When ordering packing supplies online, it can be difficult to know exactly how much of each material you need. You want to make sure you have enough boxes and bubble wrap to get the job done, but you do not want to be wasteful either. Buying packing supplies becomes much easier when you consider all the creative and useful ways that leftover packing materials can be reused, however. 

Boxes

Whether you accidentally ordered too many boxes or you have boxes lying around that you received in the mail, it is time to put them to good use. Use extra boxes to store items you do not use on a regular basis, including out-of-season decorations, extra serving dishes and kids’ sports equipment. If you have small children, turn boxes into robots, trains or houses. Use small boxes as drawer dividers for socks, belts and ties. 

Bubble Wrap

The best use for leftover bubble wrap—jumping on it—is pretty obvious, but there are plenty of other uses for leftover bubble wrap as well. Use it to line your refrigerator fruit and vegetable drawers to keep your fruit from bruising. Use it under your sleeping bag when camping on hard, rocky surfaces to keep yourself more comfortable while you sleep. If you use reusable grocery bags when grocery shopping, line them with bubble wrap to keep your groceries cold while you shop, or keep bubble wrap in the car to keep your groceries cold during the ride home. 

Packing Peanuts

Some new types of packing peanuts are actually biodegradable and can be added to your compost bin. If you have the old-fashioned packing peanuts lying around, however, you will have to find a good use for them. You can use packing peanuts in the bottom of your flower pots instead of gravel to improve drainage while keeping the pots light. You can attach a couple to your keys to make a floating keychain. You can also use them to stuff homemade Halloween costumes. Throw a layer of packing peanuts on top of a cooler full of ice to keep the ice cold longer. 

With these new uses for everyday packing materials, you might just find that you have so much fun playing with your packing materials that you do not have any left for actually packing boxes with them. ​