Use your recycled cardboard to make an efficient file holder.
Rather than spend money on an expensive commercial filing system for your home office, use cardboard destined for the recycling bin and make a personalized file for all your home documents or for filing correspondence. So much cardboard is thrown away and takes up space in landfill sites while it breaks down, but it's a relatively tough and versatile material for making useful items. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Obtain a cardboard box that is one inch wider than the length of a standard sheet of paper, and half an inch higher than the width. If you don't have such a box, check out your local shops, or ask businesses for an empty 5-ream paper box. Make a list of the sections you need and total them up. If you want an alphabetized file you'll need 20 or more, or you might want just a few for specific legal documents.
2. Cut a batch of cardboard sheets, one inch wider than the inside front of your box but the same height. Measure a 1/2-inch margin with a 12-inch ruler down each short side and score both lines lightly with a box cutter. Turn the sheets upside down on a flat surface and bend each side inward along the scored lines.
3. Apply a thin film of glue along the outside of the left and right flaps of a sheet. Insert the sheet lengthwise into the box, placing the left and right flaps against the left and right sides of the inside of the box, up against the left and right corners. The bottom edge of the sheet should touch the inside base of the box. This makes a 1/2-inch pocket at the front inside of the box.
4. Apply adhesive to the left and right flaps of your second sheet of card. Press the left and right flaps against the left and right sides of the inside of the box, with the long edges of the flaps pushed up against the first sheet of card where it joins each side of the box.
5. Continue with the remaining sheets of card, pushing the flaps of each subsequent card up to the edge of the previous card where it adheres to the inside of the box. Allow the adhesive to dry thoroughly according to the manufacturer's instructions.
6. Type or write labels for each of the sections. If the file is to be alphabetized, arrange the labels in a staggered pattern across the top of the dividing sheets so that they're easy to see. Either use small sticky labels and place one on the front edge of each sheet, or cut small rectangles of cardboard and glue them to each sheet.
7. Decorate the outside of the box if you wish, using paint, wallpaper, magazine pictures or brown paper, or simply paint it. If you make more than one file, for different business needs, attach a label to the front of each box for identification.
Tags: left right, left right flaps, right flaps, against left, against left right
