You just smoked your last premium cigar, and all you got left is the fond memory of smoking a great cigar, a band, a cellophane wrapper, and an empty box. So, what are you going to do? Most likely, you will toss the cello, and maybe store the band in a jar along with the others. But, what about the box? It would be a shame to throw it out. Aside from it being a physical reminder of a great cigar, there are many ways to repurpose an empty cigar box into something that has not only form but function. Here are 7 “out of the box” ideas.
1. Make Your Cigar Box a Work of Art
Cigar crafters spend a lot of time and energy into creating a memorable blend. Some blends can take up to five years to develop. Just like with their precious puros, cigar makers spend a great deal of time in designing their cigar boxes too. Why? The cigar box is usually the first thing a customer sees when shopping for a cigar. Besides, without their bands or boxes, most cigars look alike, so there has to be something to make them stand out. And that crucial job is up to the cigar box. The design has to say something about the cigar, its maker, and the country it was made in. So why not make it an art installation in your home or herf den? How to do it: A fast and simple way is to place the empty boxes around your home like on top of a coffee table, end table or night stand. Or you can hang them on a wall using nails or screws. If you don’t want to ruin the interior of the box, you can mount them on a shadow box and then mount it on a wall.
Some cigar manufacturers commission local artist to design their boxes. Oscar Valladares hired famous Honduran artist Elmer Ciseron Bautista to create a series of paintings to be used as the design for the sleeves and boxes of his Oscar Valladares Ciseron cigars. Drew Estate commissioned five Brooklyn, NY graffiti artists to design cigar jars that resembled their iconic water tower for the 20th Anniversary of their Acid cigar the Acid Kuba Arte. These collectible boxes can serve as art pieces. If you’re a teacher, you can have your students use the boxes for an art project. You are only limited by your imagination.
2. Need a Purse? Make One Out of a Cigar Box
For the ultimate fashion statement, you can convert a cigar box into a very unique and haute couture handbag that will be the envy of everyone on or off the runway. By their own nature, cigar boxes are very ornate making them the perfect vessel for your wallet, keys and just about everything else. To make a purse out of a cigar box, 
you should clean the box, line the interior with velvet or linen by using glue to secure it to the box’s interior, attach a clasp to the lid and front mark to ensure the box stays closed. Next, grab an old handbag and remove its strap and attach it to your cigar box. And voila! You have a cigar box purse.
3. From Cigar Box to Planter
How fitting! That a container designed to hold a plant-based product can be used as a pot to hold your favorite plants or flowers. All you need to do is remove the lid (optional), drill some drain holes at the bottom of the box, add soil, seeds and water as needed. Or transfer an existing plant to your cigar box. You might even want to plant tobacco seeds. Talk about coming full circle!
4. Make a Guitar Out of a Cigar Box
During the American Civil War and right through the Great Depression, musicians, who had the talent to make music but could not afford a guitar, would create their own guitars out of cigar boxes. They would take a cigar box, attach a broom stick to it and use wires from a screen door for the strings. Once made, down-on-their luck bluesmen would strum a tune about the hard times they experienced. Converting a cigar box into a playable guitar takes some skill, but not a lot. There are plenty of DIY videos on the Internet and even books that will show you how to turn that AVO Classic cigar box into a killer six string. An while you may never be able to play the riff to Heart’s “Barracuda” on a cigar box guitar, you will definitely be able to shred some notes that will be the envy of any garage band. You can also hang your “smoking axe” on the wall as a work of art. Party on, Garth! To help you get started on making your cigar box guitar, we suggest you visit The Guitar Cigar Box Movement.
5. Convert Your Cigar Box into a Paint/Hobby or Tool Box
Artists and hobbyist like to keep their supplies organized. An empty cigar box is the perfect container to store them. You can also use a cigar box to store tools or small parts such as nuts, bolt, screws, washers, etc. To make one, line the cigar box with drawer or shelf liner, use heavy cardboard or furring strips to make dividers (balsa wood or plywood work well), add a clasp and a handle to make it portable. You can use the inside of the lid to keep a list of the items you must have in your box.
6. Make a Sewing Kit Out of Your Cigar Box
Remember those old tins of butter cookies your grandmother used to have lying around, and when you opened them, it turned out to be her sewing kit? Well, you can do the same thing with a cigar box. You can set it up just like the paint box and use it to store pins, needles, thimbles, buttons, etc.
7. Store Your Favorite Photos in a Cigar Box
Now that digital cameras, camera phones and cloud storage have become commonplace, the need for storing physical photos is almost non-existent. But! What about those old family photos? Or what if you decide to go retro and start shooting film? Sure, a photo album or an old shoe box is a great place to store photos. However, photo albums can be pricey, and shoe boxes are good but only if the prints are a 3*5” or 4*6” size. But what are you going to do about those precious 5*7” or 8*10” photos? An old cigar box might do the trick. Most cigar boxes are large enough to fit 5*7” or smaller prints. If you are going to store photos in a cigar box, it’s a good idea to dry out the box and to place a sheet of wax paper in between the photos so that any trapped moisture does not ruin the photos that are stacked one on top of the other. You might even want to place each photo in a plastic sleeve. You can get these online or at your local photo or hobby shop. You can also store the negatives just make sure they are sleeved. Also, since most cigar boxes are square shaped, they tend to take up less space than shoe boxes.
To Sum It Up
There are many uses for empty cigar boxes. Using them as works of art, purses, plant pots, storage containers or even making a guitar are just some of them. All you need is a little imagination and some basic tools. To help you get started, Neptune Cigars sells a wide assortment of empty cigar boxes. Simply, click on one of the following links.
Pack of 10 Paper Covered Empty Cigar Boxes
Pack of 10 Wooden Empty Cigar Boxes
Pack of 25 Assorted Empty Cigar Boxes
Pack of 50 Assorted Empty Cigar Boxes
Vintage Empty Cigar Box
Published on March 31, 2021.