April 16, 2009

How would you use a box that once held newspapers?

Recycling is in so 10,000 Words pulled together six ways to use newspaper boxes. There a grill, an aquarium, a digital newsstand, book exchange, holder of a computer network and playpen. Check out the nice photos and links.

But he only got a few of the many suggestions:

A commenter over on a Boing Boing post outlined how he used one as a sideways table, and then a bookcase.

Same blog - Weaponx says try these ideas: bird house, oven, jukebox, or heavy-duty television cabinet

Another commenter says beer cooler, rabbit hutch, aquarium stand, telephone-phonebook organizer, and wet bar.

You'll find more ideas over on this blog post, including a suggestion that perhaps some content from a news web site could be selected to be printed on paper and then stuffed into the boxes. Other ideas were bike racks, toilets, storage units for the homeless and a fund-raising challenge to artists.

The box above was at a Hello Chicago, My Name Is show in 2008. The other one uses LEDs in a mash-up.

Which city will be the first to play off the idea that bought us the Cow Parade in Harrisburg PA and many other cities, the Big Pig Gig in Cincinnati. I can see many mote like the CPD monster in the Hello Chicago, My Name Is exhibit.

A fast-moving community might even consider combining the art idea with a street installation. That way a newspaper could save $$$ and let the artists paint on location.

What would you do with an empty newspaper box?

1 comment:

  1. I like the bird house idea, except when newspapers are gone, what are we going to line it with?

    Try wrapping fish and lining your bird cage with your computer page.

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