Every large supermarket and every small store near your home sells fruits and vegetables. On the counters, plastic boxes are installed in orderly rows, in which, in turn, the garden's gifts are laid out in neat and beautiful handfuls or layers. Once the plastic wears out, traders write it off. To put it simply, they throw it in the trash. Without thinking about the fact that, firstly, this is not environmentally friendly, and secondly, it completely contradicts the current laws of “reuse” (from English reuse), that is, reuse. In fact, a plastic box is an item that will definitely come in handy in the country house and garden. Below you will find more than a dozen options for its use.
Option 10: chandelier
You can also make a chandelier from plastic boxes that you no longer use for their intended purpose. Essentially, it is a frame made from six or nine boxes fastened together and attached to the ceiling. It will not be difficult for a knowledgeable craftsman to organize light inside the structure. Similar projects can be found in the capital’s most famous loft restaurants, or you can make them at home, turning your dacha into a cool loft space.
Option 5: country rack
What are we all about using plastic boxes in outdoor conditions? These items can also be used at home. For example, to create a rack in which you can conveniently place books, board games, all sorts of useful little things and even pots with indoor plants. All you need to bring this idea to life are the boxes themselves in the quantity you need, as well as fasteners. The most successful method of fastening is to use clamps. It is only advisable to take clamps painted in colors similar to the colors of the boxes. Plastic fasteners of this type will be completely invisible. They are very easy to use and the fastening is very reliable. So to speak, honestly.
When attaching boxes to one another using a plastic clamp, do not overtighten the fasteners. If you overtighten, the boxes will warp, and along with them the entire rack will warp. You need to tighten the clamp carefully, without using too much force. And after the structure is completely ready, it can be painted in any color using a can of paint.
Furniture fantasies
Do not rush to frown contemptuously. Yes, I agree, it’s difficult to call “box” furniture exquisite. But sometimes, as they say, I don’t care about fat, I wish I was alive. For example, to this day I remember my first dacha - 6 acres of peat bog with a barn trailer as a house. And the life of a young family after moving to a foreign city - when all the furniture in the apartment is only a sofa and a crib. So sometimes boxes can be a good help in arranging (even if temporary) a country house. Well, the owners of luxury cottages hardly look at this selection anyway.
Furniture made from boxes cannot be called elegant, but sometimes such a solution can help out
Cabinets, racks and shelves
These are perhaps the most common pieces of furniture made from plastic boxes. There are various models - for clothes, for books, for children's things, and for kitchen utensils. Boxes are a truly universal material.
Racks and shelves made from boxes can have very different configurations
By the way, it is not at all necessary that the boxes are the same and arranged in a strict order. The main thing is that the finished furniture is comfortable and durable.
Strict forms are not a prerequisite
If there are not enough boxes, you can combine them with boards. Just make sure that the design is reliable enough: not every box is suitable for such a solution.
If there are not enough drawers, combine them with other materials
Stools, tables and bedside tables
It can be more difficult to manage without a chair or at least a stool than without a bookcase, you must admit. But if you have strong drawers (such that they can certainly withstand the weight of a person), it is very easy to make this simple piece of furniture.
Making stools from boxes will not be difficult at all
Moreover, the design of the “box” stool, as you can see, allows for options: high or low, with or without legs, with plywood, wicker, soft seats... Everything is in your hands!
Stool from a box: options are possible
Well, since you already have stools , why not make a table. Or at least a nightstand
Making a bedside table is no more difficult than making a stool
And you can even aim for an entire “furniture set” if there are enough drawers:
You don’t have to limit yourself to just one stool.
Even if not for the home, such furniture is quite suitable for a country party with friends.
Sofas and beds
A sleeping place is another necessary attribute of any home. No, you can rest on the floor, of course... But it’s still more comfortable on the bed. Even if it is made from scrap materials - in our case, from boxes. Well, if you don’t want a bed, make a sofa on the veranda so that you have somewhere to sit during a break between dacha work and worries.
And a place to relax after dacha work can also be arranged using boxes
Boxes. Just boxes...
After all, you don’t have to make anything complicated at all. To neatly store toys or clothes in your dacha, you can use boxes without any additional tricks. Well, almost... We don't want to live like in a warehouse, right?
Simple decor will help transform unsightly drawers
A simple decor made from fabric, ribbons, yarn or other available materials will help turn an ordinary - not very attractive, frankly speaking - box into an independent and quite nice element of the decor.
Of course, this is not all that can be made from plastic boxes in the country, but I will stop, perhaps, adding to the proposed ideas just a few words about how not to make a mistake when choosing the material for their implementation.
Table made of drawers
Increasingly, craftsmen are making furniture from trash that is intended for recycling. For example, to make a country table with your own hands from wood, you don’t need any special skills or expensive materials. It is enough to use plywood containers for fruits and vegetables. For the table you will need four pieces.
The boxes are placed on their side on the longer side. The short side of one is connected with screws to the bottom of the other. The top of the container faces outward to the side. Thus, they turn out to be a square with a void in the middle.
The gap in the middle of the structure is covered with a piece of plywood. It is secured with corners or self-tapping screws under the first crossbar of the box.
The square recess in the center is filled with pebbles, expanded clay, shells, and plastic stones for aquariums. To ease the pressure on the plywood bottom, you can make the filler yourself from papier-mâché, giving the parts the shape of stones and painting them.
To protect yourself from splinters and scratches, you need to thoroughly sand exposed surfaces. For beauty, the table is treated with stain or fired. The top is coated with varnish.
You can attach a table top to the structure on top. Then there is no point in filling the void in the middle. For this purpose, use plywood, boards, and an old tabletop from another table. You can cut and assemble the top for the table from two side parts of old polished cabinets. The tabletop is secured using metal corners and self-tapping screws.
Types of retractable mechanisms
Fittings are one of the most important parts of sliding wardrobes with drawers at the bottom. Thanks to high-quality guides, the drawers slide out smoothly, easily and silently.
Modern models are equipped with several types of retractable mechanisms :
- Roller systems. Typically, furniture uses several sets of rollers; this significantly affects the cost of the product. The roller mechanism makes noise during operation, so you should give preference to rubberized elements. This fitting can only withstand a weight of up to 10 kg.
- Ball systems. Stronger and more durable fittings, do not create noise and cope with heavy loads (withstands weight up to 40 kg). To store heavy items, only the ball system is used. Such rails are mounted not only on the sides of the box, but also on the top and bottom.
- Metaboxes. A modern version of the furniture pull-out system, created on the basis of roller guides. The rails on the sides are also the sides of the drawer. The facade, back wall and bottom are fixed with the possibility of adjustment. The maneuverable metabox can withstand a weight of up to 20 kg, does not jam when closed and reliably serves for many years.
Option 2: planting seedlings
As a rule, gardeners and gardeners used to plant seedlings using ordinary wooden boxes. But with the advent of plastic containers, wooden boxes have a serious competitor. The plastic alternative is essentially no different from the wooden one, except for one thing: durability. It is obvious that boxes made of polypropylene will last much longer than containers made of natural wood. This means that they can be used for growing seedlings for one, two, five, or ten years. It all depends on how careful the gardener is when using the container.
Life hack: in the spring, the boxes can be used for planting seedlings, and in the fall - for storing crops. But dual use involves the use of polyethylene or garden non-woven material. Just cover the box with it in the spring, so that by the fall, after removing the non-woven material along with the soil, the box will be immediately ready for use as storage.
Recommendations for selection
Good furniture with a high-quality sliding mechanism lasts for years. There are several criteria to consider when purchasing. To properly arrange cabinets, you need to take into account the layout of the room. Before buying furniture, you should consider in advance what will be stored in it.
Special attention is paid to the quality of the fittings, as this is the weakest part of the furniture. If it is made of cheap material, it will break quite quickly. You can’t save money here; you need to purchase durable fittings made of stainless metal. The thickness must be at least 1.5 mm.
Good furniture with a high-quality sliding mechanism lasts for years.
When purchasing, you should pay attention to the operation of the guides (retractable mechanism). The boxes should move silently and smoothly. The creaking and crackling of the mechanism should alert you, this indicates that it is made skewed.
Poor installation of guides will lead to rapid wear and spoil the appearance of the furniture. There should be no scratches, chips or abrasions on the lining of the product.
Wardrobe
A dressing room is every woman's dream. However, standard cabinets for this room are expensive, and when made to order, the price turns out to be sky-high. The issue of storing clothes and shoes for the whole family is especially acute, because it is important to think over the most convenient option that would also look attractive.
Furniture made from old drawers can easily be both beautiful and functional. Many people limit themselves to small interior details to begin with, but some risk making this particular project the basis of the room.
First of all, you need to understand what can be done. There are practically no restrictions with this material. If there is a shortage of boxes, it is easy to put them together yourself from unnecessary boards.
When you no longer feel like doing simple crafts, you can take on a dressing room project. In your storage space, you need to have many small cabinets. This will help you sort your clothes and shoes and always keep them in perfect condition.
A dressing room can be strict, when single-color wooden boxes are simply stacked on top of each other along the wall, or very unusual, when assembled in a checkerboard pattern or individual modules are installed. Furniture made from wooden boxes can be easily painted in any shade.
The most important thing when assembling such a large-scale project as a dressing room is to show your imagination and realize all your wishes. Additionally, you can add furniture fittings, cover the back wall with beautiful fabric, or otherwise decorate the drawers.
Design features
Any box, regardless of the material it is made of, is a capacious container. In this situation, this is a ready-made pot for planting flowers and ornamental plants. It is filled with soil, used alone or piled into a multi-tiered pyramid.
For a multi-tiered flower bed, it is optimal to use up to 6 drawers
It is important to remember that wooden and plastic containers are not particularly durable. Pyramids are created from no more than 5-6 elements. Otherwise, under the weight of the soil, the upper tiers will crush the lower base, and the structure will fall apart.
If you want to create an unusual flower garden, it is important to know the principle of its design. A few recommendations from professionals will help you cope with the task:
- When creating a flower bed with your own hands, the boxes are selected according to size and preferably from the same material. The choice of plant varieties for planting depends on this. If the container is small, flowers with a small root system are planted, growing up to 40 cm in height. Regarding the material, it is easier to maintain the same container. For example, plastic walls quickly warm up in the sun, so they will have to be shaded so that the roots of the plants do not burn.
- For the first planting, take unpretentious plants. It’s easier to train on them and get used to flowerbed maintenance. Advice! Flowers of different varieties can be planted in the same flowerbed, but they are selected with the same exacting requirements for growing conditions.
- Space in any drawer is limited. It cannot be densely planted with plants. They will grow and oppress themselves.
- Most flower varieties are best planted in groups. They look more beautiful and grow well compared to single plants.
- For successful planting of flowers, a plan is drawn up taking into account the budding period of each variety. If everything is done correctly, the flowerbed will bloom from spring to autumn, and not for a certain short period of time.
- In a multi-tiered flowerbed, you can plant plants with different requirements for soil composition and care, but they are grouped in separate boxes. However, there must be one requirement for growing conditions, because it is impossible to divide a flower garden into several parts so that one is in dampness, another is in the heat, and the third is in the shade.
It is unwise to cram a flower bed with flowers with a variety of colors. The combination of bright and pastel colors looks beautiful.
Option 1: crop storage
The most basic and even banal option is to store garden produce in such a container. The very ones that you grew and collected with your own hands. Think about it: a plastic box is truly an ideal storage unit. Firstly, it has a strong frame and fairly dense walls. Secondly, its walls are not solid (as is the bottom), they are mesh. And therefore, they allow oxygen to circulate back and forth, protecting vegetables and fruits from mold and preventing the appearance of rot. In such containers, the harvest will be stored much longer than, say, in cardboard boxes. And this is certainly the merit of the structure of plastic containers.
The only question that may arise in your mind when using these boxes is the question of where to put them. The boxes are really quite large, and finding a place for them in a small country cellar will be very difficult. To save space, it makes sense to make plastic boxes one by one. Due to their structure, such an arrangement of boxes will not affect the quality of crop storage in any way. And it will save plenty of space. Such placement, in fact, is limited solely by the height of the cellar or room in which you intend to install the boxes with the harvest.
Decorative elements
In order for the apartment to feel cozy and comfortable, it is necessary not only to properly furnish it and make repairs, but also to think through the pleasant, beautiful little things that characterize the owners and create a great mood for them. Examples include decorative shelves, stands, various paintings and figurines.
Do-it-yourself items for interior decoration are often made from wooden boxes. A shelf painted in a bright color or an original box on wheels for children's toys will add zest to any room. Each person can come up with their own design. Perhaps this will be an antique option, coated with natural varnish and preserving the natural color of the wood, sometimes they decide to add bright shades and use colors, and some upholster the drawers with fabric, in which case they look very nice and homely.
Whether in the garden or in the vegetable garden
Plastic containers may be unsightly, but they are very practical: they will not get wet in water, will not rot in the ground, and can serve faithfully for a long time, even if the service conditions are not the most favorable. It is not surprising that summer residents willingly take advantage of this.
Plant lovers willingly use plastic planting boxes
Mobile beds
Of course, owners of large plots of land are unlikely to find the idea of such beds useful - it is most often adopted by city farmers and simply city dwellers who want to make a small vegetable garden in the yard, on the roof of a house or on the balcony.
Mobile beds made from boxes allow you to grow a wide variety of crops
Mini-beds made from boxes are mobile , their arrangement is easy to change, combining in different ways for your own convenience and the comfort of the plants. A vegetable garden in such containers can be placed almost anywhere if desired.
You can place such a vegetable garden almost anywhere
However, you should not think that the possibilities of the boxes are limited to mini-beds. It all depends on the number of these same boxes and the ingenuity of their owner. Some, for example, consider such containers to be a convenient material for constructing high beds over large areas. And why not?
You can build high beds from boxes
Or maybe you don’t need beds, but flower beds ? Then what can you say about this option?
“Locomotive from Romashkovo” with flower box cars
In boxcars, by the way, it is quite possible to plant a small children’s garden , where a young agronomist will be happy to grow his first harvest.
Vertical gardens
Who said that boxes must be placed horizontally? Looking at the following photos, you will be convinced that plastic containers are an excellent material for creating vertical gardens and vegetable gardens :
With the help of planting boxes, plantings can be placed not only horizontally, but also vertically
The convenience and practicality of such designs is a controversial issue, of course, but they always have fans. Some are attracted by originality, others are pushed to experiment by cramped spaces... Whether this idea suits you or not can be assessed by carefully weighing all the pros and cons of vertical beds.
By the way, for both vertical and horizontal planting areas of this kind, the correct choice of liner is very important, which will hold the soil in the boxes and prevent it from drying out quickly:
What material to use to line future beds from the inside is a serious question
Non-woven materials, fine mesh, polyethylene film, coconut fabric - there are many options, and each has both advantages and disadvantages.
Bulbs in boxes
This idea has become quite popular recently. In the comments, some seven-dacha residents have already talked about how they plant tulips and gladioli in boxes .
Tulips in boxes - what are the advantages?
The advantages are obvious: the box helps not to lose bulbs (even the smallest ones) when digging, and in general significantly facilitates this process; in addition, it can serve as some protection against rodents, replacing conventional baskets for planting bulbous plants.
Whether this method suits you or not, decide for yourself
True, to plant flowers in boxes, you will have to dig more. And in a flower garden among perennials it will not be possible to place tulips in this way - this is an option for continuous plantings. Well, there are probably no universal solutions that have no drawbacks at all.
The technology for planting bulbs in boxes is shown in detail in the video from Yulia Minyaeva - watch it to decide whether this option is right for you or not:
Composting waste
Another popular topic is composting household waste. And here, too, boxes help us - from them, summer residents have learned to build compact and practical garden composters :
You can build a small waste composter from boxes
Within the framework of this collection, unfortunately, it is not possible to consider in detail the technology for preparing compost and vermicompost.
Setting up a chicken coop
Plastic boxes are a practical and budget-friendly material for arranging a country chicken coop . This doesn’t even require any special explanation - the photo clearly shows what’s what:
Boxes can be used to arrange a chicken coop
Of course, these are not all the possibilities for using boxes in gardening. Many summer residents know how convenient it is and store harvests in them ; Every home craftsman probably has boxes with tools and materials in his workshop or garage - I think any of you can list other options without any problems.
And it can be like that...
But a dacha is also a home. And there is also a use for plastic boxes in the house, don’t even doubt it!
