How to Re-Use Cigar Boxes

The artisanship that goes into making a cigar box is amazing. Many cigar boxes are handcrafted from cedar or balsa wood. Many people who collect cigar boxes because they are too interesting to dispose of after the cigars are long gone. Use the following creative ideas to re-use cigar boxes that you own or collect.

Things You'll Need

• Empty cigar box

Instructions

1. Remove any residue from leftover cigars from the inside of the cigar box. If there is a strong unpleasant odor, place several tablespoons of baking soda in a paper muffin cup and place inside a closed box for several days to absorb it. A fabric softening dryer sheet can absorb odors as well.

2. Collect and display these fabulous boxes as artwork in your home or office. Cigar boxes make perfect décor for a study or office and they can be useful as well. The cedar boxes with brass hinges are perfect as a storage box for pens, letter openers, scissors or office notes. The "torpedo" cigar boxes make excellent desk accessory organizers, as they're extra long to hold lengthy items. Square or rectangular boxes make fine bookends for a study.

3. Use the boxes to collect small bits of tobacco history. The boxes are stamped and marked as to where they're made and where the cigars were made. You'll find cigar boxes from Puerto Rico, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Honduras, Mexico and many other wonderful countries. The older cigar boxes will have revenue stamps sealed on the wood of the boxes. The purpose of these stamps was to show that the required tobacco fees and taxes had been paid and collected. The stamp went over the opening of the cigar box, so a seal would be broken when the box was opened to retrieve the cigars from inside.

4. Compare the cigar boxes you have to see if they're used in any "tramp art," which was popular from around 1862 through 1932. People started noticing then that the cigar boxes were perhaps more interesting than the cigars they held. During that time period, they used the cigar boxes as an artwork base or canvas, painting and decorating the interior of the box as art. Look through antique stores and flea markets to see if you can find a "tramp art" cigar box.

5. Make a cigar box purse from some of the wooden boxes. The intricate brass hinges and clasps on many of the boxes make excellent sizes for eclectic styles of purses. Many of these have beaded handles and delicate little tassels added. Cigar boxes such as the Ashton Cabinet's "Pyramids," made in the Dominican Republic, make a perfect size for a specialty purse. These purses are like carrying a piece of art with you. If you don't want to carry your cigar box purse, use it as a jewelry box on your dresser.

6. Create your own music by making a guitar out of a cigar box. These resemble some of the old handmade banjos from years ago. The box is the base of the instrument, a hole cut in the center, handles and strings added to complete the music instrument. This is a trend in the music styles of bluegrass at music and outdoor festivals. Cigar box kits can be purchased and show you step by step how to construct your own guitar from a cigar box.

7. Let your imagination run with ideas to create something out of your cigar box, depending on its shape. Turn your cigar box into a clock or a lamp. A handy person can cut the necessary holes to insert the mechanisms for the clock or for a lamp. The ideas for using cigar boxes will go as far as your imagination takes you.