Repurposing Projects: Clementine Crate Crafts

This time of year my family loves to enjoy clementines. Clementines are a great whole food to add to lunch boxes and a healthy "fast food" kids and parents can grab when we walk in the door hungry. Clementines come in little wooden crates and we go through one every week. While they do have a paper overlay stapled on, it pulls off easily and you are left with a sweet treat even after you've eaten all of the Clementines. Of course we couldn't throw those wooden boxes away. Sure they could make fine fire starter, but we've discovered several fun and practical ways to repurpose Clementine boxes.

Game table tray

A Clementine box is the perfect size for a couple of decks of cards, a cup of dice and a pad and paper to keep score. We used some cards from an incomplete deck to cover the bottom and added a layer of Modge Podge. Now we're ready for family game night.

Stationary tray

One of my favorite Clementine box crafts is my stationary tray. It's covered with some scraps of old wallpaper and holds paper, envelopes, pens and stamps. It's looks pretty on my desk and is a great reminder to write those thank you notes.

Toy tray

Whether it's a collection of little farm animals or some favorite matchbox cars, a Clementine box can become part of a child's play. A green bottom makes an instant corral and some painted lines can make a track or parking spaces. The repurposed Clementine box is both prop and storage.

Doll or plush animal bed

One of my favorite Christmas memories is when my Aunt Nancy made all of us girls a doll bed for Barbie out of a cigar box with some old-fashioned clothespins for bed posters. The great thing about a Clementine box is that it already has four posts in the corners making a great bed for small dolls or even little pooches.

Cabinet organizer

Whether it's spices or bottles of vitamins that you keep shuffling around in your cabinet, a Clementine box can come to the rescue. It's the perfect size to slide into a cabinet and you can pull out the whole lots without having to hunt and peck through it. Want to leave it out on the counter? A coat of spray paint will dress it up to match any kitchen décor.

We've reused Clementine boxes for a variety of fun crafts and in a pinch, covered with a pretty liner a Clementine box has become an extra bread basket for our holiday get togethers. When you buy Clementines, you're paying for the little crate so you may as well reuse it in a fun or practical way.

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