Make a Cardboard House
Build a small cardboard house from recycled boxes using scissors, tape, glue, and paint, designing rooms, windows, and tiny furniture for imaginative play.
Step-by-step guide to make a cardboard house
Step 1
Gather all your materials in one spot so you can reach them easily.
Step 2
Choose a sturdy cardboard box to be the main house base.
Step 3
Cut open other boxes into flat sheets to make walls furniture and the roof.
Step 4
Use a pencil and ruler to draw a simple floor plan and room divisions on the inside of the main box.
Step 5
Sketch outlines for windows and a front door on the box panels where you want them.
Step 6
Carefully cut out the windows and door shapes using scissors.
Step 7
Cut extra cardboard pieces from your flat sheets to make a roof and any interior walls.
Step 8
Use clear tape to attach the roof piece and interior walls to the main box to build the house shape.
Step 9
Apply white glue to reinforce taped seams and any loose edges for extra strength.
Step 10
Paint the outside of your house in fun colors using your paint and brush.
Step 11
Decorate the inside rooms with paint colouring materials and small paper fabric details like curtains or wallpaper.
Step 12
Cut cardboard shapes to make tiny furniture such as beds chairs and tables.
Step 13
Glue the cardboard shapes together to assemble the tiny furniture pieces.
Step 14
Place and glue the furniture inside the rooms to arrange your mini scenes.
Step 15
Take a photo and share your finished cardboard house on DIY.org
Final steps
You're almost there! Complete all the steps, bring your creation to life, post it, and conquer the challenge!
Help!?
What can we use instead of clear tape, white glue, or paint if we don't have them?
If you don't have clear tape, use masking tape or a stapler to attach the roof piece and interior walls to the main box, replace white glue with a strong glue stick or double-sided tape for reinforcing seams, and use markers, crayons, or colored paper instead of paint to decorate the outside of your house.
What should we do if the cardboard seams or roof keep coming apart while building?
If seams come apart when you attach the roof piece with clear tape, press the tape down firmly, add white glue to reinforce taped seams and any loose edges, and hold pieces in place with clothespins or heavy books until the glue dries.
How can we change the steps to make this activity easier for younger kids or more challenging for older kids?
For younger kids, have an adult pre-cut the windows and door and let them paint and stick paper fabric details, and for older kids encourage precise measuring with the pencil and ruler to draw a floor plan, build more detailed tiny furniture from cut cardboard shapes, and glue pieces together for sturdier mini scenes.
What are some ways to improve or personalize the cardboard house after it's finished?
To enhance the finished house, add fabric curtains or paper wallpaper inside the rooms, glue in battery tea-lights as lamps, make a hinged removable roof by taping one side, and arrange or photograph your mini scenes to share on DIY.org.
Watch videos on how to make a cardboard house
How to Make a Cardboard Box House | Easy DIY Tutorial
4 Videos
How to Make a Cardboard Box House | Easy DIY Tutorial
Cardboard House Very Simple | How to Make a House Out of Cardboard | DIY Cardboard House Model
How to Make a Cardboard House for a School Project Step by Step
Diy! Build An Amazing Cardboard House With Simple Techniques
Facts about cardboard crafting for kids
♻️ Corrugated cardboard is one of the most recycled materials — in many countries over 90% of it is recovered and remade into new boxes.
📦 Corrugated cardboard is very strong for its weight — clever folds, arches, and layered panels let small pieces hold surprising loads.
🎨 Tempera and acrylic paints are water-based, kid-friendly options that dry quickly on cardboard and are easy to clean up.
🏠 The earliest dollhouses, called "baby houses," appeared in 17th-century Europe as tiny show-homes for wealthy families.
🪑 Traditional miniatures and dollhouse furniture often use the 1:12 scale (1 inch = 1 foot), which makes planning rooms easy.
How do I make a small cardboard house for kids to play with?
What materials do I need to build a cardboard house from recycled boxes?
What ages is this cardboard house activity suitable for?
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