How to Make Your Own Boxes Using Recycled Cardboard

I always groaned when I needed a cardboard box and didn't have one. Any boxes I had on hand were either too big or too small. The problem worsened at Christmas when I needed assorted-sized boxes to wrap gifts in. Hoarding boxes, like I did when I sold on eBAY, wasn't the answer. They took up way too much space. And, I still ended up not always having the right size cardboard box. Finally I decided to have all the cardboard boxes I needed and recycle at the same time. Read this instructive article and learn how to make your own boxes using recycled cardboard!

Advantages of Storing Cardboard Versus Pre-made Cardboard Boxes

I got burned out hoarding cardboard boxes when I shipped eBAY items. I had stacks of pre-made boxes cluttering up my office. Then I had to root through them to try and find the right size I needed. Since I'm not an eBAYer anymore, my need for cardboard boxes has dwindled. Now that I save and recycle flat cardboard instead of pre-made boxes, finding storage space is easy. One long, wide shelf holds a lot of recycled cardboard to make boxes with.

Sources for Recycled Cardboard

Where can find you cardboard to recycle and turn into boxes you can use? You can often find it as packaging in products you buy. You can also make boxes by using recycled cardboard that comes from large, pre-made boxes. Just take them apart, maybe trim them down, and you're ready to recycle them into boxes the sizes you need.

Materials and Supplies to Make Your Own Boxes Using Recycled Cardboard

The only material you need is recycled cardboard. The supplies you need are scissors, pencil, white glue (or a hot glue gun) and a ruler.

How to Make Your Own Boxes Using Recycled Cardboard

1- Make the bottom of the recycled cardboard box. I started with 2 pieces of white cardboard that measure 9-1/2 X 15 inches each.

2- Determine the size of the recycled cardboard box you need. I needed a box to hold the Valentine's Day gift (plus some tissue paper) I got my guy. I didn't use exact measurements, but I knew roughly how big the recycled cardboard box needed to be. I decided if I made the sides 2 inches tall, the bottom would measure about 5-1/2 X 11 inches. Perfect!

3- Measure and mark the recycled cardboard you're going to make into a box. I measured 2 inches in on all 4 sides of the cardboard. I made straight lines all the way across each side.

4- Form the sides of your box. Lay the ruler down flat on the cardboard. Place an outer edge on a line you made. Hold the ruler down tight with one hand. Place your other hand under the cardboard (for me, the 2 inches sticking out from the ruler) and lift it up over the ruler as you slide your hand down the length of the cardboard. This will crease the sides. Repeat this step on all 4 sides.

5- Turn the recycled cardboard box so a short side faces you. Cut along the line up to where it intersects with the other line. Repeat this with the other short side. Now you have 3 cardboard flaps on each short side of the cardboard box.

6- Pull up the outer flaps on a short side of the recycled cardboard. Push them in towards each other, then pull the last piece to meet them. Make sure the end of the recycle cardboard box is square. Then, release the pieces and glue the outside of the smaller flaps. Put all 3 pieces together again and clamp them in place until the glue dries. Repeat the process with the other short side, and you've made a box using recycled cardboard!

7- Make the lid for the recycled cardboard box. The lid is made the same way as the box bottom. The only difference is, of course, the cardboard lid needs to be a tad bigger. When you measure and mark the recycled cardboard lid, deduct about 1/8th of an inch off the box measurements. I measured and marked the sides at

1-7/8 instead of 2 inches.

Now you can use recycled cardboard to make boxes anytime you need one!