Ways to Reuse Shoe Boxes are fantastic recycling craft projects. You might think that these ways to repurpose shoe boxes only comprise of organizing ideas but these things are more versatile than you think. Take a look at these fun DIY shoe box crafts:
1. Craft Room Oganizer
If your craft room is always messy, you might want to turn that old shoe box into nifty ribbon storage. I sure could use one for my studio; I store my ribbons in old coffee containers.
2. Maze
How fun is this? There are many ways to reuse shoe boxes that your kids will enjoy. This is one of them. To make this, you design a maze using straws to the underside of a shoe box lid. Make sure that you glue START and FINISH tabs before playing, of course.
3. Magazine Frame
This particular shoe box DIY will require you to use only the lid as well. Other materials needed are old magazines and glue.
Tutorial
4. Map-Covered Storage
Unused maps + unused shoe boxes = fantastic recycling crafts. After you cover the shoe boxes with maps, you can use them to store your craft room thingamajigs or even for organizing your dresser or office desk.
Tutorial
5. Wall Shelves
Yes, you can totally recycle shoe boxes to make shelves or shadow boxes. Of course, you can only use them to display lightweight items. I suggest using these "new" shelves to display Polaroids or sweet notes from your husband, boyfriend, or children.
6. Easter Baskets
Here is a basket idea that you can bring to life next year for your kids. Using shoe boxes, crepe paper (don't you just love them?), wire, glue, ribbon, scissors, and a puncher, you can make wonderfully jolly Easter baskets that can accommodate a good amount of eggs.
7. Mini City
If your kids love to pretend that they are giants, you can use shoe boxes to create a mini city. The great thing about this shoe box repurposing idea is that you can use said boxes to store your kids' toys. Clever.
Tutorial
8. Guitar
And if your kids are not into playing giants, you can make a nifty guitar for him or her! They might prefer the guitar-related video games but who knows, they might actually enjoy playing with your shoe box guitar, too.
9. Dollhouse
I am so going to use this shoe box DIY for making a future dollhouse. With just the right amount of finishing touches, I bet no one will know that the foundation of your dollhouse used to house shoes.
10. Loom
Yes, you can weave using an old shoe box. In fact, you will use only the lid for this crafty process. Check out the link for the complete instructions.
11. Wall Art
One way to reuse shoe boxes is to make art. This craft project is pretty easy. One method is to cover the lids with pretty fabric or craft paper. Another is to resize the boxes to dimensions of your liking and then cover them with pretty fabric or craft paper.
12. Jewelry Organizer
One of the lids that you cover with pretty fabric from the previous tutorial can also be used to organize your necklaces and bracelets. Brilliant, right?
13. Accent Box
Shoeboxes are perfect for storage but they are almost never complementary to the design of our rooms. However the beauty of recycling shoeboxes is that you can change their appearance and tweak them to your taste. In this DIY, you can actually use an old sweater and really amplify the appearance of the shoebox so you can proudly display it as an accent box.
14. Pen and Pencil Caddy
From my experience I can never find a pencil cup big enough to hold all of my writing utensils, no matter how many times I have to reduce my collection. However there is an easy fix for that, using a simple shoe box and toilet paper tubes! This easy combination can actually yield a glamorous pencil caddy.
15. Picnic Basket
Although fall is not quite the right time for a picnic, some of us are lucky enough to live in warm weather year round so picnics are always on the list of things to do. Whenever it comes to picnics with friends or family, we always tend to shove our lunches into plastic or brown bags. However we can really get creative and make picnic baskets out of shoeboxes for a more 'picnic' feel!
16. Cord Keeper
One of my biggest pet-peeves are cords that sticks out from everywhere! They are not a pretty sight to see and they are difficult to get rid of no matter how many times you try to organize them. However you can actually make a beautiful cord keeper out of a shoe box in just a few easy steps.
17. Sticker Organizer
This organizational tip doesn't just have to pertain to stickers, you can store any papers or notes of your own choosing and keep them in one place. You can turn a plain shoe box into a gorgeous storage box that you will be able to reuse down the road!
Hope you enjoyed this list of ways to reuse shoe boxes! Leave us a comment if you have more DIY shoe box ideas.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What can I do with old shoe boxes?
- Oh, there’s so much you can do with them! You can transform them into storage organizers, a fun craft project for the kids, or even quirky gift boxes. The possibilities are endless!
- How can I creatively reuse shoe boxes?
- Get those creative juices flowing! You can decorate them with pretty paper and turn them into stylish storage, or you could create a cute diorama or shadow box. It’s like giving them a whole new lease on life!
- Any simple crafts I can make with a shoe box?
- Totally! How about a DIY jewelry holder or a little desktop organizer? You can even let the kids get crafty and create a puppet theater or a race track. All you need is a bit of imagination and some basic craft supplies.
- How can I organize with recycled shoe boxes?
- Shoe boxes are a godsend for organizing! Wrap them in fabric or paint them for a cohesive look, then use them in your closet, kitchen, or even the garage to keep things tidy and neat. Organization doesn’t have to be expensive.
- Are there any eco-friendly ways to use shoe boxes?
- For sure! Instead of tossing them out, use them to plant herbs or small plants. You can also keep them as containers for compost or to store recyclable materials. It’s great for the earth and handier than you think!