Uses for Cardboard Milk Cartons

Cardboard milk cartons make great toys. You can flatten the tops to square them and cover them with construction paper ( wrapping them 'giftwrap style') and let your kids stack them, draw on them, make little houses with them, tie them together and make a pull train for a toddler. Too many toys today seem to do the playing for the child. Something as simple as covered milk cartons may afford many hours of imaginative play. : )

I have seen quite a few ideas in magazines for this. I believe it was Martha Stewart that used various sizes for making soap. You pour it into the carton and when it is almost solid, you tear the carton off and use a knife to cut into the thickness you want and then take a wet cloth to smooth out the wrinkles formed into the soap.

I can't remember which magazines I saw the other ideas in, but one is to use it for making candles like the soap was made and you take your wick and twist it around a barbecue skewer and hang it on the open lid of the carton so that the wick dries standing up in the wax.

Another idea was to fill them with sand or dirt or whatever and decorate the outsides to look like houses or buildings. One picture I remember made a village and used them as bookends on a bookshelf.

Denise

September 26, 20070 found this helpful

I use them as trash baskets in the bathroom (by the sink for cotton balls, dental floss, etc.) and toilet area. On trash day you can just throw the whole thing, basket and all, in the trash, and start over with a new one without having to touch any of the yucky stuff inside!

Cantate

Cut out one end and use to protect young plants in Spring or when setting out. The other end is only cut out 3 sides to be used as an anchor from blowing away. Cover it with dirt or a stone.
Roger

We use to put a taper candle in the middle of a quart or half gallon size cardboard milk container and fill around with ice chunks about the size of a golf ball or a bit smaller or the ice maker size then fill with warm colored wax. Wait until the ice is melted and pour out the water and peel off the carton and you have a beautiful candle. To color the wax throw in a piece of crayon or old candle until you achieve the color you want. Fun for table decorations for the holidays or any time. You can also recycle old candles into wax and do the same.

Kelly
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September 27, 20070 found this helpful

I got bored one day, and made a "muppet" family with some milk cartons, stale marshmallows, and a magic marker! Remember the aliens from Sesame Street? (Yip yip uhuh) The opening of the cartons works like their mouths.

joan pecsek
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September 28, 20070 found this helpful

I live in hurricane country, they make great emergency ice. Wash thoroughly, fill with water(not all the way to the top, the water needs room to expand), staple shut, and freeze. You can use them as blocks of ice then when they thaw you can drink it.

Road ovens are a good idea, I hate it when you can't make a fire while your camping.