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Uses for Cigar Boxes

August 9, 2006
Cigars in a Box

For Organizing

I have a junk drawer and I would think it would be great to use them to hold pens, pencils, loose paper for writing messages. Also, try it in your spice/cooking cabinet to hold things such as marinade packets,yeast packets, loose tea bags, small spice containers, etc.
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Use it at Christmas time and wrap it with gift wrap or foil and present gifts with it. Your friends and family will enjoy recycling it over again themselves.

By Nicole

Small Frame or Shelf

I saw this idea on Trading Spaces. You can nail the box to a wall and tack the lid up so that it makes a small "shelf" or a frame. I think on the show they put votive candles in the boxes, but I don't think it would be a good idea to ever light the candles (fire hazard).

By Jill Z

Storing Craft Supplies

I store craft supplies in cigar boxes. To get the tobacco smell out of the box put a couple of tablespoons of baking soda in a cupcake paper inside the box for a few days.

By Carol

Using The Wood

A lot of cigar boxes are made of balsa wood and are dove tailed together. You can take the boxes apart and use the wood in craft projects. My grandfather used to make me doll house furniture out of the wood.

Per the "trading spaces" idea, maybe a candle would be a bad idea, but placed on a wall would make it an excellent shadow box. They may be useful for packaging gifts like a box of soaps, herbs, etc. The boxes can be covered or painted.

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By Mickie

Stationery Holders

I've used cigar boxes two ways. Since I'm a stamper, I make sets of notecards for the women in my family every year. Last year I decorated cigar boxes to become stationery holders and tucked the notecards, pens, and stamps inside.This year, my Christmas present is reproducing all of the family recipes. I'm converting appropriately-sized cigar boxes into recipe card files.

By Pat R.

A Treasure Box

When I was a child, cigar boxes were used as "treasure boxes". A good place for the storage of all of the special things I found or was given: a piece of glass polished by the ocean, a feather from a robin, a stone that looked like it had a face, a card that had sparkles and fuzzies on it from a favorite aunt or friend. It was universally known to be off-limits to parents.
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I painted a pirate chest on the top of one and sent it (with a less adult explanation) to the 3 year old son of a friend. He loved it, and still brings it to our home to show us his new "treasures". The original that I had was a cardboard cigar box, but you get the idea!

By Weatheredoaks

Cigar Box Guitars

I've started making cigar box guitars from them. They are cheap, strong, and the wooden ones resonate fairly well. As a finished instrument, they sound very similar to an Old Time banjo. They are a lot of fun to play too.

By Bill Jehle

 
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3 Questions

Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.

October 24, 2004

I need some ideas on what to do with about 30 cardboard cigar boxes I got at an auction this afternoon. Some are pretty old and some are not. Any ideas?



Tammy from Virginia

Answers

October 24, 20040 found this helpful

Boy, am I jealous of your auction find! What a treasure trove you've won. The boxes would be good for drawer organizers, used either with or without the lids. You can use them as-is or paint or paper them first.

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To make a jewelry-type box, paint the box whatever color you like. Glue felt or fabric in the bottom of the inside and decorate the outside if you like with cut-out magazine pictures, old beads, jewelry pieces, sewing odds and ends (rick rack, trim, etc.). Let your imagination run wild!

These also make great potpourri boxes, just paint and decorate, fill with wonderful potpourri, they are great to give friends for their bathrooms, etc.

You could paint some red, cut out cute Christmas pictures from wrapping paper, Christmas cards, magazines, etc. and decoupage those onto the box and filled with Christmas candies and chocolate. The boxes could also be wrapped in Christmas paper and used for gift packages.

You might want turn them into a recipe box by decoupaging words from a restaurant menu all over it. Copy recipes onto index cards and filled the decorated box with the recipes.

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Although many of the following ideas call for wooden cigar boxes, one could easily substitute cardboard cigar boxes. You may need to change the directions a bit; for instance, paint the box, rather than use it unpainted but the ideas should work just as well. A quick search of the Internet found the following:

Cigar Box Purse
www.hgtv.com/.../0,1789,HGTV_3352_2216524,00.html
www.hgtv.com/.../0,1789,HGTV_3321_1378531,00.html
www.craftbits.com/viewProject.do?projectID=556
www.sunshinecrafts.com/body_purse_making.html#free
www.sunshinecrafts.com/body_project_disney_princess_cigar_box_purse...

Cigar Box Memo Board
www.azcentral.com/.../0621craftyideas21.html

Cigar Keepsake Box (you may need to scroll down past other project(s) to see this)
www.gluedots.com/.../projects.shtml

Memory Box
www.enchantedlearning.com/.../

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Cigar Box Jewelry Box
www.diynet.com/.../0,2025,DIY_13746_2895378,00.html

Old cigar boxes make wonderful craft projects
havasumagazine.com/.../CigarBox.htm

And right here on ThriftyFun.com:

Uses for Wood Cigar Boxes
www.thriftyfun.com/.../tf940407_bra.html

Have fun!!!
Kathy

 
By syd (Guest Post)
October 25, 20040 found this helpful

I bought a bunch that were called "school boxes" at Safeway that were on clearance ... same as the "cigar boxes" to use in a craft project at the nursing home.

I negotiated .25 cents each for the 20 of them. Since I donate the materials, try to keep it as cheap as possible.

I spray painted them all the same color and I glued a piece of styrofoam on the lid before the craft class, then had the residents decorate them with silk flowers and leaves ... very pretty!

 
By SharonP (Guest Post)
October 25, 20042 found this helpful

Slice the box in the middle and use them for decorative tissue boxes.
You can make shadow boxes to hang on the wall for any season.
They make great receipt boxes or candy and cookie or stationary boxes.

 
Anonymous
October 28, 20040 found this helpful

Ooh, the old ones are the best, aren't they? I have a lovely old "Joan of Arc" sans lid that I use as a CD holder on my nightstand for my CD-radio alarm clock. Turn the box sideways and place the CDs in title-side up.

 

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November 6, 20040 found this helpful

There are lots of things that you can do with cigar boxes. The older cigar boxes may be valuable. I would check google or ebay. I love to paint cigar boxes. I have made closets out of them for Barbie dolls. I paint the outside and inside of the box, Then sponge paint a design, stand the box up on its end and put a knob on the "door " of the closet and cut a wooden dowel to fit inside of box (to hang clothes on) and hot glue the dowel in place. My daugher and her friends enjoyed them. For the smaller dolls I would make a bed out of the cigar box. Pain the box, make mattress, pillows, blankets, quilt, etc and have the lid to close and hold everything in place. My grandson loves boxes to put things in. When he was little, (after I painted the box)) I would paint bears or something he liked all over it and he could keep his "treasures" in the box. Hope this helps.
Judy in NV

 
By John K. (Guest Post)
December 27, 20080 found this helpful

I have several wood and cardboard cigar boxes 70 to 100 yrs old. The art work on the inside cover is a collectible. jaderealty AT aol.com

 
May 20, 20090 found this helpful

Most cigar stores sell these wonderful boxes for little. $1.00 each at my store. The ones with the little hinges are great for glue crafts. I made my husband (a cigar smoker) a specility Cigar Storage box with Air Force Fabric and gold braided trim glued on. Then I decoupaged a personalized poem inside and the date, and occasion. He was so touched & just loved it!

 
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March 12, 2012

I have serveral cardboard cigar boxes and I am not sure as to what to do with these to make good use out of them. Any ideas?

By D Partain

Answers

March 29, 20120 found this helpful

These look like fun projects.
Cigar box clock
www.theholidayspot.com/.../cigar_box_clock.htm

Cigar box purse
thinkcrafts.com/.../

Cigar box organizer
blog.craftzine.com/.../how-to_make_a_cigar_box_organi.html

 
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