How can I reuse or recycle round, wooden Camembert boxes?

Camembert boxOver on the suggestions page, the Eternal*Voyageur asked:

What could I do with those nice Camembert cheese boxes ?

They’re cute little wooden things and in our kitchen, most wooden boxes ended up reused as tea-bag caddies (we have a lot of teabags) – but I suspect these guys may be a little too … cheesy/ammonia-y for that.

Any suggestions for how to freshen up the boxes once the cheese has been eaten?

And what about other reuses?

(Photo by pdphoto

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14 Responses to “How can I reuse or recycle round, wooden Camembert boxes?”


  1. Mary says:

    How about putting some baking soda or activated charcoal in them for a couple of days to absorb the odor. Then I would store little things in them–buttons, earrings, hair ties, cuff links, etc.

  2. Agata says:

    Sprinkle them with lemon juice,it will remove the smell.They are great to keep jewelry in them!

  3. rosie says:

    We had a load of cheeseboxes when i was young.. Simply paint the boxes, and glue them ontop of one another (sticking the base of one box to the lid of the other) This will lead to a tower of boxes which can be used to give away sweets, or to store jewellery etc.. :D

  4. Nicole says:

    Fill it with wine bottle corks for a trivet or mini cork board.

  5. Melinda says:

    decoupage!

  6. Lucia says:

    Use them to make nice packages for presents of all kinds or to put away in fridge pieces of cheese: the wood will keep the right humidity.

  7. Danielle says:

    Two-pronged inspiration from Recycle This, in that this posting about cheese boxes and the one about buttons made me realise that a big flat box would be a great way to store my buttons – attractive and easy searching. Got two boxes from my amazing local Polish deli and washed them out with bicarbonate of soda and lemon juice. One of them still absolutely reeks. Any other suggestions?

  8. Rebekah says:

    I never see these type of boxes in the States, but if they are made of wood and smell like old cheese, how about painting with a coat of varnish or sealant? That would stop the odor (although create a new one for a few days) and may also have the effect of making it waterproof.

  9. angela says:

    Try putting dry coffee grounds in the box for a few days if charcoal does not work on the smell

  10. Anonymous says:

    Mouthwash!

  11. denise says:

    i cut a piece of batting the size of the top. then i cut a piece of fabric a about a half inch bigger. glue the batting to the top, then glue the fabric on top of the batting, attaching it to the sides, pulling a little tight as you go. i work oppisite sides at a time, it seems to work better. then take a piece of ribbon and glue around the side to cover the fabric edge. cover the bottom with a piece of felt. you can decorate the tops as you wish. they make good boxes for small gifts, a little work, but easy.

  12. Anonymous says:

    here are some crafts made from altoid mint tins. so maybe these ideas can help inspire similar projects for the wooden boxes.

    Helper Tins:
    http://www.designspongeonline.com/2009/04/diy-project-kates-miniature-helper-tins.html

    Tin Magnet/Message Board:
    http://www.designspongeonline.com/2009/04/diy-project-kates-tin-message-board.html

  13. Chris Peacock says:

    I’m thinking of detaching the tops, gluing them to a base of some sort, sealing in some way, and using as coasters. Sorry its a bit vague, but I haven’t worked out the details yet!



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