With Christmas and the holiday season having just passed, chances are you know firsthand how much waste gets produced when we buy new things, gift things to others, and receive gifts. Cardboard is a common product used in boxing a wide array of products. Instead of simply throwing away this cardboard after the fact, try a craft!
The following are twelve most interesting cardboard craft ideas that you can try:
1. Cardboard cars
If you’ve looked at cardboard craft ideas before, we’re sure you’ve seen cardboard car instructions before. There are so many different ways to customize it, in terms of making buses, airplanes, trains, and any other vehicle. Feel free to get as crazy as you want with it! This is easily the most popular cardboard craft idea there is.
2. Cardboard castles
This is one of the most interesting cardboard craft ideas, especially if you have a large cardboard box to work from. You can cut, tape, and paint the ultimate castle. If you have a child who loves to play with figurines, action figures, or Barbies, customize the castle to those interests. It can a fun activity for everyone to participate in.
3. Cardboard guitars
Although you’re not going to be able to tune it to the right notes – and most designs won’t be noisy at all, in fact – turning your cardboard into a guitar or similar musical instrument can be a nice and unexpected way to make the most from a common waste product.
This cardboard craft idea also makes a great gift for someone you love, especially if you end up covering the outside in a unique cardboard design, color, or other material.
4. Cardboard desk
The right sized box can be turned into a lap desk or tap tray. All you have to do is cut out a pathway to put your legs through and you’ve got an instant table right there for you.
If you like reading or using your laptop on the bed, this can be a nice stabilizer. Coloring it and/or using construction paper, you can take things further by giving it a more attractive look.
5. Cardboard piggy bank
Through a simple cardboard cereal box and some construction paper, anyone can actually create one heck of a piggy bank out of that. It’s a cute place to put some loose change for a kid. Also, remember to put some extra support on the bottom, if it feels a little weak, as a lot of change will weigh it down over time.
6. Cardboard pet house
If you’ve got a puppy, kitten, cat, or dog, take all those pesky empty cardboard boxes and together you can create a nice tunnel or pet house for them to play with. Just be careful on the use of tape or anything similar. If your pets are prone to eating those sorts of things, you may choose to use an alternative connecting method.
7. Cardboard food storage
Who doesn’t have a cabinet in absolute disarray from a lack of organization? If that’s you and you have a large cardboard box at your disposal from a recent appliance purchase, check this out.
Whether it’s produce, baking supplies, spices, or foods in the pantry, take your cardboard and cut it up into the arrangement you like for your food storage. This cardboard craft idea adds a whole new dynamic, organization, and give your kitchen a cheap upgrade!
8. Cardboard golf
With a large single cardboard box, cut out 4-5 golf ball sized squares at the bottom. For added difficulty, you may want to not make all the holes uniform. Different sized holes for different difficulties. Once you’re done, set it up and enjoy some indoor-friendly golf. It makes for an excellent kids game or a nice drinking game at an adult party.
9. Cardboard trains
If you’re fortunate to have a model train to work with and you want to get adventurous, use cardboard to create a tunnel through which the train can drive down. Alternatively, if you’re looking to take things up a notch, take your cardboard box and create a mountain from it with an entry-exit for the train.
10. Cardboard appliances
You can take your cardboard and re-design it into appliances like ovens, refrigerators, and toasters quite easily. For kids who have an interest in being in the kitchen, this can be a very fun way to participate without being around the dangers of heat!
11. Cardboard miniature town
Although normally you’d work from wood for miniatures, wood’s expensive. A much more cost-effective to go about creating a miniature town is through cardboard. Much of the same rules apply. You can color it the way you want and pick the shapes, and unlike wood, scotch tape’s all you really need to hold things together.
12. Cardboard ship
Encourage creativity in you and your kids by assembling together your own pirate ship from cardboard. This is a fine way to spend an afternoon, designing something truly unique from the imagination. If you have a big box, you don’t have to cut it down either – you can make it large!
There are a lot of ways to play with this one, depending on the amount of cardboard you have which is perfect for anyone who’s not sure if they have enough.