Don’t Toss Your Cardboard Drink Holder—Here Are 4 Ways to Reuse It

Embrace creativity in the mundane!

If you’ve ever bought more than two drinks at a coffee shop, you know you’re walking out with one of those bulky cardboard drink holders that, after you sort out your coffee order, you’ll inevitably toss. Think again!

Cardboard drink holders don’t have to be an addition to your trash can. In fact, there are loads of ways to reuse them.

First, though, you’ll need to make sure they’re cleaned up. How you clean them depends on how messy they've gotten, but make sure to shake off loose debris, wipe away loose particles with a dry cloth or soft-bristle brush, and spot clean with a damp cloth or a small amount of dish detergent.

Just remember to not use too much water or it’ll fall apart and, no matter how much water you use, you’ll want to let it air dry after you spot clean. You can even clean it by leaving it out in the sun for a short time if the weather allows it.

If you spilled one of your drinks all over the cardboard holder, or if it’s heavily soiled in some other way, it might be better to recycle it. But, if the structural integrity of your holder is still intact, here are some excellent ways to reuse it.

Organizers

If you have a drawer that desperately needs some organization, use the cardboard drink holder to separate office supplies, makeup, kitchen utensils, and for separating socks, underwear, or other small clothing items.

You can keep them inside your junk drawer to keep cords and cables untangled.

This works outside of drawers, too, like organizing items in your fridge or— if you add a bit of paint and love—on top of your dresser.

You can even organize your fruit on your countertop with one, since an orange and an apple fit in perfectly.

Gardening Tools

Cardboard is a famously useful material to use in gardening, and cardboard drink holders are no exception.

You can convert them into seedling starters for gardening by filling each compartment with soil and your choice of plant seeds. This is perfect for an herb garden since many herbs don’t need quite as much space to grow as vegetables. And, since it’s only a starter, you can move them out of the drink holder and into a more sturdy pot or directly into the ground once the seedlings are ready.

Art Projects

There are loads of art projects you can complete with a cardboard drink holder. You can use them as material that you cut up and use in other craft projects, or use it as a paint palette itself.

If you’re looking for a more activity-centered art project, paint a single color in each of the four compartments and head outside with your child, sibling, or by yourself and pick out things you find in the wild that match the color inside the compartment. For instance, find a blue flower for the blue compartment and a leaf for the green compartment—get creative with it.

Snack Plates for You, Your Child, or Your Pup

If your cardboard is clean and sturdy, you can use it as a disposable food tray for a fun and crafty outdoor dinner.

This is especially fun—and helpful—with little kids who might not want their goldfish to touch their apple slices.

Or hang onto them until your next outdoor adventure with your dog and use them as disposable—and recyclable—pet food and water bowls.

The cardboard drink holder might seem mundane and boring, but it really does hold untapped potential for creative reuse. Embrace it!

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Read the original article on The Spruce.