What To Do With Your Moving Boxes After Moving
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Your move is complete, and now all that’s left to do is unpack — but what should you do with all those boxes after you’re settled in? Instead of breaking them down and taking them straight to the recycling bin, you can reuse them for storage, shipments, crafts, and more. Here are some ideas for what to do with your U-Haul moving boxes after moving.
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Store Holiday Decorations
Whether you store all of your holiday decorations together or organize them by season, you can always use an extra box or two. Reusing sturdy U-Haul boxes helps separate items like lights, garlands, and wrapping supplies while keeping everything protected until next year.
Wrap Large Gifts
Moving boxes are perfect for wrapping oversized or oddly-shaped gifts. Remove or cover any leftover tape and labels, then decorate with wrapping paper and a big bow for a festive look.
Gather Donations
As you unpack, you might find clothes, kitchen items, or decor you no longer want or need. Fill a few boxes with donations for your local thrift store, charity, or community center. It’s an easy way to declutter while giving your boxes a second purpose.
Give to Pets or Kids
Don’t underestimate the entertainment value of cardboard! Cats love hiding and scratching inside boxes, and dogs can use them for makeshift tunnels. Kids can turn boxes into forts, rocket ships, or castles; all it takes is a little imagination.
Ship or Return Items
U-Haul boxes are designed to be durable, which makes them perfect for sending gifts, mailing care packages, or shipping online returns. Be sure to tape them securely and remove old shipping labels.
DIY Costumes
Cardboard is a DIY costume staple, whether you’re going as a robot, a car, or a life-sized emoji. A few craft supplies and a little creativity can turn leftover boxes into memorable costumes for Halloween or themed parties.
Protect Your Floors
Flattened boxes make great floor protectors. Use them to cover your garage floor when working on cars, or protect hardwood and carpet while painting or doing DIY projects around the house.
Use for Gardening
Cardboard is surprisingly helpful outdoors. Use boxes to keep soil contained when repotting plants, tear them up for DIY mulch, or lay flattened pieces as a biodegradable weed barrier in your garden.
Organize Your Closet
Cut boxes down to fit drawers or shelves and use them as budget-friendly dividers to organize your closet. You can also wrap them in decorative paper or fabric to create stylish storage bins for accessories, shoes, or off-season clothes.
Make Cardboard Crafts
There’s no shortage of creative uses for leftover boxes. Make custom signs to cheer on loved ones, fun airport welcome posters, or photo booth backdrops. You can also cut out shapes for ornaments, gift tags, or wreath bases.
Take a Box, Leave a Box®
If you still have extra boxes, U-Haul makes it easy to share them with others. Visit your local U-Haul store and look for the Take a Box, Leave a Box area, a free community exchange where customers can drop off gently used boxes or pick up ones they need. It’s an eco-friendly way to keep your moving supplies in circulation and help the next mover.
You can also look online, check out the U-Haul exchange program, which lets you search for (or offer) free moving supplies in your area. And if you have any unused boxes, U-Haul will buy them back.
Make Your Next Move With U-Haul
Ready to move again? Reuse your boxes or visit U-Haul for affordable, eco-friendly moving supplies designed to last move after move. As the leader in do-it-yourself moving, U-Haul offers a wide variety of high-quality moving boxes and other moving supplies designed to make your move easier. Our largest boxes hold up to 65 pounds and are 100% recyclable and reusable, making them an eco-friendly choice for your move. With built-in handles and our signature Flap Locks, U-Haul moving boxes are easy to use and durable. With U-Haul moving supplies, your belongings will arrive safely, whether you're moving across town or across the country.