Simple "Cycle" Saturday

Yes, I know this post is a day late. Better late than never right?! I have a great one for you this week. Last week we looked at how to re"cycle" old t-shirts. This week we are going to re"cycle" shoe boxes.

What do you do with all those old shoe boxes? I always wondered why shoes "have to" come in shoe boxes. How much more are we paying for the shoes because they come in a heavy duty box? Did you know you can opt to not take your shoes home in a box? You can tell the store that you do not need the box and they will either reuse them or they will recycle them. The only problem is that some stores don't let you return your shoes if you do not have the box. My husband wears his shoes until he can't anymore, then we go and get him new ones. He will always just wear his new shoes out of the store. If you do this, you can leave the box right there at the store!

If you opt not to leave your box at the store, here are some great ideas for using them when you are home:

1. You can use them to store your shoes to keep them clean. In the past, I have stored my shoes in the boxes and stacked them neatly in my closet. This is much cheaper than buying a shoe caddy. It isn't as space efficient though.
2. You can slide old shoe boxes into drawers to sort your undies or socks. This is especially great if you have cats like me, who like to get cozy in your clean clothes! If I forget to shut my drawers all the way, I will come home and see a cat cuddled in my socks!
3. You can use them to organize your medications in. If you have more than one person in your home who takes medication, you can give each person their own box. Neatly place their names on the outside of the boxes and stack them under the sink in the bathroom. This is a great way to keep medications straight!
4. You can use them to give gifts to others. If you have a gift to give to someone that will fit in the shoe box, you just add some tissue paper stuffing and wrap the box with wrapping paper and give the gift. This is especially great for gifts you are shipping to others.
5. You can decorate them and use them to store small items. I love to scrapbook and have many items that are small and easy to lose. I love shoe boxes to store these items in. Its even more fun to decorate the box and make it match your room theme. Below is a picture of a shoe box that I decorated. Here is what I used to decorate: Blue spray paint, flower stem stamper, green ink for the flower stems, flower stickers, flowers from a lei cut apart and seperated, a brad setter, and brads to match the corresponding flowers. It was fun to create and looked fun when I was done!
6. One of the best uses for old shoe boxes right now is to pack them and donate to Samaritan's Purse. This is an organization that donates shoe box gifts to children in several countries who would otherwise receive nothing for Christmas. It is a way to reach out and help the less fortunate. I have donated a shoe box of goodies to Samaritan's Purse for three years now. Below is a picture of what I donated. My church supports this organization so we had boxes from them. They do encourage you to use your old shoe boxes and just wrap them with wrapping paper. If you are interested in donating to this wonderful organization, visit their website for the how to and what to pack.

I know some of you probably have several other great uses for old shoe boxes. If so, post them here and share with everyone!