbage bags, turning the box into a trash can. You can stash them inside a cupboard or closet. Use boxes to get rid of chemical wastes, like paints and oils that often leak out of the trash bag.

Make Compost

Turn the cardboard into compost for your vegetable or flower garden. Just break it into small pieces, sprinkle on the soil, moisten, and stir it into the soil.

Mail Packages

Save a few smaller boxes for mailing packages. Boxes are nice to have on hand, especially around the holidays, when many people are sending gifts long distance.

Make Kindling

If you have a wood stove, or often make campfires, save the boxes for kindling. Just tear or cut the boxes into thin pieces and keep them in a dry location.

Make a Birdfeeder

Fill a box with seed and hang it from a tree branch for a treat the birds and squirrels will love. Rain and snow will cause the cardboard to moisten and break apart, but the squirrels and birds will happily carry it away to add to their nests.