How can I reuse or recycle cardboard cake boards?

We’ve had an email from Molly:

Our wonderful family and friends brought a selection of home made cakes to our Christmas party and I’ve been left with 5 cake boards. They’re card so I won’t be able to wash them to use them again but I don’t want to just throw them out. What can I do with them?

Actually recycling them might be a problem if they’re mixed materials – cardboard topped with foil or the like. You can rip the foil off and recycle the card but it’ll be better to reuse them if possible.

I’ve seen a pinboard made from cardboard cake boards – stick a couple together if you want them to be thicker/stronger. An alternative to that might be sticking a bulldog clip or the like to the top and using it as a clipboard for shopping lists. The thinner square/rectangular ones might also work as covers for a notebook – perhaps for all your favourite cake recipes? :)

It’s hard to reduce waste when items come as a gift but perhaps you could encourage the cake bakers in your life to use washable alternatives in the future – either a purpose-made acrylic or wooden board, or a large pretty plate — I find charity shops a good source for the latter.

Any other reuse suggestions – or alternatives for future cakes?

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6 Responses to “How can I reuse or recycle cardboard cake boards?”


  1. You can make your own cake boards out of plexiglass. I bought a large offcut at a local glass place and took it home, used a few standard cake boards as a guide and cut them out. They are washable and reusable and the fact that they are tranparent is also a nice feature! I just ask for them to be returned when the cake is done!

  2. Alice says:

    Could you not wipe them clean-ish, then cover them with new foil to re-use?

  3. Lynsey says:

    Hah Alice beat me to it! I was going to suggest wiping them clean and reusing them too.

  4. Tulip says:

    Glue mirror paper onto them and have an extra mirror.

  5. Deborah says:

    I have cakeboards but don’t know what to do with them but want to sell them



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