Lovely senior life

[For Seniors] Have Fun Reusing! Tissue Box Craft Ideas

[For Seniors] Have Fun Reusing! Tissue Box Craft Ideas

Last updated:2025/3/4

Social worker / Care workermoko
My name is Moko, a mother of three who admired my mother and worked in the care industry as a care worker and as a medical social worker (MSW) in a hospital. I will be drawing on my previous experience to write mainly about caregiving. Thank you in advance.

When you think of familiar scrap materials, tissue boxes probably come to mind.

Since we use tissues every day, tissue boxes are something we often end up throwing away.

Here are some ideas to repurpose those tissue boxes that would otherwise be discarded.

There are practical items like small organizers and pen stands, games you can play after making them, and even projects perfect as gifts for your grandchildren.

Crafting uses your hands, which helps exercise your fingers and stimulate the brain.

It also builds creativity and can be effective for dementia prevention.

Use this article as a guide and give tissue box crafts a try!

[For Seniors] Have Fun Reusing! Tissue Box Craft Ideas (1–10)

pen holder

DIY a tissue box · Origami gift box · Mr. Coin Origami Channel 15

pen holder

Open the tissue box and flatten it.

Cut off the left and right sides, then cut down the middle to make it a single sheet.

Fold it in half with the printed surface facing inward, then fold it in half once more.

Open it once, fold down all four corners, and continue folding while shaping it into a box.

For the final overlapping part, securing it with a clip will make it more stable.

Our hands have tactile senses that perceive touch, temperature, and texture through sensory nerves.

Therefore, using our hands is said to stimulate the brain and help prevent cognitive decline.

The tissue box used this time has a moderate firmness and requires applying pressure with the fingertips when shaping it, so it may be even more effective.

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organizer box

Turn a tissue box into a small organizer. Just fold it in half to easily make a tidy storage box! #handmade #DIY #handicraft #crafts #handmade #seniors #howto #smallitems #emptytissuebox

organizer box

Glasses, remote controls, pens, notepads—leave them where you used them and your table turns into a mess… sound familiar? If tidying up is a hassle and you think, “I’ll need it again soon anyway,” here’s an organizer box for you.

All you need is a single tissue box.

It’s easy to make: draw a line at the halfway point of the box, cut along the line on every side except the back, then fold it and secure it with double-sided tape.

That’s it—you’ve got a simple organizer that will tidy up your tabletop.

If you decorate it with origami paper or stickers to your taste, you might grow even more attached to it.

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Handmade guitar

For an indoor recreation/craft activity for seniors (home care), we tried making a 'handmade guitar' using an empty tissue box, a plastic wrap core, and rubber bands.

Handmade guitar

All you need are a tissue box, a plastic wrap core, and rubber bands of your choice.

It’s super easy to make! Punch a hole in the box, insert the wrap core, and tape it in place so it doesn’t slip out.

Wrap rubber bands in your favorite colors around the core to create a colorful guitar neck.

Then thread rubber bands across both sides of the box to make the strings.

Decorate with origami paper or stickers if you like to create your very own guitar.

Strum along to music and you’ll feel like a musician! Give it a try!

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jack-in-the-box

[Demon Slayer] DIY at home: Remake a tissue box into a fun jack-in-the-box with a springing butterfly!! / Demon Slayer

jack-in-the-box

How about a jack-in-the-box featuring your favorite character? You’ll need a tissue box, rubber bands, origami paper, and a printout of your favorite character.

First, cut out the rim of the box and make a slit near the center.

Fold it up to form the box.

Decorate the box with origami paper as you like.

Next, make the popping contents.

Cut a toilet paper roll into three pieces, make slits, and thread rubber bands through them.

The rubber bands will make them spring.

Attach your favorite character to these pieces.

To prevent them from popping out too soon, pack as many as you can into the box and close it gently.

As soon as it opens, the characters will spring up—just like a real jack-in-the-box! If you make one using a grandchild’s favorite anime character and give it as a gift, they’re sure to be delighted.

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basket-style accessory case

[Crafting with Empty Tissue Boxes: Making Small Items] A basket-style accessory holder ♪ #handmade #DIY #handicraft #craft #emptytissuebox #seniors #howto

basket-style accessory case

Let’s start by making the basket’s body.

First, cut around the tissue pull-out opening with scissors.

Keep the piece you cut out—it will be used as the basket handle.

Draw a line down the center of the remaining box and mark points at equal intervals from there.

It’s easier to fold if you crease it in advance, so make the creases first and then shape it into a basket.

Secure the overlapping creases with double-sided tape to finish the basket.

Attach the handle you saved, then decorate it with your favorite origami paper.

You’ll have your very own basket-style organizer.

It’s easy to make, so it’s also recommended as a recreation activity in senior care facilities.

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pocket tissue case

Actually, this has pocket tissues inside! [Pocket Tissue Case Made from an Empty Tissue Box] #handmade #diy #handicraft #craft #seniors #howto

pocket tissue case

Prepare one box of boxed tissues.

Draw guide lines to divide the box into three sections, then cut along the lines with scissors.

Remove the film from the middle section and alternate mountain and valley folds.

The zigzag shape acts as a spring.

Place the spring between the two side sections and secure it with double-sided tape to complete your pocket tissue case.

Even when the tissues run low, the spring keeps them firmly in place.

You can also decorate it with origami paper to create your own original pocket tissue case.

It’s easy to make, so it’s also recommended for recreational activities in senior facilities.

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small accessory case

What do you think this originally was!? It’s actually a tissue box! [A small storage box made from an empty tissue box] It has a lid, so the contents stay hidden♪ #handmade #diy #handicraft #craft #seniors #howto

small accessory case

Why not turn unwanted items into a handy little organizer? All you need to prepare is one tissue box and two sheets each of two different kinds of origami paper.

First, peel off the film in the center.

Next, from the hole in the middle, draw lines toward the corners to mark cutting guides.

Use scissors to cut along those lines.

Apply double-sided tape to the back, and attach the pieces while shaping them.

Once you’ve formed a box that opens and closes, stick on the origami paper you prepared earlier and decorate to finish.

Imagining the shape as you work stimulates the brain, and since you’ll use your fingertips a lot, it may also help prevent cognitive decline.

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