Christmas Day has been and gone, the Heroes tub is full of empty wrappers and Bountys, the recycling bin is full to the brim and you’ve been sat pondering about how to make use of the beautiful box your Lush Advent Calendar arrived in – or at least that’s the situation in our house.
This year, the Lush Advent Calendar retailed at £185, but fast-fingered Boxing Day shoppers could bag it half price online on December 26, taking the price down to just £92.50. And whether you paid full price or snapped up a sale bargain, there’s no denying that the box is far to beautiful to throw away, nor was it designed to be.
The limited edition box has been designed by the ARTHOUSE Unlimited charity, which presents artistic talents of adults living with complex neuro-diverse and physical support needs. Complete with two toggle latches and two metal handles either side, it has been designed to be reused, reloved, upcycled and enjoyed for years to come.
Read more: What’s inside the £185 Lush Christmas Advent Calendar for 2022
Suzie Hackey, Lush’s Gifts Creative, said: “We love to create packaging that can have a life long after it has been gifted and our Advent Calendar is no exception. This handmade box has been designed with reuse in mind, not only creating a beautiful keepsake that can be used throughout the whole year but a box that could be re-gifted for another present or occasion.”
The reusable gift box is made from recycled paper board and the ribbon is made from recycled plastic bottles, in keeping with Lush’s sustainable ethos. And so to further champion sustainability, I’ve been considering the various ways this box could be used in the future, too.
After unboxing your Lush goodies and recycling the cardboard, here are a few ideas of how you can reuse your Lush Advent Calendar and upcycle it into something you can use time and time again.
Storage for bath bombs
Perhaps the most obvious solution, because if you’re anything like me, you’ll have all of the bath bombs from your calendar, plus the ones you’ve ordered in the Boxing Day sale, and no doubt you’ve been gifted some on the day itself, too. You can use the Lush Advent Calendar box to store all of your bath bombs, bubble bars, soaks and more so that they’ll stay dry and fresh until you get around to using them. Next Christmas, you can fill it back up, and keep yourself topped up for the next 12 months to come.
Create a hamper for a friend
This is where the shredded tissue from the box may come in handy. If you know someone with a birthday coming up, this box is perfect for putting together a pamper hamper to gift. Think body lotions, face masks, knot wraps, shampoo bars or even some products from the Lush x Lazy Oaf collection. You can arrange them all beautifully within the box and there’s no need to even wrap it! They can then either keep the box and use it for one of the ideas in this list, or keep the chain going and gift someone else a hamper encased in the vibrant cube.
Read more: Six reasons why you should get the Lush Advent Calendar
Vinyl storage
If you’re a music lover with a record collecion, the Lush Advent Calendar box is actually the ideal size for storing 12″ LPs. The records can either be laid flat in the base of the box before it’s closed and turned on its side so as not to warp the discs, or, store them the correct way with the lid open for easy browsing. It’s definitely the most colourful vinyl storage you’ll ever own – there’s nothing like it online, trust me, I’ve looked. It’ll also sit really nicely on a sideboard next to your turntable.
Hat storage
I own way too many hats. I’m talking approximately 15 berets, three baker boy caps and about eight fedoras, which are currently stacked on top of one another and are hanging from a command hook on the side of my wardrobe. However, I’ve discovered that the Lush Advent Calendar box is actually the perfect size for storing my fedoras and keeping them in a good condition. They can still fit nicely ontop of one another, but the box will also help protect them from dust, damage and fading.
Toy box
If you have kids, or even dogs, the Lush Advent Calendar box can become the prime storage solution for toys that can be easily stored away when not in use, and pulled back out for play time. For kids, it would make a really cute picnic hamper or even transform into a ‘doll house’ with furniture and figures, while dogs will love having a root around to find their favourite ball buried among their soft toys. The box would even make for a great enrichment ‘snuffle box’ filled with scrunched up paper and scattered with treats so that your dogs can work for their rewards.
Read more: Personalising Lush Snow Fairy and Lord of Misrule for the ultimate Christmas stocking fillers
Mini bar
Always wanted a mini-bar but haven’t really got the space for one? Flip the Lush Advent Calendar box so that the back of the box becomes the base and the lid opens downwards towards you, and you have yourself a miniature, portable bar that you can have on your kitchen counter disguising your bottles, or in a pantry ready for your next family party. Fill the box with your favourite gins, tonics and garnish, and you’re ready to go.
