Moving into a new home is exciting but also challenging and stressful. If you are surrounded by mounds of old moving boxes, you can eliminate those piles of waste and use your boxes to help you get comfortable in your new home.

Looking for some great uses for moving boxes? Here are five uses that will help settling in to your new home go more smoothly:

1. Distract the kids while you unpack

Your kids have patiently (or not so patiently) suffered through your move alongside of you. Now, it's time to give them a break and let them play. Cardboard boxes are ideal for this purpose.

Give your kids markers and let them make a giant mural, or give them tape to make a cardboard house or a make believe airplane. Best of all, this project can distract your little ones as you unpack the rest of your moving boxes.

2. Help your cat to acclimate

It's not just kids who love boxes—cats do as well. If your cat is anxious about your new home, give him a box to hide in. Just cut a couple of holes, and your cat will love the calming retreat.

3. Get your garden started

Moving into a new home is the perfect time to start new hobbies. If you want to start a garden in your new yard, grab your moving boxes and use them to line the base of your garden.

Place the cardboard boxes on the ground or on the bottom of raised beds and cover them with fertile soil. They will create a barrier for weeds, and over time, they will naturally decompose into mulch for your garden.

4. Turn moving boxes into furniture

If you don't have enough furniture to fill your new house, it's time to turn to cardboard. With a bit of innovation, you can turn old moving boxes into a range of furniture.

You can be simple and turn your moving boxes into foot rests, shelves or toy boxes, or you can find more complicated projects that turn moving boxes into everything from desks to club chairs.

5. Meet new people

If you don't have kids or pets and don't want to be crafty or start a garden, you still have another option. You can give your moving boxes away. Put up a sign in the local market or post an ad online.

When someone comes to your home to collect your free boxes, you get the chance to meet someone new in the community. Hopefully, they are moving in town and not interstate.