Who says having an organized home must be expensive? This DIY cereal box organizer not only keeps papers organized but also helps you save money and reduce waste at the same time!
Paper clutter may just be the bane of my existence. With Steve being an OTR trucker, I constantly have trip sheets, fuel receipts, scale tickets and more lying around. Add that to my own paperwork and the paperwork the girls bring home and well; paperwork is the bane of my existence.
But so is paying ridiculous amounts of money for paper organizers like THESE
How to Organize Paperwork with a Cereal Box
I also don’t like to waste anything that I can reuse or turn into something new which is why one of my favorite upcycled crafts are these DIY cereal box organizers. They’re super simple to make and are great for holding everything from take out menus to kids artwork.
You can even add magnets to them so you can hang them on the fridge!
What Type of Magnets Should I Use?
If you’re going to place a magnet on your DIY cereal box organizer, you’ll want to use something strong. I prefer to use magnet tape like THIS.
For cereal box sizes, I like to use two 4″ strips. However, because you are going to be putting papers that may add considerable weight to the box, you will want to secure the magnetic strips with hot glue. This will make sure your magnets don’t fall off your box.
Do I Have to Use Cereal Boxes?
No! You can use any size food box to make these! In fact, smaller boxes make great pencil holders or desk organizers for smaller office supplies. It’s your home and you know what you need to organize so you do what you need for your home.
What Supplies Do I Need to Make a Cereal Box Organizer?
This list of supplies will make one cereal box organizer. The really great thing about them is that you very likely already have most of them lying around your house or in your craft supplies.
That makes them very budget friendly to make!
- empty cereal box
- scrapbook paper
- craft glue
- magnet tape
- chalkboard labels
- Washi tape
- Squeegee Card
- Hot Glue and Hot Glue Gun, optional
What if I’m Not Hanging it With Magnets?
In this tutorial, we only cover the front, sides and bottom of the organizer. Since it’s hanging, it seems a waste to use supplies to cover the back. However, if you are not hanging it and will be using it on a shelf, you will want to go ahead and cover the back.
To do this, follow the tutorial for the front, bottom and sides then repeat for the back.
Want to reduce waste even more?
In this tutorial we don’t use the top of the box, you can simply toss it or if you really want to reduce waste even kore,, paperboard can generally be added to your compost pile.
Didn’t know that? Check this post for 105 other things you can compost but didn’t know.
DIY Cereal Box Organizer
Equipment
- Scissors
- Sharpie
- plastic card for smoothing scrapbook paper
Ingredients
- 1 empty cereal box
- 1 square scrapbook paper
- craft glue/hot glue
- magnet tape
- washi tape
- chalkboard label
Instructions
- Measure how tall you want your cereal box organizer to be then use the sharpie to draw a line around the entire box. Cut the top and front of the box at straight angles. Cut the sides at an upward angle. Make sure both sides are even before moving on.
- Coat the entire outside of the box -bottom included – with a thick coat of glue. Starting at the bottom of the box, press the scrapbook paper onto the glue. Use the plastic card to smooth the paper and remove any wrinkles or air bubbles as you move upward.
- Fold the side seams inward and wrap them around to the back of the box. Secure with a small dab of glue.
- Glue the chalkboard label onto the front if using. Set aside until fully dry.
- Wrap washi tape around the top edge to seal it. Smooth out with plastic card if needed.
- Add a strip of glue to the magnet tape and attach to the center back of the cereal box.
- Set your DIY cereal box organizer aside and allow it to fully dry before using.
