Why Do Cats Absolutely Love Cardboard Boxes?

Cats are simply adorable with an extra dose of cuteness added to their furry awesomeness. You can find them chasing birds, their own shadow, lights, and just about anything that manages to get their attention. If you own a cat, then you will relate to all of this instantly. 

Have you ever noticed that your cat has extra affection for boxes, especially cardboard boxes? If you have some old cardboard boxes lying around, then let your cats have fun in them. They will probably spend a good time lying in them or playing around. Watching them play around with a box will make you go “Awwww!!!”

Why do cats love cardboard boxes so much? What is it about the corrugated material that appeals so much to them? Is it the smell? Is it the feel? A group of researchers have come up with an answer to this puzzling question. According to their report, Cardboard boxes helps in reducing stress in cats. In fact, these boxes help them in adjusting to a new environment. Cats with lower stress levels are less prone to diseases. Plus, they are happier than other cats.

The researchers also found that cats seem to love the smell of cardboard. This is why any other box just isn’t good enough for them. Cats also love hiding in the cardboard boxes. It helps them in getting used to a new environment. So if you have used or old boxes, give it to your cat instead of throwing the boxes away. Your cat will be very happy to get its very own hiding box. 

You might even find a cat moving around with its cardboard box just so that it doesn’t get lost. Yeah, cats can get possessive too!

Probably the only downside to a simple cardboard box is that it isn’t visually appealing. If the box is old or used, then it will have torn labels and signs of damage. Cats wont find this cool enough! Use your creativity and craft skills to create the perfect cardboard house for your cat. You can use old boxes as long as you make sure that the labels are removed and damages are repaired. Don’t apply paint as it will mask the smell of the cardboard and your cat wont find it appealing enough. 

Check out some cool “cat house” ideas below. 

The Glamorous Home

Double ‘em Up

“White House” – For Cats Only

The Modern Cat House

So now you know the reason behind cats loving cardboard boxes so much. The next time you think about throwing away those old boxes, just wait and think of the ways in which they can be reused. I am sure your cat (or your neighbour’s cat) will love to get a new hiding place. 

Just let them have fun and you won’t have to bother about scratched sofas and damaged curtains ever again.

How to Tape Cardboard Boxes Correctly

Did you ever wonder if there was a correct way of taping those cardboard boxes? Simply filling your stuff, closing the lip and putting that long piece of duct tape will never help you to secure the contents properly. Yes, there is a “correct way” of sealing the boxes.

Start with the Right Materials

Even if you manage to tape the materials properly, it won’t do you much good unless you have the right set of materials with you. Start with a sturdy and strong cardboard box. Make sure there are no visible damages or loose edges as this could affect the strength of the box. 

Taping the Bottom

The bottom section is the one that takes the maximum load, so this is the area that you need to start working on first. Close the flaps (if they are open) and bring them all together. Use a nice and thick tape to completely seal the centre portion such that the two big flaps are held together properly. 

The next step is to make a cross with the tape. You might have heard this suggestion a lot of times. But this does work. Make sure you seal off the bottom end of the box before you make the cross. This helps to keep the base even more stable.

The final step in this stage is to make two parallel tape lines on top of the original taped line but in the other direction. This will help to keep the base and the structure pretty strong. 

Securing the Top

The trick to getting a properly packed and tight surface is to fill the contents properly without leaving gap or any space. Just place everything tightly and place it carefully. This way, nothing would move or shift while the box is transported. Once you close the flaps, push it slightly to ensure that it gets a nice and tight seal. 

Like we did in the bottom section, you need to tape off the center section with a thick tape. Now that the section has been taped, add two parallel tape lines on top of the center line but make sure you make these in the other direction. This should give it a nice and tight seal.

Some Friendly Advice

Use a tape dispenser to save time. Don’t rely on yourself for holding the box, measuring the length of the tape, handling the sticky portion of the tape, and applying the tape. This can be done individually. However, it would require a lot of effort and multitasking abilities to pull it off. So make sure you use a dispenser. 

You can use tapes that have text written on this. This is really helpful while marking the boxes. If you use these tapes, then place one on the side, and one can be placed on the top. This would give the necessary information to the handler. 

3 Minute Gift Wrapping Ideas for the Busy Soul

It’s not that you forgot about wrapping up the gifts. You just don’t have the time for it because you are a busy person. It is also possible that you did indeed forget about the gifts and now you are running out of time. If you mess up the wrapping, then you would fail to make an impression on the people receiving the gifts. Creating a presentable wrapping would take some time, which you are clearly running out of. What’s the best thing that can be done?

Here are some amazing gift wrapping ideas that should not take more than 3 minutes to do and they don’t compromise on visual appeal in any way. 

Bon Bon Style Wrap

It just doesnt get any simpler than this. Even if you have less than 2 minutes to make this wrap, you would be able to do it easily. Just keep your gift item on a sheet of paper, fold around completely, pinch the ends and hold in place with a tape, and tie ribbons. It should not take more than 3 minutes to create this classic gift wrap design. 

Fabric Pineapple Wrap

The trick here is to get a good cloth piece with the right colours. This is the only part that would need your time. Once you have it with you, it’s all a matter of placing the object inside and folding up the ends to form a pinched end. With that done, you need to tie the junction and put a ribbon, flowers, balls, etc. That’s about everything that needs to be done here. My guess is that it took you less than 3 minutes (excluding the cloth searching part). 

Pouches

You can find these in your house or office anytime. Even if you do not have them, you can always buy them as they are easily available. This is probably the fastest gift wrapping ideas. It might not exactly be a wrap but at least it makes a good presentation with minimal effort. Just keep the contents inside and tie the end with a simple string. The star of the show is the tag or the label. This is what gains the most attention in this package so make sure you write a nice message or the name of the recipient. 

Simple Box n Ribbon Wrapping

This is a simple gift wrap. There isn’t anything bold about this design. But it is appealing and has a rustic simplicity in it. This can take slightly more than 3 minutes to make but it would be definitely worth the while. Just use a wrapping paper and make sure you use a corrugated box. The box will give you fixed dimensions and it would be easier to work with it. A simple wrapping should not take much time. Now for the fancy flower on the ribbon part, you need to tie the ribbon in a cross like you tie any string. Get a readymade flower or fancy ribbon design and simply stick it on the joint. Voila - you have a neat gift in just over 3 minutes. 

Wrapped in Cloth

If you think that wrapping your gift in a piece of cloth is weird, then check out the traditional gifting style of the Japanese. They have been wrapping their gifts in clothes since ages and it does make a simple yet rustic gift wrapping design. This would take under a minute for the actual wrapping and around 2 minutes for finding the right piece of cloth. Once you have the right piece of cloth (with a pleasing design of course), you simply need to put the item in it and tie it just like you would a bundle. 

Cardboard Boxes Can Teach 5 Learning Dimensions to Kids

Kids have immense learning potential and they are not confined to books or traditional learning methods. They can learn quite a lot by simply interacting with inanimate things. You never know what they might get to learn by simply playing around with a Cardboard Box or a rubber ball. But the fact is that a cardboard box can teach your kids 5 learning dimensions. Hard to believe? Just recollect some memories of your school days when you were taught basic physics with such simple items. Sometimes the simplest of things can help us to understand complex explanations. Let’s take a look at the 5 learning dimensions that kids learn from cardboard boxes. 

Imagination 

No adult in the entire world can match up to the imaginative capabilities of a child. If you find this hard to believe, then just watch them playing around with inanimate things and listen to them as they weave their story around it. A simple branch or a stick could be a powerful wand to them. An ordinary piece of cloth, when tied to their shoulder (like a cape) can make them feel like Superman. Tiny bits and pieces can be used in the most beautiful and creative ways possible.

You don’t have to go too far to analyse this. Give your child one of your used customized boxes and watch as it becomes a castle, a fortress, a ship, a home and various other things. You may have ignored the box after its purpose was fulfilled, but in the hands of a child, the box still has plenty of usage left. Unless the child gets the opportunity to explore his imagination, he won’t be able to develop this key skill which has made common men into masters of their field of work. So the next time you find your kid playing around with common stuff, encourage the child instead of chiding him. 

Spatial Exploration and Awareness Have you ever wondered why kids are naturally drawn into getting inside spaces such as holes or boxes or even small beds? It might be difficult to understand at first, but these are the signs of spatial exploration and awareness. As kids grow, they are naturally inclined into relating their size with that of objects around them. This is the reason behind children constantly testing their relative size with that of objects around them as the ratio keeps changing with age. 

While objects may be more or less constant in size, the child’s physical characteristics change with time and this gains the interest of the children. If you can recall some of your childhood memories, you would understand the reason behind you interest in trying to unlock the latch of the door. Initially, you had to take the support of some kind of a platform to reach it, but as your height grew, not only were you able to unlatch it easily but it also gave you happiness. Let kids explore their space and become aware of the relativity of different sized objects. 

Asensory Experiences 

All of us have become accustomed to providing kids with rich sensory experiences as it is good for the development of the senses. But sometimes, even asensory experiences can be a learning experience. Unless you provide the child with a lack of sensory rich environment, he won’t be able to grasp its importance.

If you consider simple cardboard boxes or even White Corrugated Boxes, the colour is pretty bland and has nothing much to offer, the smell of the material is also subtle in nature, the sound made when you bend the cardboard is also muffled and not “rich” enough to excite your sensory receptors, the smooth sides do not provide much chances for inference and the structure of the box implies emptiness. 

The interesting part about such asensory environments is the way in which children comprehend these things and then go about exploring it. Such experiences help the kids to develop their senses even further. 

Sense of Control 

What is the one thing that is always expected from children when it comes to playing with cardboard boxes? Kids love to hide inside them. In terms of developing a sense of control, the child initially hides inside the box and tempts you into explore every nook and corner. When the time is just right, the child will come out of hiding and startle you. This sense of control requires patience, analysis and proper judgement to achieve the desired effect. All of these aspects are rather difficult to teach with conventional methods, but with these games, you can help the child to understand the things in a better manner. 

Experiencing a Secure Environment 

Irrespective of whether it is a child or an adult, all of us are comforted by the sense of security where we may bundle up. We all need our personal space which we may call our own. For kids, it is the small spaces inside cardboard boxes that they find extremely comforting. This is just a small step in encouraging them to find their own space that not only gives them comfort, but also a feeling of security.

How Strong Is A Heavy Duty Cardboard Box?

When you look at the humble cardboard box, you may not be confident of the strength of the material. It is made of paper and you can fold it or modify it with your hands. But do not be under the misconception that these are weak in any way. This is no ordinary packing material. Cardboard boxes are made with flutes which are present between the layers of the material. It is this arrangement which provides immense strength to the packaging material.

Did you know that at one point of time, these corrugated boxes were produced as an attempt to replace the wooden boxes completely? Before you become judgmental, let me clear the air. If you think that you can store heavy products in single corrugated boxes and expect it to bear the weight easily then you are mistaken. The packaging will give away in this case. There are special heavy duty shipping boxes that are designed specifically for heavy duty usage and these usually have three layers of flutes or a single layer of large sized flutes. This particular arrangement makes the material as strong as any piece of lumber.

As is evident from the above explanation, you need to find out the most suitable customized boxes for your specific needs. If you have heavy products then you should go for a tri-layered corrugated box or a dual layer box. For light weighted requirements, a single layered corrugated box would be more than sufficient. The material in itself is durable enough and can hold up to external forces but there should not be any wear and tear or damage on the material as this could prove to be a weakness.

Moreover the design of the box matters a lot also. If you consider an egg, you would believe it to be fragile. But if you were to apply pressure on its ends, then you would be amazed at the amount of force that it can bear. It has been known to support heavy objects when placed in the appropriate balanced position. The same applies to heavy duty shipping boxes. You may not be able to judge their strength by merely looking at it but when you see it in action, you would be amazed at the capabilities of this simple yet durable packaging material. 

Working with Cardboard Boxes Made Fun

Did you know how easy it is to work your way with cardboard boxes? I am sure all of you are well acquainted with this multipurpose storing and packaging material. This is also referred to as the “carton box” by many. The best part about this box is that it is really affordable and is pretty much available everywhere. And with the right amount of creativity, you can come up with limitless ideas to make use of this amazing material.

The first thing that you need to know about cardboard boxes is their basic structure. Cardboards are made from paper but their strength is attributed to the use of flutes which may be in single row (single corrugated box), double layered (double corrugated box) or even tripled layered (triple corrugated box). The increase in the layer of flutes increases the capacity of the material to bear stress / forces both externally and internally. There is also a particular cardboard material which has large sized flutes for making it extra strong and is usually used for packing and storing heavy duty products.

Now that we are clear with the basic structure and the composite material of the Cardboard Boxes, you should be able to start working with it. You would be needing a pair of scissors, a cutting / slicing tool, adhesive tapes, liquid adhesives, paints (if needed), measuring tools and a marker. With these accessories prepared, you can start working with the box in any way you want. But hey! I think we are missing out on one key ingredient – “How to get the cardboard box?”

Surely you could not be considering buying them because in the end it would prove to be an expensive undertaking. Try and look for used boxes. I am sure there are plenty of them lying around in your house. You could ask your neighbours or anyone who has just got new stuff delivered to their house. The best place to get used boxes would be retail outlets and people who have recently relocated.

Working with cardboard boxes is pretty much similar to working with paper – only in this case, it is a bit thicker than a normal paper. You need to first undo the box. Now this means that you would have to cut and unfold the box itself till you get a sheet. Once you have the sheet, it is very easy to work with it. Usually, any creative idea would have to start with a base.

So for this, you can take the largest piece of unfolded or unblemished cardboard piece that you have with you. Then you can use cups or glasses to mark circles on smaller pieces and then use a sharp blade or cutter to carve out these shapes. You can always use simple instruments to mark shapes and then cut them out with the help of a sharp blade. But be very careful while doing so as you can harm yourself in the process.

Tapes are best for joining two pieces of cardboard along their edges. But if you wish to make a strong bond between cardboard cut-outs, then the best way to get it to work is to use adhesive glues. If you want to be creative and apply paint over it, then I would suggest getting used White Shipping Boxes. While you may not get this in perfectly white color due to the wear and tear during transit, but if you wipe it clean, you should be able to get a good surface to paint on.

So these are the basics of working with a cardboard box which is rather fun. Don’t you think? You can use the simplest of materials and used products to come up with something that could impress the world with its creativity and visual appeal. Let you creative juices flow and share with us your masterpieces. We would love to see how you worked with the boxes.