How to Repurpose Retail Boxes

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I love the ease of click and ship purchases; the convenience, the free shipping and the no hassle returns of my favorite retailers. But, I don’t love the guilt that sneaks up on me when I toss the familiar brown retail boxes into the recycle bin. 

I  had similar guilt fueled feelings before I  repurposed a few favorite heavyweight Anthropologie holiday shopping bags. 

So when I ordered my twice (okay, four times a year ) Bath & Body Works foaming hand soaps and seasonal candles and they arrived in these plaid boxes, I wanted to figure a way how to repurpose these retail boxes.

The Bath & Body Works packaging people were on to something. I found a reason to buy hand soaps and 3 wick candles because of the cute blue plaid print inside their boxes.

So for a few seasons, I hoarded Bath & Body Works boxes. 

For a caffeinated fueled moment, I considered framing the flat sides of the retail boxes for my office walls. But, as the caffeine wore off, I decided to start with a less ambitious project and one that only required a roll of clear packaging tape.

I folded the plaid facing sides of the Bath & Body Works’ boxes to the exterior side of the box and secured with a clear, clean edge of packing tape.  

That’s it! Never overthink a way how to repurpose retail boxes. 

And, with a roll of packing tape, I figured out a way how to repurpose retail boxes to create storage for my office supplies.  

With a few extra”broken down” boxes, I framed a rectangular section of the patterned cardboard box. I thought it would be fun to coordinate the pattern in my office’s storage hutch. 

I wonder how long until the boys in my house recognize the familiar retailer’s packaging? And, then I will wait for the eye roll.

There’s always an eye roll after a repurposed project.

Seriously, are these not the cutest retail boxes ever?

Are you taking note Chewy? Target? Amazon? Nordstrom? Give us a reason to repurpose the retail boxes!