Lockdown and upcycling of custom cereal boxes

Ashley and I decided that it was time I upcycled the custom cereal boxes that were sitting in our kitchen cabinets. Ashley and I were roommates for the last two years. Due to the sudden lockdown caused by COVID 19, none of us got a chance to travel back home. We were ordering food and other items online and frankly eating a bit too much on cereals because of boredom. The lockdown after three months was certainly not getting over and we decided to do something about the clutter in our house caused by empty custom boxes of the items we had ordered during this time. As we collected the printed cereal boxes, both of us realized that we were consuming too much sugar and needed to cut down on it. One morning Ashley decided to make a giant globe from custom cereal boxes mâché for a children’s hospital.

Ashley’s sister was a doctor at a children’s hospital. The doctors and nurses of the hospital were always coming up with ideas to decorate the different wards of children to uplift their moods. Ashley’s sister had decided to get a globe with continents and oceans marked on it. When Ashley heard this, she decided to help her sister by making this globe using printed cereal boxes that we had, in abundance. I thought it was a great idea. So, I called up our neighbors and friends to find out if they had empty cereal boxes that we could use. One evening during the ease of COVID curfew, I drove myself to their homes and collected these boxes from their doorsteps, where each of them had placed them. I came back home and called to thank them for their help. Ashley and I were excited about this project.

What is printed on cereal packaging boxes?
As we tore the different cereal boxes, I realized that the custom cereal boxes USA manufacturers and marketers print information related to;

• Net Weight
• Marketing Retail Price
• Branding identity
• Ingredient list
• Instructions
• Per serving intake etc.

Other than this information, sometimes the cereal packaging boxes also include puzzles and crosswords printed on these custom boxes. It helps them attract their target audience of kids. As we submerged the boxes of cereal in large water tubs, Ashley told me that the cereal brands are known for paying more to retails to place their items on the middle shelves. It made it easier for kids to spot their favorite brands. I found myself thinking that it is a smart choice. We covered the large tubs and covered them for three days. Every day Ashley and I would take turns to pound the mâché. Soon the cardboard got mushy and we were able to discard any form of plastic used in making these boxes.

One giant globe of cereal packaging boxes
There was still one more step remaining. We had to collect wasted printed sheets and old newspapers from our house, friends, and neighbors and cut them into strips. Once we did that Ashley and I took out our paintbrushes and started applying glue to our inflated balloon. Strips of newspaper and waste paper sheets were applied to the balloon. We allowed this layer of strips to dry out and harden. Once it was done, we applied the gooey mixture of pulp and glue to this layer. This layer took three days to dry. Once done a layer of strips is again applied to the balloon and allowed to try. In the end oceans and continents were painted on it. we deflated the balloon using a needle and everyone who saw this globe was amazed at the giant globe made from custom printed cereal boxes