More and more consumers regularly store on the Internet. Alongside the new product, boxes made of corrugated board then end up in the house. However, corrugated cardboard is not only a sustainable packaging material, but with a little creativity can be further processed into decorative material or even furniture. Read on here to get inspiration for crafting with cardboard boxes and to learn more about the sustainable packaging material.

Advantages of reuse as a craft material

If you want to craft with cardboard boxes, corrugated cardboard is particularly suitable due to its corrugated surface structure.

The crafting fun is guaranteed for you with it, no matter whether you want to make something new yourself or implement something creative together with your child.

Especially the corrugated cardboard glued on one side makes quite a difference in crafting. It consists of a straight cardboard together with a corrugated web. This not only ensures high durability, but also has a great surface structure, which is ideal for giving crafts that special something.

If you still need a little inspiration to breathe new life into the corrugated cardboard from your last order, we've rounded up some craft ideas for you below.

What are the options for crafting with corrugated cardboard?

There are no limits to your imagination when it comes to cardboard crafts! All you need is time, creativity, scissors, parcel tape and glue. White glue, hot glue or spray adhesive are particularly suitable for gluing the corrugated cardboard.

It's best to have some additional books or something similar ready to weigh down the glued areas later and to be able to glue them together in the long term.

If you want to add a colorful touch to your creations, poster paints, oil paint, spray paint or markers are all suitable. Let's take a look at a few craft ideas.

1. Cardboard shelf

   Upcycling has been a trend for a long time. To do this, you use leftover materials such as cardboard to make furniture or decorative elements.

   For example, corrugated cardboard boxes are perfect for making an unconventional wall shelf. For this purpose, take a conventional cardboard box at hand. In terms of size, you can choose a small box that will hold just one vase, or a larger box that will function as a display case.

   

   In the first step, coat the cardboard flaps with glue and glue them to the insides. Then cut a segment out of a separate cardboard box and use it to line the back wall. Choose a corrugated cardboard that is glued on one side to give the back wall a ribbed look.

   Then cover the outer wall of your shelf with several layers of corrugated cardboard so that it is as stable as possible and acts as an eye-catcher due to the thick frame. With the help of wall paint or varnish you can give your homemade shelf a color accent. You can make several of these shelves and then either place them in a line or spread them out on the wall.

2. Cardboard stool

   You can turn a cardboard box measuring about 50 centimeters into a stool. To ensure that the cardboard stool is stable enough, you should insert a stiffening cross (two cardboard segments inserted into each other to form a cross) into the cardboard.

   Then close the box with a parcel tape. Now you have to give your stool a nice exterior. The best material for this is a volume fleece, but you can also glue the stool with old fabric scraps to give it an individual touch.

3. Cardboard greeting card

   You can also use corrugated cardboard to add the finishing touch to your gift packaging. Cut out the appropriate figures for the occasion from corrugated cardboard glued on one side.

   For Christmas, for example, you can cut out a snowman, for Easter a bunny, or for a birthday a cake complete with candles. You can paint the front of your figures and glue them with other materials such as pieces of fabric, absorbent cotton or buttons.

   On the back you write your greetings and tie the homemade card with ribbon to the gift. The wave structure of the card is a great eye-catcher and shows the recipient that you have made a great effort for him.

4. Festive cardboard decoration

   Whether Christmas, Valentine's Day or Easter, you can conjure up the most diverse decorative elements from corrugated cardboard. Cut stars for Christmas, Easter eggs or Valentine's Day hearts from the corrugated cardboard.

   

   It's best to cut out at least three figures that are different in size but identical in shape. Paint them in different colors and glue them together - the largest element at the back and the smallest at the front. This way you get a decoration with depth effect. You can also make several of them and then hang them on a string. This way you will get a colorful window decoration that will create a holiday atmosphere.

5. Stick figures from cardboard

   Due to the thickness of its material, corrugated cardboard is also suitable for stick figures, you do not even need glue. How about spring decoration for the winter garden?

   Simply cut a bird body in profile (torso and head with beak from the side) from the cardboard. In the next step, cut out the legs and wings from another piece of cardboard. Use scissors to make a small slit in the middle of the wings and legs. Then you can easily attach them to the torso.

   You can use the cardboard birds either as table decorations or you can hang them from the ceiling with a thread. With a breeze, the cardboard birds move and thus provide a spring atmosphere in your own four walls.

Crafting as an alternative to recycling

On average, corrugated board consisted of around 80 percent recycled material in 2021, according to Statista. In addition, recycling of the popular cardboard works in both the commercial and private sectors.

This makes corrugated cardboard a sustainable packaging material. However, thanks to its high load-bearing capacity and numerous crafting possibilities, you can get much more out of the cardboard and save space in the recycling container.

So the next time you receive an order, take a closer look at the cardboard. Maybe you can implement one of our craft ideas or find other uses yourself as an alternative to recycling.

Corrugated board as a top performer in shipping

Corrugated board is one of the most widely used materials in the packaging industry.

You've seen that corrugated cardboard is great for crafting. In its original function, corrugated board is just as much an all-rounder. The high resilience and protective effect of corrugated board leads to the fact that it occupies a top position in the packaging industry.

According to a study by the Gesellschaft für Verpackungsmarktforschung (GVM), 90 percent of the packaging used in the mail order business in 2019 was made of corrugated board. This corresponds to 807.6 kt of corrugated board out of a total volume of 895.1 kt of mail order packaging.

Corrugated board has thus been triumphant since the beginning of the new millennium, its consumption having doubled since then. According to GVM, the long-term upward trend will continue, with a volume of 880 kt of corrugated board expected in 2022.

Accordingly, the study concludes that cartons and boxes made of corrugated board are by far the most important form of packaging in the mail order business.

90 percent of packaging in 2019 was made of corrugated board. This makes corrugated board the clear leader among packaging materials.

Sustainability through corrugated board

Boxes made of corrugated board are characterized by their low weight. According to an analysis by the bifa Umweltinstitut in cooperation with the Papiertechnische Stiftung, this leads to a lower greenhouse balance. Corrugated board packaging is adapted to the products to be transported by simple means. Boxes made of corrugated board are characterized by their low weight. According to an analysis by the bifa Umweltinstitut in cooperation with the Papiertechnische Stiftung, this leads to a lower greenhouse balance. Corrugated board packaging is adapted to the products to be transported by simple means.

Thanks to the good protection against impact and pressure, the cardboard the cardboard keeps the contents protected. A comparable protective effect would result in a greater total weight for heavy reusable boxes. This in turn results in a higher greenhouse gas balance.

A study by the University of Freiburg also attests to the high sustainability of corrugated board. Over the entire life cycle, a fruit bowl made of corrugated board offers a better climate balance than its PET counterpart. With the latter, the negative climate effects are more than twice as high!

The lower greenhouse gas emissions of corrugated board are due to its high recycling rate. In addition, the raw material of corrugated board - wood - offers more ability to store CO2.

Corrugated board also offers potential as a substitute for plastic padding. According to the GVM study (Gesellschaft für Verpackungsmarktforschung mbH), 85 percent of dimensionally stable foam packaging could be replaced by corrugated board. Crimped paper and cushioning constructions made of corrugated cardboard are suitable for securing fragile goods.

Corrugated cardboard compartments could also eliminate the need for environmentally harmful cushioning material. So if you want to do something good for the environment, you should use corrugated packaging.

Thanks to its low weight, good adaptability to the goods to be transported, high recycling rates and natural starting material, corrugated board is characterized by sustainability.

Conclusion

Corrugated board is a true all-rounder in the shipping industry. Thanks to its corrugated structure, it offers sufficient stability as packaging with very low weight. This reduces the emission of environmentally harmful greenhouse gases during transport. Since corrugated board consists of a good 80 percent recyclable materials and is further recycled by consumers, it is a truly sustainable material.

In addition, corrugated cardboard does not always have to mean "end of the line in the recycling garbage can". With a few auxiliary materials and tools as well as a little imagination, the cardboard can be given a second life. If you want to live as sustainably as possible or run a mail order business yourself and don't want to compromise on sustainability, then it's best to use corrugated cardboard.

FAQ

1. What materials do I need to craft with corrugated cardboard?

   There are no limits to your imagination, but basic equipment includes scissors, glue (white glue, hot glue or spray glue), parcel tape, paints (poster paints, oil paints, spray paints or felt-tip pens) and books or something similar to weigh down the glued areas, in addition to the corrugated cardboard.