Here are some creative ways to reuse tissue boxes. Post your own ideas below:
I do a lot of crocheting and am constantly having scraps of yarn laying around. To combat this problem, I keep an empty boutique tissue box close to where I am crocheting. I use it until it is full, then just throw it away and start on a new one. Saves a lot of trips to the trash can.
By Barbi from Urbana, OH
I just invented and tried this last night. I have a roll of garbage bags with about 200 garbage bags. It was in a plastic bag and every time I pulled out a garbage bag, it would get twisted, and I would have to untwist it. Not a major issue, but annoying nevertheless. So I took the roll out of the bag and put it in an empty Kleenex box. Now the bags come straight out and it's easier to find where to tear them.
Chuck R. from Grand Rapids, MI
I've always hated to throw away beautifully decorated tissue boxes, so when I was looking for a handy place to store plastic grocery bags, and keep them easily "grab-able", I came up with the idea to fold the bags as flat as possible (doesn't really take that long--like folding laundry) and place them in the tissue box. I keep it out on the counter with plastic bags ready to reach whenever needed.
By Paula W
I have a friend who donates unneeded plastic grocery bags to shelters or thrift shops. At night or when I have some free time I fold bags while I watch television and place them in a tissue box. They are neat and in a pretty container. My friend says that missions and thrift shops can always use clean bags. Womens shelters and YWCA's can usually use these bags and are thrilled to get them in a pretty box that is organized and can be slipped on a shelf or under a counter.
By Julie
Don't throw away old Kleenex boxes. Use them to store all you bags you get at supermarkets, Wal-Mart etc. You don't even have to fold them if you don't want to. I just stuff them in the box. A box hold quite a few and then they are handy to line your plastic garbage bucket in the kitchen. I also use a Kleenex box to store empty bread wrappers. When I make home made bread, I use the ones I've saved and can then freeze the baked loaves without having to purchase anything to put the loaves in.
By Betty
You can also use them for drawings at parties or fund raisers. No need to find a box and cut a slit when you can use the old Kleenex boxes.
They are also handy if you want to set up a coupon swap in a retirement area, community area, laundromat, etc.
By Tawnda
I carefully cut out the tops, tape the sides down with wide clear tape and use them for for anything I want, anywhere I want. Sometimes it's videos, books, jars on the bathroom sideboard, whatever. They are so pretty sometimes I too can't stand to just flatten and recycle them.
I've even put clear contact plastic over the whole box when I was really happy with one. These were usually the Christmas designs. I've also cut the sides off, peeled off part of the backing board and "laminated" two with pretty sides out for lovely bookmarks.
I'm certifiable when it comes to boxes and contact plastic anyway, sometimes I've found some wedge shaped boxes at stores that I wanted to put on a shelf and the box had a trademark along the front edges so I glued a pretty tissue box side over the trademark. Like I said, certifiable, but smiling because I didn't BUY fancy storage boxes .
By Linne Dodds
Cut box top at 4 corners, tape down the flaps. Use for storing small items that you have on your desk. Use in drawers for dividers to store various items. They are stackable. Good for storing cassette tapes.
By Jo Ann
Kleenex boxes can be really pretty paper so you could use them for making a paper collage
By coco
Take a Kleenex box, put all Harry Potter Stuff (pictures, stickers, etc) and put a "lid" on it. Perfect for organizing a messy desk.
By Andre
A friend of mine uses them as garbage a receptacle on her bathroom counter. It's perfect for discarding cotton swabs and other non flushables. It looks so much prettier too.
By sufigirl
When I was little me and my sister stuck our feet inside them and used them as play slippers!
By Kristi
I use them in the laundry area for dryer lint. Then I use the dryer lint for all kinds of things. Clay and fire starters are two of my favorites.
By Sonya Yoder
I keep one on my sewing machine and put thread, scraps of fabric, etc. in it. When full, I just throw the whole thing away. No need for a waste basket by my machine.
By Anna
I cut the sides out and cut 2 pieces the size of a normal book marker, I hole punch the top, glue the two pieces together and glue gun lace around the edges and tie a small piece yarn to match and you can give them to people who love to read or as stocking stuffers! good luck!
By Kay N.
I carefully undo the flaps on one side of the box. Then I remove the paper core from a roll of toilet tissue and pull the paper out from the center of the roll. Slip the roll inside the box and pull the paper up through the open top. Tape the box side back together. Set these in handy places where you normally would have tissues, the bathroom, the bedroom, your office. When you need a tissue, just pull off a few squares of the toilet tissue. Lasts lots longer than the original box of Kleenex.
By Harlean
Save those cube Kleenex boxes. Open the bottom of the Kleenex box. Pull half of the Kleenex out of the rectangle box. Fold in half and push up into the bottom of the cube box. Pull the first Kleenex through.By MCB
I have found two useful ways to recycle Kleenex boxes. I use it to stuff my plastic bags in. I keep it in my pantry. When I need a bag for something, I simply go in & pull one from the box. It makes a great "dispenser". I also use them in my silverware drawer, to put drinking straws in. The straws usually come in a plastic bag. When you or the kids reach to get just ONE, we usually touch the tops of several. This way you can pick up the straw out of the box, from the middle, instead of the end. Much more sanitary!
By Jeanette
Cut box top at 4 corners, tape down the flaps. Use for storing small items that you have on your desk. Use in drawers for dividers to store various items. They are stackable. Good for storing cassette tapes.By Jo Ann
Some of the boxes have really neat designs on them so I use them to make my homemade cards with. When using a paper punch the design can be so weird you'd never know what it was before
By catherine
I have used the small "cube" tissue boxes as gift boxes at Christmas. Undo one set of flaps, put the gift inside (with some tissue paper if you like -- ironic, huh?), then wrap as usual. If it's a pretty Christmas design box, you may want to just let the design show, and simply cover the places where the brand name shows. Use a big stick-on bow or wide ribbon to cover the slit on top.
By Becki in Indiana
Kids love mail. When I was in grade school eons ago, we made "mailboxes" for Valentine's day. The cards were put into our boxes through the slot at the top. Make a mailbox for your kids. If they get mail, drop it in. Otherwise a note from Mom and/or Dad is always appreciated!
By Kayla
I use mine in the car to hold garbage. You can either pitch it when full or empty it and start again.
By Sara C
Use to keep large balls of yarn separated. Open side of empty box, place yarn in side then tape side shut. Thread the yarn through the hole.
By David in Florida
An empty Kleenex box is ideal near a sick bed. Just toss when full.
By Moondancer
I use them on desk to put store receipts in. Put grocery store receipts in one for a month to see what you spent. Put kids color pencils or markers in one. Great for keeping kids small toys in. Great in girls bath for holding hair stuff.
By Nelda Morelock
I use one to store the 'TOPS FOR EDUCATION' coupons, plus one to store Betty Crocker 'Points' from boxes.
By Darween
You could always take them to the local paper-bank, and have them recycled into new tissue boxes with the latest logos/design of box re-printed on the side.
By George
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I don't know if craft stores still sell paper twist or not, but I used a boutique tissue box as the base and wove the paper twist into a basket, lined it with fabric, made a handle covered with paper twist, and had very cute and inexpensive gift baskets.
Place a plastic cup inside tissue box, add pens, pencils, scissors, hand held hole punch and letter opener. Place on your home office desk.
paula, would you happen to have a picture of your baskets to share with us?
i would love to see one
Sorry, imaqt1962, I sold them at craft shows and then gifted the rest of them at Christmas time!
You can also use the dryer lint and yarn scraps for outdoor birds to make nests. Fill up box and afix to a branch near feeders or water, watch them pick and choose what they want. Nice soft nests in the end!
Thanks so much for all the wonderful ideas! I won't be tossing my tissue boxes ever again.
~Sharyn
I use the box for gloves.. they are way prettier than the box the exam gloves come in and the gloves are soooooo much easier to get out of the tissue box
teatime4
I cut the top off a cube-shaped tissue box, placed a decorative plastic tissue box cover that matches my bathroom decor over it, and it is now a matching little container for disposal of Q-tips, tissue, strips from panty liners, etc. I can cram a lot into it before I have to empty it, and it saves a lot of space in my small bathroom -- replaces a bigger wastebasket taking room on the floor.
Just cut the top off and use parts of that top for dividers in the box... Like for origanizing different kinds of beads...
I use an upright kleenex box to store my hair brush and comb and my small bottle of hairspray! Or...You could store tubes of body, hand lotion in the boxes.
Pens and pencils could be stored in upright kleenex boxes along with scissors and other items used on a desk. Tall note pads with a pen could be placed in the upright kleenex boxes and placed by the computer or phone.
Thanks for all the really great ideas I am going to use mine to store art supplies at work. I figure yarn scraps, pom poms, buttons etc. and then I don't have to buy the totes to put all that in.
Use the decorative ones as a frame mat substitute in a picture frame for small pictures. Instead of spending money on buying a mat, use the side of the kleenex box. It's really cute.
I would recommend using a tissue box to keep like headbands, ribbons, barrettes, hair accessories, etc. My mom always told me when I was little that a kleenex box would be a great home for a mouse, if your in to that kind of thing. She has passed away and I miss her so much. So for her I caught a mouse, and now I keep it as a pet. I have it in a cage, where I have a kleenex box for her bed. I have named her Tounge, named after my passed away mother. She will always be with me this way. I am really upset about her, and every time I go and feed my little pet mouse, Tounge, I always give her Peanut Butter Cereal... my Mother's favorite. I will get even more upset if anything ever happened to my precious mouse. This is my best creation ever. So if you ever make it, I will be glad to know that I helped someone This Idea.. is dedicated to my mother and my new mouse, Tounges. R.I.P. My Dear Mother
I cut out the bottoms, paint the box the color of the walls in the room, and today, I used acryllic paints to paint a flower on the box. Then, as mentioned before, I take the tissues out of a rectangular box, fold them, and stuff them inside the newly decorated box. You can used stickers, paste on pretty pictures from greeting cards, let your imagination run wild.
Paula--do you know where I can get the pattern to make the baskets you made? I have been searching everywhere for these directions. I would very much like to make one. My mother made one for each of us sisters and now can't find the patter and directions.
We are saving ALL of our grocery bags for the time when they are outlawed. We have 20+ Tissue Boxes stuffed with these bags. We have them stored in the corners of our closets, stacked on their sides so they sit flat, climbing up the wall.
Save fabric scraps and yarn scraps, but do not throw them away. Put them in an onion mesh bag or a duet basket and hang it outside in the Spring for the birds. It's fun to see if you can easily locate nests made with some of your scraps. You can also make a scarf using those multi-colored scraps sandwiched between wash away stabilizer and then with free motion stitching all over to connect all the scraps. When sewing is completed, wash away the stabilizer to reveal the colorful airy scarf!
Please let us know where this can be done -- I've never heard anything about this! Thanks.
It can be used on the clothes dryer to put lint in.
I found one a perfect size to store a Christmas horse and sleigh ceramic. Just slipped it inside.
Otherwise I cut the top at a slant into the corners. Then fold down the flap and staple it, outside in. Very sturdy and I use them in the pantry and other places like to hold socks in the dresser drawer.
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