How to Make a Cooler out of a Cardboard Box

If you find yourself in need of a quick temporary cooler, grab a cardboard box and a plastic bag and make your own in a minute. If you want to be able to use your cardboard cooler a few times before throwing it away, or need it keep your foods cold for longer, get a few more supplies and spend a little more time.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Cardboard box
• Plastic bag
• Styrofoam panel
• Ruler
• Marker
• Knife
• Glue

Quick cardboard cooler

1. Choose a cardboard box that is large enough to hold the items you need to keep cold, as well as plenty of ice.
2. Put the plastic bag inside the cardboard box and move the plastic around with your fingers to conform it to the shape of the box. Push the plastic into the box corners. You are using the plastic bag to create a lining for the box. Be sure there are no holes in the plastic bag to prevent the cardboard from getting wet.
3. Put your food and ice inside the plastic lined box, then fold the top of the plastic bag closed on the top. Close the top of the cardboard box.

More involved cardboard cooler

4. Choose your cardboard box. When making this cooler, you need to not only allow space for your food, drinks and ice, but also for a layer of insulation. The thickness of the styrofoam sheet that you are using to insulate your cooler determines how much extra space you need. If your styrofoam is 1 inch thick, you need an extra 2 inches on height, width and length.
5. Make your insulation panels. Measure all six sides of the box. Then measure and mark your styrofoam so you can make an insulation panel for each side of the cardboard box. Use a ruler to measure carefully and then draw straight cutting lines for each panel. Use a knife to cut out your styrofoam panels.
6. Line your box with a plastic bag, the same way you would do for making the quick cooler above. Then put the styrofoam panels into the box, on top of the plastic liner. Apply glue to the backs of the panels to hold them in place on the plastic liner. Put the bottom panel in first, then put in the 4 sides. Leave the top panel off until your cooler is full.
7. Fill your cooler with the items you need to keep cold and then fill all remaining space with ice cubes.
8. Place the top styrofoam panel on top of the ice and close the cardboard box securely.

Tips & Warnings

• With both of these cardboard coolers, your box will stay sturdy longer if you seal the ice into small plastic bags before putting it into the cooler. Although you are lining the cardboard with plastic, the plastic will tear and get holes in time, and water will get through if you use loose ice cubes in the cooler.