I buy a box of these treats before Christmas, divide up the contents and slip some into each gift bag for loved ones.
Two years ago, I discovered the real beauty of this box of sweets: once emptied and washed, the container makes an excellent jewellry box. Far more practical than the expensive wood-and-glass ones I’d had for years, the box makes a perfect earring holder.
Perfect. One pair in every slot, and my earrings never have to fraternize with each other and get mixed up or lost. (I am easily confused; this box provides order.)
Turns out I had been given a lot of earrings over the decades, but in recent years, I couldn’t find them. As a result, I always wore the same pair, everywhere.
I proudly showed the filled box to my husband. He admired it.
“It’s a bit small, though,” I said. “I had no idea I had so many earrings.”
Of course, pride cometh before a fall. I made the mistake of divulging the box’s origins.
My dear husband had obviously never heard the phrase “Blessed are the cheap, for they shall protect the earth from landfills.”
My good man is embarrassed when I wear my relatives’ old clothes or display other such cheapo behaviours. At my age, he thinks, I should show some dignity. And using a plastic food container as a jewellry box is definitely undignified behaviour.
“Please don’t post this on your blog,” he begged.
So I won’t breathe a word. You didn’t hear it from me!
Cynthia Reyes 
Your secret is safe with me
Loved it! Won’t speak a word. But I might copy the idea.
I won’t breathe a word of it, Cynthia 😂
LOL. The perfect gentle secret. Won’t tell a soul.
Your secret is safe with me, too! And as we Mainers would say, it’s wicked clever to use the box that way.
I certainly won’t tell:) What a great idea, Cynthia!
Tar Baby, he said nuffink 🙂
These little quirks are what make us us!
Reblogged this on Anita Dawes & Jaye Marie ~ Authors.
I’m chuckling! I am almost entirely dressed from charity shops, where you can find a perfectly good wardrobe. My daughters used to find this deeply embarrassing, now they are happy charity shop browsers. You’d be amazed what people hand dispose of.
Ha ha. I can relate with both of you Cynthia. I tend to be frugal and careful of my purchases and I’m fussy and snobby about other things!
Aren’t you clever? I would never have thought of that and I love the idea. I am stealing it this holiday season, but will not name my source! 😉
🤭 not a word!
It does not seem odd to me. I love to repurpose things and wear my everyday clothes to tatters.
I worked for a lady once who tore paper towels in half before using them. Compared to her you’re splurging!
Oh, Lord, Allen. I sometimes do that too. I forgot I did till someone just emailed to confess and then I had to fess up too.
I don’t do it but I understand why someone would. I tell myself it’s just too hard, I guess.
This post brought a big grin to my face! I won’t breathe a word of it to your hubby.
Promise? Glad it made you grin, Liz.
Promise. 😉
😂😂…I love it!! I won’t tell the hubs. 🤫 I need something like that. My drawer jewelry box with dividers fell apart and now everything is all mixed together. 🤦🏽♀️ And I don’t care since I just like buying books and sewing stuff. 🙈
There’s no chance of me buying such a large box of those chocolates since I don’t observe secular holidays, but I do give surprise gifts fairly often. 😃 Maybe some friends or family members will receive some of these chocolates soon. 😌
Glad you won’t spill the beans! The ‘chocolates’ are actually made of hazelnuts, but look like fancy-truffly-kind-of-round-chocolates. They are slightly addictive, though. My family loves them and if a person wants to get a few, s/he has to hide them from the others.
LOL, same here. I need to buy some chocolate and sort out the earring collection..
This is one of my favourite of your blog posts.
I love recycling and a family member loves that chocolate treat you allude to. So I have now found a use for the boxes! Practical and also probably stackable. Yes this is a great recycling idea 💡
I am glad to know I am not the only one who saves and upcycles things like that. 🙂
You are a wise woman and when I grow up, I will be even half as wise as you and count myself lucky. That, plus emulating your writing about Nature. Forget the music, though: I am hopeless. Thinking about you, dear Lavinia.
You are very kind, Cynthia. I wish I were more like you! Maybe we take the best parts of each other, and we are both ahead. 🙂
The rain will continue into tomorrow. Rain has never been more welcome than it is now.
Such welcome words from you, Lavinia! Thank God for the rain.
But I protest! How clever you are to repurpose the candy container and save it from landfill. Your secret is safe with me but I’m going to steal your idea!
Please steal it, Susanne! And thank you for protesting on my behalf. Much appreciated.
That’s a seriously creative way of repurposing waste. Your jewellery box is beautiful. How sweet that you hubby begged you not to post this creation! But please let him know that upcycling is THE thing dignified women (and men) do. 😀
Great idea! So far, he doesn’t know I published this post (I think) so I will have to spill the beans!
One of the great things about those sweets is that the boxes are so useful. We had many of the smaller, deeper ones hanging around the house as I was growing up, used to store different things. I have one of these shallow ones with buttons in…
Perfect for buttons! That’s the next way I will repurpose one of these boxes.
Moi? Tell anyone? Never. Mwahahahargh!
Tell your husband : Whatever the origin as long as we have “drunkenness” ! 🙂
I have to say your earings in the treat box are shining!, Cynthia . This is spectacular.
Love ❤
Michel
That’s a great idea for repurposing Ferrero Rocher trays, though I usually end up buying the smaller boxes for myself (I’m especially partial to the white chocolate and coconut ones). That said, I have barely any earrings anyway, since I almost never take out the ones my grandma bought me many years ago, so a smaller box would probably more than suffice!
Yes! Since publishing this I’ve learned that people use them for buttons, pins and a host of things. Who knew? Hope you’re doing well.
Haha! I love it – both your repurposing and your ‘not posting’! 🙂
Thank you. It seems I have no shame, and worse, my promises are worthless. Oh, dear.
So there’s your million-dollar idea–you just need to design a real jewelry box that has these attributes! I’d love something like that for my earrings:).
I love this idea! My mom thinks of practical ways to recycle like this too!
It’s a new thing for me. Glad you like it, Jennifer.
That box gets the job done. Your idea was a winner! Greetings from Pennsylvania USA. Take care.
What a great idea! And if you need a second, I bet they stack, too. One person’s undignified is another person’s clever. 🙂
Thank you. They do stack, very nicely. Glad you like.
I won’t tell a soul because I’m too busy laughing. 😂 Years ago, I owned a chocolate shop and these chocolates were very popular. If I only knew that the box would make a wonderful jewelry box, no telling how many I could have sold.
Lol that’s awesome!!! I will never tell.