The Paper Keeper

There is a pile of paper taking up residence on the left side of my kitchen island. I keep it tidied to the best of my abilities but it is growing at a rapid pace. The homeless papers are a hodepodge of things we need to keep; letters from K's school, an X-Ray order for my husband's shoulder, the letter from our bank stating that our car loan is paid in full (yeah!); important documents with no important place to put them. Their place on the counter leaves them vulnerable to spills and smudges and their presence annoys me to no end. I need them up, off and away quickly, cheaply and permanently. Here's how to make your very own paper keeper out of recyled materials!


1.Select an empty cereal box. *Side Note* I am aware that Peanut Butter Captain Crunch stands for everything I am against when it comes to nutrition but it was on sale for $1.99 and I was having a moment of weakness. Forgive me.

2.Cut the top off and angle the front down and across. I can't really think of how to explain that....just look at the picture and use your brain. It's not too complicated! Reinforce all seams and edges with packing tape.

3.Make it pretty! Select a covering for your cereal box.You can use scrapbook paper, paint, book pages...whatever you have on hand. I used some leftover wrapping paper. It's not my favorite pattern and does nothing for the decor but remember, we're using what we have!

4.Wrap your box like you would a present. The wrapping actually turned out to be a bit tricky, but after some finagling I got it pretty well covered. I secured my paper with hot glue so there wouldn't be any visible tape but you use whatever adhesive makes you happy.

5.Secure to the fridge with magnetic clips and PRESTO! A place for the papers that have no place. And now no one will ever even know I bought Captain Crunch...