What do you see?

If a stranger were to walk through my house they might believe I'm ready to be committed..... or at the very least; be signed up for a hoarder intervention.  Just to see the items I save, a person might believe I have a serious mental problem.  Hmm... maybe they are right.  I do save some strange things.  I save and save.... until it all becomes a fire hazard then I clear almost everything out and start saving all over again.  Along the way, some items actually do get used for it's intended purpose. 

So let me ask you this..... when you see this stuff, what do you see?  A pile of empty boxes ready for the trash?  Most people would. 

 I don't see these items in quite the same way as most people. 

These two boxes could become the decorative parts of a chandelier or pretty gift tags. 

These 4 boxes look to me like the beginning of a quilting machine tool storage box with sections for spare parts and screwdrivers.   Hmm.... maybe a storage box to hold paint brushes, paints, crayons, and drawing pencils? 

See how nicely the boxes play together?  Just a little work and the boxes could be fixed for stacking instead of down inside each other.  Each box would hold different tools or parts.

This box could be woven into parts of a basket or a bowl.

So what do you see here?  More trash?  Again, most people would see these as just trash.  I see pretty shiny gift bows made from the chip bag because the inside is silver.  I see the can labels and the noodle bags woven into a purse.  The phone book made into paper beads.... hmm, maybe small homemade note pads. 

What about these?  What do you see? 

Add those boxes to some of these boxes and I see an organizer cabinet for plastic quilting rulers and rotary cutters.  The boxes above would be the drawers and boxes like this one as the bones of the cabinet.

All you have to do is imagine the possibilities.  I don't see all that stuff as just trash.... I see it as construction materials for crafts or art.
Cardboard (in my opinion) is the most versatile art medium or craft supply ever created.  Cardboard can be found in all manner of shapes and types.    It can be manipulated to form even more shapes and forms.  You can cut it, bend it, shape it, twist it, weave it, curl it, tape it, glue it, write on it, paint it, crimp it, emboss it, and the list could go on and on.  The best part about cardboard is that it's FREE. 

It doesn't matter if you are just bored and looking for something to do or simply out of funds to buy supplies for your favorite craft..... cardboard can occupy your time.  Pick up an empty cardboard box and look for the possibilities within it.  Need a new piece of jewelry?  Make one out of cardboard.  Need an organizer system for a kitchen drawer?  Make it out of cardboard. 

Being broke should not be an obstacle to having furniture in your home.  Once you know the secret to construction you can make any furniture you need.  This could include beds, couches, dressers, china cabinets..... oh the possibilities!  Are you beginning to see what I see instead of just a pile of trash?  No?  Well give me a little time and maybe I can show you the possibilities hidden in the trash cardboard.