Design a Stable
Design and build a small model stable from cardboard, craft sticks, and glue, planning stalls, doors, and ventilation to learn basic shelter design.
Step-by-step guide to design and build a model stable
This Engineering Stem Activity With Kids Will Help You Understand Structural Stability
Step 1
Draw a simple floor plan on a piece of cardboard showing stalls doors and where vents will go using your pencil and ruler.
Step 2
Measure and mark the sizes of wall panels stall dividers and roof pieces on the cardboard to match your plan.
Step 3
Cut out all the marked cardboard pieces with scissors (ask an adult to help if the cardboard is thick).
Step 4
Glue the largest cardboard piece flat onto your work surface to make the stable floor base.
Step 5
Stand one wall panel on a base edge and glue it in place to form the first wall.
Step 6
Repeat placing and gluing the other wall panels to form a box shape for the stable.
Step 7
Glue cardboard strips or craft sticks inside the box at your planned spots to make stall dividers.
Step 8
Mark and cut door openings in the front wall for each stall with scissors (get adult help if needed).
Step 9
Cut small rectangles from cardboard to make doors and attach each to its opening with a tape or a thin strip of glue along one edge so it can swing.
Step 10
Cut small ventilation holes near the top of the walls to let air into your model stable.
Step 11
Glue craft sticks along the outside corners and along the roof edges to strengthen the frame.
Step 12
Cut and glue two roof pieces together at a peak then attach them on top of the walls to form a sloped roof.
Step 13
Use colouring materials to decorate the stable paint stall names and add details like windows hay racks or signs.
Step 14
Gently press and test the stable for wobble and add extra glue or tape to any loose parts.
Step 15
Share a photo and a short description of your finished stable 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!?
If I can’t find craft sticks or thick cardboard, what can I substitute?
Cut strong strips from cereal boxes or corrugated packaging to use as stall dividers and glue together several layers of poster board or foam-core to replace thick cardboard for wall and roof pieces.
My walls wobble after gluing—how do I fix the stable so it’s sturdy?
Follow the 'gently press and test the stable for wobble' step by adding extra glue or tape to loose joints, glue craft sticks along outside corners and roof edges for reinforcement, and hold or clamp panels until the glue dries.
How can I adapt the project for younger or older children?
For younger kids have an adult pre-measure and pre-cut the pieces and let them glue and decorate, while older kids can follow the 'measure and mark' and 'cut out' steps themselves, add hinged doors with tape or brads, and build the peaked roof precisely.
What are simple ways to enhance or personalize the finished stable?
Paint stall names and add details like hay racks or signs as suggested, make the roof removable for play, glue in miniature animals and felt bedding, or add a battery tealight inside to spotlight the stalls.
Watch videos on how to design and build a model stable
Stable Structures
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Stable Structures
How to Build Bridges | Stable Structures | Under Construction | Full Episode | The Magic School Bus
Stable Structures 2
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Facts about model building and basic shelter design for kids
📦 Corrugated cardboard was invented in the 19th century and quickly became a favorite for lightweight models and prototypes.
🪵 Craft (popsicle) sticks are usually made from birch or basswood — both are lightweight, strong, and easy to glue or cut.
🌬️ Good ventilation in a stable lowers ammonia and moisture, which helps keep animals healthier and bedding drier.
📐 Model makers often use common scales like 1:12 or 1:24 to plan stalls, doors, and walkways so everything fits proportionally.
🐴 Stables and barns have sheltered horses and livestock for thousands of years — some barn designs date back to medieval times.
How do I design and build a small model stable from cardboard and craft sticks?
What materials do I need to build a cardboard model stable?
What ages is building a model stable suitable for?
What are the benefits of designing and building a model stable?
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