Zero-Waste Crafting: cereal box mad!

I am on a 6 month no spend challenge (Apr 1st to Sept 30th), and also an avid crafter. Not being able to buy materials (except for gifts), I have the added challenge of crafting with materials that I already have in the house, or using something that would normally go to waste.

I actually find it a lot of fun to turn an item destined for recycling or the bin into something new. There is something very satisfying about it. To test and encourage resourcefulness, I will be sharing my ideas for zero-waste crafting and hope to show you that there are many things that can be done with items found in most households.

Plus, it saves money on materials, and reduces landfill a teensy-weensy bit (which can only be a good thing).

 

First up - cereal and food boxes

We go through many many food boxes in this house, at least 2 cereal boxes per week, and at least one smaller box (tea etc.). All it took was a few weeks of saving all the food boxes in the house, and over a couple of sessions, I created these:



 



 

 



 

The idea came from here. Jen's post has a great tutorial on measuring up the boxes, cutting them to size, and covering them with paper. I made sure to cover the whole box, so I can either use them freestanding, or arrange them in a shoebox (see above photo). I used shoeboxes as surrogate drawers, as I don't have any to store my stationery in.

 

I did a similar thing for my socks and underwear, but didn't feel the need to cover them in paper. They are hidden away in my chest of drawers anyway. I now have a very organised drawer, and the dividers make it easier to put things away. I will save you having to see my underwear though! ha. Here are some of my socks instead:



 

 

So, if you're looking for some excellent drawer dividers, I suggest saving up some cereal boxes! You can get two dividers from one box, if you close both ends. This way, you save the resources required to recycle the boxes, and precious pennies required to buy ready-made drawer dividers!

 

Have you re-used cereal/food boxes? What do you use them for? I'd love to hear from you in the comments.

 

Thanks for reading!