Cardboard Office Supplies Holder

Can you tell I'm on an organizing bend? Why shouldn't MOM get a cardboard thing-a-ma-jig every now and then?

Well, here's my newest treasure - a place to stick some of the sharp pointy tools I use so I can keep them away from little, "I know what scissors can do" hands.

It's also a way to use up a lot of scrap cardboard bits that you (or I) might have lying around.

I'd love to show you my gigantic pile of cardboard scrap that I keep moving around to different corners of my apartment, but I'm just not there yet...I know it's become very vogue these days to blog about the imperfections in your life and prove that everything doesn't always look like a well curated Pinterest board. But honestly, isn't that the best part about blogging? The fact that I'm typing with a towel on my head right now, but your seeing all this great cardboard stuff?

I pulled a yellow kiwi box out of my stash for this project and then cut it down to size, carving out two little handles on the sides. I find that a serrated knife does the best job for rounding corners, as I've never been able to cut circles in heavy corrugated cardboard with a utility knife.

You can mash up the cardboard on the inside anyway you like. We've got a random kind of Keith Haring thing going on in there, but it would be cool to make a more structured zig-zag or circular pattern too.

If you do something with this idea, I'd love to see your work! I think there are a lot of places to go with this compressed cardboard in a frame concept. It's super strong! Please send me your photos so we can feature you here on The Cardboard Collective!

OK, today is recycling day so I've GOT to get out there and see what else I can haul back and stuff into that empty space in my closet!

Tool: Off-set Handled Scissors

These scissors are a great new tool for cutting through cardboard. The off-set handle makes it easier to maneuver around corners and curves, and the wide openings in the handles provide for a roomy grip. The English translations for the packaging here in Japan always makes me chuckle. These scissors are definitely either made of hard materials, or will help you go after a hard(difficult) task!

On a scissors space-time continuum, the off-set handled scissors definitely rate as the best for getting through cardboard, even outperforming the "chicken boning shears." At the other end of the spectrum we have my sewing scissors, which I would never, ever use to cut cardboard, our household paper scissors, the delicate, but still useful for poking small holes embroidery scissors, and last but not least, wooden scissors. They actually do cut paper.