I really was interested in the corks, a lot of them, glued close together that made a bulletin board. Also, she put stick on magnets on the back, the kind that are sold to put on the back of business cards, she covered the back entirely with those, and also she showed how to cut a wire hanger and duct tape the top part of it on the back of the box. She then turned the hook of the hanger around where it would fit in her locker if she wanted to hang it up.
I thought it was a great idea in repurposing a shoebox lid, and it fits in the lockers of the children at school. It could be used at home though, for organizing many different things. I am already thinking about a sewing kit.
Here's an extra "box" hint. I cut the boxes that bath soap comes in (like Dove or Caress) in half, then fill up the bottom of a shoebox with the half-boxes. Each box will hold two Scribbles bottles upside down. This helps preserve the paint in the bottles for years as any dried paint will be on the other end so it won't affect being able to squeeze it out of the tip. I've used some that are over 5 years old!
By DeBushe from San Jose, CA
For example, I use DMC floss almost exclusively, but sometimes run into lovely Anchor flosses in the second hand shops, so I store the two together in the same colour shades with both numbers on the label. This makes it very easy to find what I'm looking for, and to make substitutions if needed.
On the lid of the shoe box, I have a copy of the conversion chart so that no matter what project I am making I can find the right shades of floss to embroider the project.
I do nearly the same for my needlepoint yarns (also known as tapestry wool). They are sorted by colours into divided compartments with a conversion chart taped to the top. The only real difference is that my needlepoint yarn skeins are in plastic storage boxes I found in the attic in my new husband's house:)
Both types of boxes stack nicely, and the plastic boxes have the added advantage of showing the colours inside at a quick glance. The stacked boxes keep my workroom tidy, the threads and yarns dust free, and add a bit of frugal, homey colour to the room.
Most needleworkers have a preferred way of organising colours while working a project, mine is to wind the strands from an opened skein onto a small rectangle cut from the recycled cardboard stash. I make sure the rectangles are of a size to fit back into the main storage boxes in the correct compartment after I'm finished with the project. You never know when those last 18 inches of floss or yarn will come in handy!
Depending on the size of the project, I keep the materials and the work-in-progress in either a recycled plastic bag (zipper styles, bed linen bags, or even a grocery bag), or a woven basket. If the project is small enough, the zip style bag makes it portable. I use a mini-scissor pair, and have everything I need while waiting at the dentist, etc.
BTW, I do the same with my crochet yarns, too, using plastic boxes, zip bags, and a lovely wicker basket for the home project. I love having my workroom organised so that I can go right to the material I'm looking for.
By FrugalSunnie from Scotland
I have about 10 empty shoe boxes. I know that organizations use them to send to our war fighters. Please help me find a good use for my boxes.
By Patricia from Sarasota, FL
I am just in love with decoupage. I think you should decoupage them and use them around the house. If you don't know what decoupage is just Google it and you'll get a bunch of hits.
Gem
Ideas for reusing shoes boxes. Post your ideas.
By SK (01/15/2005)
By ThriftyFun
By Mr. Thrifty
By GrannyRx
By ThriftyFun
By box1