Upcycled Cereal Box Bookshelf Organizers
Two things we have a lot of in our house are cereal boxes and books. That's how we came upon this simple DIY cereal box bookshelf organizer project. And, let me tell you, these are hugely useful.
At bedtime, my kids inevitably end up wanting that one book that we can't find.
"I wan't to read the Skylanders book."
Or "I want the big space book."
Or "Where's the first narwhal book?"
Well, I don't know. I don't know where that book is because we have about 8 million books here and they're not even all on the shelf!
Bookshelf organizers to the rescue.
I need about 3 dozen more of these....
How to Make Bookshelf Organizers Out of Cereal Boxes
...or popcorn boxes.
...or fruit snack boxes.
...or just about any kind of box that will fit on your bookshelf.
Materials
- empty boxes (cereal boxes work well - so does just about any other kind of box that you are finished with)
- scissors
- glue
- wrapping paper or another pretty paper
- white paper and a marker for making labels
How to Make Your Bookshelf Organizers
- Cut off the top of the box, and then cut at an angle down the side (see picture below).
- Place your box on top of the paper that you are using (we used some pretty, geometric wrapping paper). Trace around both sides, as well as the front and the back.
- Cut out the shapes that you just drew on your wrapping paper. Make sure to cut BIGGER than the actual shape. This gives you some extra paper that you can fold over each edge. Doing this will give you a nice, solid surface without any empty spaces of exposed box along the sides (see picture below).
- Line up each piece of paper and glue onto the box. Fold the extra paper over each side and glue it down.
- Once all the sides are covered in paper, let your cereal box organizer dry. The lumpy gluey bits should disappear as it dries.
Tada! Finished. A bookshelf organizer made out of an old cereal box.
Now fill it with books.
Some tips on making and using your upcycled bookshelf organizers
- Different sorts of boxes will hold different sixes of books. Use taller boxes for taller books. Turn your box sideways and cut the side off, instead of the top, to make a box that will hold bigger books. Experiment with types of boxes and orientations to hold different sizes of books.
- Use labels! We just glued a piece of white paper on the front of each box and wrote a category on it. That way the kids can find their books easily.
Rebecca is a chaplain at a girls’ school, a mom to boys, and a crafter of all things. She crochets in every free moment she has, and she spends much of her time gluing cotton balls to toilet paper rolls and mopping up glitter.
