Fun things to do with moving boxes!

When is a box more than a box? Time to get creative.

Fun for the kids

• Tummy time! Cut out a large square to create a safe space on a bare floor for your infant's playtime.
• Boxes are great to put together and decorate for all sorts of creative purposes: Play and doll houses, forts, cars, castles, costumes, race tracks — boxes can be the greatest toy in the world!
• Ask your child to gather a few of their favourite things in a box to show off to you, which can incorporate small indoor and outdoor items (such as a cool rock, their favourite book, a stuffie). And then they can help put everything away afterwards.

Fun for the pets

• A makeshift doghouse for your pup
• Cats love boxes and can be used for scratching as well (make sure they can get easily find their way out)
• Hide toys or treats to keep them occupied and entertained

Gift boxes and baskets

• Is holiday time near? Use them for your gifts (larger ones can be cut or folded down) or decorate for a care package or as a gift basket
• Decorate to store blankets or shoes

Handy helper around the house

• Cut boxes down to use as sliders for moving heavier items around your new home
• Small rounds or squares cut out for under table or furniture legs
• Use for sanding or painting to protect floors and walls
• Use as a sturdy and discardable support for messy projects rather than a table

Got sports?

• Use for jerseys or transporting food to arenas or team events
• Assemble or make smaller boxes for tournament raffles
• Use for silent auction transport or for gift baskets
• Stack boxes away for your next bottle drive (or to hold empty bottles to give away)

Giveaways

• Unpack too much stuff?? Gather gently-used items in boxes to give to family or friends. Themes can make it fun (like 'Bon Voyage Travel Wear' or 'Cure for the Winter Blues' or 'Kitchenware Shuffle Time')
• Use to donate items to charities or foodbanks
• Give the gift of reading — box-up used books and donate to schools or bookstores

An artfully good time

• Cut cardboard and use it for the backs of frames to hang photos or art, or your child's artwork
• Use it to create cool art, decor or collages

Divide stuff

• Create cardboard dividers in drawers, bins or boxes for clothes, cords, lights, water bottles, tools, or anything else that has a messy vibe
• Make a shoe rack (apparently, shoes are made to wear, not to stack well)

Furniture quick-fix?

• Waiting for new furniture to come in? Is your moving truck delayed? Don't have the cash for a bookshelf or night table? Boxes to the rescue! Makeshift cardboard furniture can be a conversation piece until you get the goods.

Outdoor uses

• Use as knee pads when gardening
• Cut flat sections and layer with soil and mulch in your garden beds to prevent weeds (they'll compost over time)
• Use as planters (remembering that they won't be leakproof unless lined with waterproof material)
• When using in the garden, make sure they aren't coated with wax and remove all labels
• Use boxes to store excess dirt to use later in planters and beds or as a slidey transport to move plants or dirt around the yard
• Frost warning? A few well-placed boxes can save your plants in the spring, or extend their time in the fall

Finding a box a home (or a practical end)

Recycle

• Break 'em down and bring to your local recycler; check with your local recycling rules (i.e. you may need to remove tape or labels)
• Store some for use later!

Storage, of course

• You'll always need boxes for storage, now and later

Check with neighbours, family and friends

• Do any neighbours need boxes? It can be a great way to break the ice and introduce yourself after a move
• Someone probably knows someone who's about to move

Donate to a charity

• A few quick phone calls may find a worthy cause that will be happy to take those boxes off your hands

Mover buyback

• Did you have to buy your moving boxes? Some moving companies may offer to buy them back (though probably at a lower price)
• If you move again in the future, check with local grocery and department stores for free boxes to help reduce the cost

Find a box-giving service

• There may be a 'box' board or service near you, so that your boxes will go to someone else who is moving, but be careful about providing personal info

Stick a free sign on them

• Stack them in your driveway or on your lawn — they'll likely be gone, quickly.

We're your mortgage box (worth keeping).

Perhaps a strange analogy, but actually quite true. We're all your mortgage needs packed into one tidy, sturdy True North box — expert brokers, convenient ways to apply and connect, your absolute best mortgage, and unbiased, personalized advice along the way to save the most on your financial commitment (your home).

We're always here to help, whether you're a first-time or next-time home buyer or owner. Give us a shout, browse through our helpful website content, or sign up for our newsletter today.