The kits I design are sent out in an A5 mailer box. I chose these boxes for a number of reasons including that they are recyclable and they fit through the letterbox.

But what do you do with the box once you’ve stitched your kit? You can store the instructions and any leftover materials in it but here are some other ideas.

Use it to back your hoop

This is my current favourite way to back a finished embroidery hoop as it is so simple.

Draw round the inner hoop on a bit of cardboard. Cut it out inside the line. Gather the lose fabric at the back of your hoop (you can sometimes get away with not having done this). The cardboard backing should fit snuggly in the back of the hoop. If it doesn’t fit then carefully trim a small amount all the way around.

Create a tray to store your craft project/materials

If the box is damaged or you’ve used the top of the box to back your hoop then the rest of the box makes a great storage tray.

I’ve recently used some of these boxes to organise my sewing threads. Previously all of my sewing threads were jumbled up in a draw in my craft cupboard and it was difficult to see whether I had the right colours for my projects.

Using these boxes as trays has really helped to organise this drawer and they stack neatly on top of each other.

Store keepsakes

Whenever I come back from travelling I have a bunch of little items such as museum entrance tickets, postcards etc that I keep as reminders of the trip. These boxes are perfect for storing all of this bits and pieces in.

You can keep the box plain (I remove all the postage labels etc) or you can cover it in decorative paper. I label all my boxes so that I can easily find what I need when I want a trip down memory lane.

Embroidered cardboard jewellery

A great way to use up any embroidery thread from your kit as well as the cardboard box.

Cut out a shape from your box & plan your design. Create holes for you to stitch through using a pin and something to protect your surface such as a cutting mat (or another piece of cardboard). Get stitching!

Friendship bracelet loom

Another great way to use up any embroidery thread. There are plenty of tutorials on YouTube about how to make a cardboard loom and start making bracelets such as this one.

And if you want to think about Christmas here is a bonus idea - cardboard Christmas tree decorations.

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