What to do with leftover packing materials?

When the relocation is over, empty moving boxes and other packing materials will be all around your home. And here you thought that the days before the move are the chaotic ones. In order to help you with the first days in your new home, we’ve created this guide. It will give you an idea on how to use your leftover packing materials. Follow these tips and you’ll use your packing materials wisely, while your home will finally become chaos-free. Here are the top five solutions to your problem!

Save it for the next relocation

Before you start to plan how to get rid of your extra packing materials, stop for a second. Did you know that an average American moves approximately 11 times in their life? You’re probably wondering why are we telling you this. Well, it’s simple. Maybe you will also move in the near future. We are not saying that it will happen soon, but there is a chance it will happen. And when that time comes, you’ll want to be ready. So, if you want to avoid the process of finding packing materials, you should save the ones that you already have. This way, you’ll be ready for your next relocation. 

Keep in mind that if you decide to keep your leftover packing materials, you’ll have to find the best place for it. So, if you have a garage, put everything there but pack it properly. You don’t want to create chaos in your new home during the first days after the relocation. However, some of you are living in a small apartment or a home without a garage. If you’re one of those people, you can always get a storage space near you and put your packing materials in it.

Use it as a storage

One of the ways you can use the leftover materials is to create storage containers out of them. If you get packing and unpacking services, make sure you tell your plan to your movers. This way, they’ll focus on keeping your packing materials undamaged while unpacking. And if you decide to unpack by yourself, you should be extra cautious, too. There’s no way you can use one cardboard box as a storage container if it got damaged during the move. Don’t forget to decorate the cardboard boxes which you will use. With the right design, you’ll manage to put these boxes in every room and no one will notice that those are your leftover boxes.

Plan DIY projects

After relocating to NYC with the help of moving services Brooklyn, you should take some time and think about giving a personal touch to your new home. If you’re a type of person that loves arts and crafts, you’re in luck! Leftover packing materials are great for small DIY projects. You can create a lot of different things. Here are some ideas that will encourage you to get crafty. You can create:

• Wall art – packing paper and wrapping materials can be used for creating stunning wall art. By using them you will make sure your home is unique.
• Holiday decorations – there’s no need for buying Christmas ornaments every year. Instead of it, just use your leftover packing materials and create all kinds of decorations. Gather your family and make them together. This can be your new Christmas tradition.
• Small indoor maze – if you have kids, they probably felt neglected during the move. However, you can make up for being busy during the move just by playing with them after the relocation. You can create an indoor maze for them or for your pets… or maybe for all of them?
• Dollhouse – building a dollhouse is probably the most popular way of using leftover materials. But don’t forget, dollhouse will be perfect only if you build it with your kids.
• Bed for pets – this is an easy but very useful project. You can create a cozy place for your furry best friend in no time.

Give your leftover packing materials to others

If you don’t want to save packing materials for future relocation and don’t want to use it for small DIY projects, give them to other people! You have probably heard about the big network Craigslist NYC. This website will give you a chance to find people who are in need of packing materials. However, think whether you’d like to sell it or give it for free. If you decide to sell it, keep in mind that you won’t get a lot of money for it. But hey, every bill counts!

Donate

You probably already know that when moving you can donate your stuff before the move. What you probably don’t know is that you can donate some stuff after the move, too! We’re talking about packing materials, of course. There are a lot of organizations that will gladly accept your donation. Try to find the ones that are closest to your new home a donate whatever you want but make sure it’s undamaged. This way you’ll manage to get rid of unnecessary packing materials while helping others.

Recycle

If you’re interested in an eco-friendly move, then you should get rid of your packing materials in that same manner. Just recycle it! Cardboard boxes and packing materials are easy to recycle. But, you should pay attention to separating plastic materials from them. For example, wrapping, cushioning and other plastic materials. These materials can be recycled, but you drop them off at a recycling center for plastics.

These are only some of the ways you can use your leftover packing materials. We’re sure that after you read this article, you’ll come up with other ways for using them. Choose what to do with them wisely and enjoy your new home!