What Fantastic (and Janky) Things Do You Do With Leftover Packaging?
What Fantastic (and Janky) Things Do You Do With Leftover Packaging?
Original question by: @poppichew@piefed.social
If you buy things to any extent, you've probably got some leftover packaging hanging around. What are some cool ways you've found to make use of all these materials? Special props to ideas that can be replicated!
As a packaging when selling stuff. At least that's the plan. Unfortunately some things will clearly have to hit e-waste since I can't even sell them for 5 cents.
It's rough when you can make a million things that are beautiful, but they do not have mass appeal or relation to pop-culture so they are a hard sell. Actually, idk if that's the case or if you're a reseller so I guess in my head I made it romantic but you could just be out here thrifting =P! In which case I say - you win some, you lose some.
Pretty obvious but you can use plastic containers from yoghurt, margarine, etc as plant pods (the ones that go inside the pretty ones). Just make sure to put some holes in the bottom for drainage. For seedlings, egg cartons work too.
Packaging paper we reuse as gift wrappings. I like to draw or "airbrush" something on it.
And toilet paper rolls... If you got a child you probably know.
Toilet paper rolls are good for sorting power and usb cords. Just loop them a couple of times and then pull them through the roll. It will act as a band to keep the cord rolled, and you can write on the roll what it is with a marker.
(Saw this on YouTube once)
This is a good idea, and it'll keep your cords in better shape than wrapping them with themselves. I think it's best practice for cords you don't move often though, as lappy cords might not like this.
OH, speaking of egg cartons. The larger ones (30 eggs) if clean make a pretty good laptop cooling pad. If you want to use laptop on a bed, this is the way (cheaply).
This is a good idea! I use books because I am lazy as scuzz. The other day we got a fan (it's getting hot) and I cannibalized pretty much all the material outside of the two odd egg-shell kind of super thick end-pieces. I am wondering if I could build something like this with the two together? I think what has stopped me is one is about an inch taller than the other. That way I can stop being a lazy ass and have a dedicated thing =P!
Legit in one place I was living I cut a tetra pack in half and started glomping plants and tossing them in there. They were self-watering plants and I was a happy person. I used to use them for paint, but I am lazy and I have a friend who is a chaotic painter. They showed me that you can paint on anything, with anything and that pallets are optional. I started keeping/mixing paints on whatever I wanted as I worked. Be it the canvas itself, or whatever I had nearby (that I wasn't planning of keeping). There's these little sake bottles, I forgot what the brand was because I don't drink, but a friend swears they're a perfect travel kit for water color. Those are nice to use. it's one of the major brands and it's pint sized with a little baby cup. Speaking of which, I don't mess with a lot of Japanese products as a whole because they have so much packaging. I love the intent, to experience this one mini thing in all its splendor and not gorge on it. It just is so much packaging, so damn much! Eee!
Can you sprout in egg cartons? That'd be cool af. I gotta look into this. Would make sense, it's a perfect vessel for it.
Hahaha, you're awesome - you know I love people who are smart with this stuff. Sounds like you've got at least one little one too. I feel like it teaches your kid(s) that they can have nice things (the gift) but that they don't have to be absolutely materialistic monsters (the shiny packaging) over what they get. Likewise, I think it helps you as you age, because you're less susceptible to all that fancy design work they've got out there to sell you the same thing as the $10 item, for $100. Two folks in my family have diyed their presents for as long as I can remember. There's nothing better than getting something with a little personal drawing or note on it. I move around a lot, and I don't keep much nowadays, because I figured I've always got one foot out the door. I keep that stuff though, in a lock box actually. Cause that's the real stuff. You're a good parent =)!
We've got weasels and these assholes like to stick their heads into anything and get stuck. So we actually just toss them in the recycling bin. I have been thinking about what I can do with them lately though. Like, could I utilize them by cutting them up into teency tiny pieces little pieces and embed them into a cardboard frame that I then cover with fabric and toss on the walls. The place we're currently living at has some of the craziest sounds crawling through them, so I figured it's time to think about some green-ish sound proofing for peace of mind. Either way, thanks for nice response =)
That was such a cool response, thank you!
I am not sure I have ever seen a weasel in real life (whelp), do they get stuck in a toilet paper roll? I thought they would be small enough to get through. You could make an amazing labyrinth from them! We did try to make something like that for marbles, and it... didn't necessarily turn out well, but it was super fun and taught us grown ups a lot about dynamics I guess! Btw they work well if you use just halfs of the rolls. I mean you probably don't really need it, but you can craft pencil holders from them too, I used to do this as a kid (I was a huge Art Attack fan).
If you want to soundproof a wall, egg cartons are actually supposedly really good for that! I mean it looks weird probably but I remember egg carton walls from the 90s. But the sprouting thing definitely works too! I actually thought of this by myself (I am weirdly proud of that xD) and double checked with a friend who has studied horticulture (and who has very little money because, well, she has studied horticulture) and she said she does this too! So I guess I have a professional approval for that technique!
Your tetra pack use reminded me of using cans for plants as well! Or remember can telephones? My daughter is only 3 years old and I look forward to crafting more and more stuff with her. She still loves commercial stuff though (which we try to buy used at least), she is so much into Frozen it is ridiculous. We shielded her from this stuff and it took one trip to friends who had a girl who was an Elsa fan to get our daughter hooked long before she ever saw the movie. It's crazy. We actually were sewing some "Elsa dresses" for her dolls today. She was so patient with it because she wanted it so much. Parenting is the best thing that ever happened to me.
I used the cardboard sheets found in boxes of canned cat food to make this little tent:
I miss that cat so much.
Big hugs! I swear to god you never forget the good ones. And they're all good ones =(! Also, you can buy fancy things from the store, but the stinky box that some crap came in will always be the chosen winner for pets. Why? I have no clue. Your old blankets? A bed. Fancy bed from the store? Never goes near it.
I use all the plastic bags I get from the grocery store (fruit & vegg, bread, etc.) to keep my pottery projects from drying out too fast. This is especially important when pieces have really thin parts. They would crack if I just let them to dry without something to cover them.
I have met all but 1 - ONE! Potter my entire life and you guys are the just I mean - fuck! This isn't English but the way your guys' brains work just blows my mind. You've got such a great understanding of how (I am just sitting here flailing my hands around openly trying to explain what I am thinking but it's not really translating to words). You guys amaze me is all. You've got such a great understanding of how to turn what you see in your minds eye to such a physical scape it blows my mind. I pretended over the pandemic that I was about to make some air-dry sculptures, but nah. I was watching this gal and she absolutely encompass what I mean about sculptors. I (personally) think that all arts require different skillsets. Growing up I figured being strong in one, means you could pick up another pretty easily. That it was all sort of one umbrella, and that creativity was the guide. Nah, son. Not true! I realized they're different camps, even in my own ventures between the arts. I guess this was all jus one giant gush to tell you I love sculptors, and wish I had more in my life. I feel like though, the kind of mindfulness it requires to sculpt would absolutely be holding a little transparent baggie in their hands and thoughtfully think "I can use this to keep my pieces from drying out." Augh! Keep sculpting, I love you guys! Augghhh!!
Defos! It something that really takes YEARS of almost daily practise to get good at. I mostly do it for fun, or if I want cup or something... or if someone I know wants a cup (or something). I can't hold a candle to people like the lady in the link, or probably anyone that uploads videos of themselves doing pottery lol. So far I can maybe get a good cup or two every 8 hours where-as professionals can make hundreds in the same amount of time. The skill gap is INSANE.
It's good to know your limits, but IMHO there are virtually no limits to creativity. I took a few pottery courses in uni and the teacher knew a lot of us didn't really think of ourselves as "creative types" (many enrolled in it as an elective), so she always told is to "fake it till you make it". I think it's really awesome that you pretended to make air-dry sculptures, and I think you should keep pretending! It doesn't matter what they look like, it's something you made and you should be proud of it (screw anyone who tells you to give up).
Both of these options involve taking the time to remove all tape, stickers, and other add ons.
I run cardboard through the bandsaw and slap the strips together to make new scratchpad inserts. Walmart now wants $10-13 for a small one, up from $3-5. It also breaks down boxes fast. Use a tiny bit of nontoxic school glue, in the middle of the strips. Too much glue and they’ll be too hard and the cat won’t use them. If I had to do the cutting by hand, I wouldn’t do it.
Break boxes down flat to kill swaths of lawn for garden space. Cover with garden dirt & compost. Alternatively, cover with wood chips, gravel, or rocks for borders or pathing.
I tried the cardboard trick in the garden one time, but it just rotted after a good rain, and the grass/weeds came through pretty quickly.
We had similar results. Some spots held up better than others, so overall it's not a terrible idea, but it's not 100% effective either.
I always think it's so insane the way they charge for scratch pads. It makes my brain hurt, because it's just like you show here - a culmination of cardboard. I am glad you take the precautions you need to make it pet friendly. Speaking of which, I heard if you have an issue with cats scratching up couches putting a scratching post of some kind near the couch keeps the cat from doing so. Not sure, cause I've never had one. But I just figured I'd toss it out there if anyone might need that advice.
Oh, this is a solid idea here too! One time, in one place we were at I decided I wanted a "secret garden" and I took all our moving boxes and blocked out the sun on a small space of land and it actually worked. This is golden, because if you use stuff that doesn't have any glossy exterior or fine printing (er I mean stuff like tv boxes) I am pretty sure you're just being ecological. Of course I could be wrong, but it seemed right.
I made a cover for my warehouse's dock plate from an old foam mattress topper, the liner of a 44 foot container, and a bunch of cyanoacrylate (Gorilla Glue)
Old mattress toppers are good for re-stuffing upholstery covers. The old foam in the seats usually flattens over time. But if you have one of those egg carton style, mattress toppers, you can cut a piece to fit and inserted to fluff out the padding again.
This is a solid idea. I think if you mixed it with that fiberfill stuff you'd probably get the same result. The padding on the top would be even, you'd just have to be mindful of the fiberfill to keep it that way.
I had to look this guy up, but got nothing. Is that one of those old style kinda shed areas that are built over the water with a little entrance to the water built into them? Not sure. Either way, I am glad you found a good way to recycle one of those foam pads. I see them just laying around everywhere, cause once they get too soft people don't really seem to know what to do with them.
Plastic package? Unless it's a very well made box (in which case I will find some use to it), it's send to recycling.
Cardboard?
- I will keep a few to be able to send stuff myself (why pay for boxes when you're already receiving perfectly fine ones)
- I like to use it too to scratch simple little boxes and storage I need for small stuff. One of the last one I made (out of recycled packaging) is this... thing (I don't know the English word, sorry) where I can store pens and index cards, on my desk.
It's not pretty but that's just me not worrying about making it look nice. I care about it doing its job and being cheap (aka, free) and quick to assemble (I will often make two or three attempts before getting it right so I prefer when it can be done quickly).
Along the years, I have made quite a few of those cardboard things and even offered a few to people who wanted one. For example, the very last thing I made is this... I don't know if this even have a name?
It's a portable A6-sized index card holder. Between the two cardboard sheets there is a foldable space that acts as a storage for extra cards. as you can see, on one side it is also a makeshift pen holder. The whole thing is made out of sturdy black paper (the black foldable thing), an old binder (the purplish cardboard) and some pen case part I imagine a kid had thrown away that I salvaged from the recycling bin.
What do I use it for? I take all my reading notes on index cards and it helps a lot having a small flat surface to write on. For years I had been using makeshift solutions but it was never great. So a couple weeks ago I decided I had enough and started working on my own solution. That the second iteration of it and I think it's close enough to being exactly what I want it to be that I won't need to make a third attempt. And, yep, it will stay the ugly duck it is. At least up until it's damaged enough for me to be willing to make a new and a prettier one ;)
I have no idea if anyone else on the planet could ever be interested in using such a thing but to me it's great and I like it a lot. It's small and light enough I can hold it in the same hand I'm holding the book too and I can comfortably take my notes using my other hand. Also, I made it a tad larger than needed to store A6 cards so I can easily clip on one of those battery powered Led readign lamp when I need more light for reading... The hastily sewed on pocket over the pen holder is there to prevent the lead of my red pencil (I use it to underline passages in some books) of smearing everything when I shove it in my messenger bag.
Cardboard can be very sturdy when used properly but that doesn't mean I'm averse to using more traditional and more sturdy materials like, say, wood, or leather, or even fabric. But sturdier/heavier materials also demand a lot more dedicated tools and a lot more space to work with. Living in our small apartment in an expensive city, space is something that comes at a premium so I'd rather not need too much of it.
Cardboard is also great because it's easy to work with and it's mostly free (when using recycled packaging, at least), and because one doesn't need any specific tools: a decent cutter with some fresh blades, a cutting mat, a steel ruler, some imagination, and maybe also some (hot/white) glue to assemble things together. That's all what one needs.
Believe it or not, I cannibalized the back pad of some watercolor paper when I had finished the lot and legitimately built a micro portable (A6-ish) sketchbook kinda like that. I had some cool boho-y fabrics and I covered the outside with it. I had a little pencil sharpener that I sewed into the inside, along with a pencil holder and then trimmed cardstock (I shit you not!) and put them on the inside in a pocket I made to hold it. Then I sewed a little pocket that wrapped around it to keep it closed (it opened vertically - and put a gummy eraser in it in case I needed it (although I don't really believe in erasing much)). I had that guy for a couple of years, but I am sadly allergic to cats and one of the places we moved had a crap-ton of dander and I really couldn't salvage much of the fabric-based stuff I had. I think it's nice to have a little portable sketchbook you made, it makes you feel connected to it. I tend to work with individual papers too, as I find an entire blank journal to be quite intimidating but singular sheets to be an absolute joy. I too used my led light to clamp on to mine. I think we might be the same person, so you might as well take off your Scooby Doo mask and reveal it =P!
One thing I would really like to get into is wood. I have been thinking about getting a handsaw, because we move a crazy amount and non-compact tools aren't on the agenda right now. Ah, yeah - you get it actually I see that! Also on your caddy, I think it works plenty fine. When living in spaces with limited storage you get really creative with the ways you tend to go about things. Either way thank you for sharing such a detailed response and keep being a practical craftsperson. Cheers!
I hesitated to add a pencil sharpener pouch myself (next to the holder) and I still could but I seldom sharpen that red pencil—the blunter (is this a word?) it is the better it is to quickly underline—so why bother with carrying one? Always that laz... I mean that practical consideration sparing me extra-work ;)
On the other hand, I've started considering adding a closing thingy to help keep those cards neatly tucked inside...
I think it’s nice to have a little portable sketchbook you made, it makes you feel connected to it.
Indeed. It makes it unique and ours.
I tend to work with individual papers too, as I find an entire blank journal to be quite intimidating
Yeah being able to handpick the paper you like (even more so for sketching and watercolors but also for writing) is really nice. BTW, if you're into journaling allow me to promote our very small journaling community. I don't have as much time available to make the community as active as I did for the last 6 months or so but hopefully people will stat posting more without needing my encouragements ;)
I think we might be the same person, so you might as well take off your Scooby Doo mask and reveal it =P!
We might very well be but I don't wear a Scooby Doo mask... If I had to be a an anime, I would be Muttley but I'd much rather be Calvin's best friend (& plush tiger): Hobbes ;)
I put the cardboard from egg cartons underneath potting soil for elevation and drainage
I use rocks for these cause I am always worried about mold. I think ultimately though I have seen a handful of plants coming in paper and it's not that bad of an issue. Especially if you're using them outside, right? Either way, anything to keep the roots safe.
When renovating our house we bought new room doors. Though they took weeks to be delivered and we already lived in that house without room doors (also no door for the bathroom).
But we had loads of big cardboard pieces from furniture, so I used them and a lot of glue to build temporary doors. I added handles and used screws to fix them in the frame (I mean the big wooden beams, that are holding the actual nice doorframe in the wall).
They mostly worked surprisingly well, holding in the frame by friction from cardboard blocks, that I glued to them. Though they opened everytime, we had an open outside door, that caught some wind
You freakin' genius! I have been thinking of how to get a door in, cause the place we're at right now is an odd spot and there were about fifty doors in this place at one point and they decided to remove all but the bedroom (which isn't even sized right). Since it's not our place, I told my gal I'm not interested in tossing a sea of cash at it seeing as we'll probably be out the door right after we get everything set-up. I have a couple large boxes and I was thinking of how to integrate them to make a door without making it look like a shanty house or something. I think with those plastic screws I saw on here we could create a faux-door and get it installed in the one area I really would prefer to have one, just for a smidgen of privacy. Thank you!
I use small, empty boxes for nosework games with my dogs.
Not often enough. I should really do more of that.
I love when fur-babes challenge a box's dimensions whether they can fit there or not. It's cute stuff =)!