I have this thing with recycling, upcycling and re-purposing items when I can. In this post, I’m going to show you how to make organizer containers using an upcycled tissue box, for your drawers, your office desk or your shelves.
Materials & Items Needed
- Empty tissue box
- 5 empty toilet paper rolls (optional)
- Paper scissors
- Ruler, measuring tape or cutting mat
- Masking tape or Washi tape or you can use colorful masking tape
Upcycled Tissue Box Instructions
You can make these containers as tall or as short as you want, but I found 4 inches to be a great size for markers, pens, and scissors.
You can use a ruler of course, but I like just using this small cutting mat.
1- Measure and mark the four-inch place on the top of the box. Flip it until you have all four edges marked.
2- From the tissue box opening, cut into the corners. Then cut down to the place that you marked and cut all the way around.
Finishing Off the Top Edge of the Cut Upcycled Tissue Box
1- Finish off the top edge with masking tape, painter’s tape, washi tape, or colored masking tape. Place the tape so it’s halfway onto the front of the box edge and wrap the tape all the way around the top edge of the box.
2- Rip the tape and fold the other half over the edge and secure the tape in place.
If the tape isn’t sticking very well, like sometimes it doesn’t, you can take packaging tape and fold it over the top to make it more durable.
Here is a tip on how to put the packaging tape around the corners so it doesn’t overlap.
3- Center the tape along the top edge just like you did the masking tape, but BEFORE YOU FOLD THE TAPE OVER, CUT A SLIT IN THE TAPE AT THE CORNERS.
This will allow you to fold each side separately down without overlapping. Works like a charm!
Now the upcycled tissue box will be more durable and that Wasi tape will be stuck down.
Optional Upcycled Tissue Box Inserts
If you want little sections inside the box for pencils and things upcycled toilet paper rolls work great.
Cut the 5 toilet paper rolls to four inches (or the height of your box). You can flatten the rolls in half to make that cut, and they’ll spring right back.
Simply stick the toilet paper rolls into the box. Sit this on your desk and you’re good to go.
If you wanted to cover up that Kleenex symbol, just put a sticker over the top.
Large Upcycled Tissue Box Organizers
I really like using these bigger upcycled tissue boxes as organizers and dividers in my drawers for things like socks, underwear, and other small items.
You pretty much do the same thing. I like using the full height of the box for socks and stuff, but if you wanted to make the box height shorter for an office drawer of smaller items, simply cut the sides down just as explained before.
Of course, you can always buy premade plastic dividers, but why not upcycle a simple tissue box?
I hope this is something that you can implement in your house and use to recycle when you can.
Jan Howell
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Jan Howell
Whether it’s a new recipe, a fun craft, or some handy tips for your garden and home, I hope to empower and inspire you with skills that you can use to create joy, improved health, and to do it in a simple way.
Most likely, you know that I’m a big fan of recycling and upcycling clothing. You can use the sleeve of an existing long sleeve top. Look through your closet and see if you have any sportswear (long-sleeved jackets, swim tops, etc) that have a high content of the synthetic and stretchy fabric.
5- Fold the cuff in half horizontally and line up the cut edges and seam.
6- Place the cuff over the top of the arm sleeve with (RIGHT SIDES FACING EACH OTHER) and seams lined up.
8- Sew around the cuff stretching as you sew.
9- Flip the cuff out and that’s it!
Cut the zipper out of the clothing. This makes the process so much easier! There is less bulk to work with and if you don’t feel like unpicking right then, you can save it in your zipper bin and unpick it later.
Take the end of the zipper and pull the fabric away from the zipper to expose the stitches. Slide the tip of the seam ripper into one or more of the stitches and cut the threads. Pull the zipper tape away from the fabric to expose more stitches. (The first stitches are the hardest to navigate).
Continue ripping threads and pulling all the way down the zipper. (Sometimes you can rip both sides of the zipper seam at the same time). Remove any cut threads that are lingering on the zipper and place the zipper in a bin or use the zipper straight away on a fun sewing project or craft.
