We always have extra boxes coming into the house, mostly as shipping boxes, and the kids are always finding creative ways to reuse them. They have such great imaginations! So I decided to put together a list of fun cardboard box crafts to help jump start your creativity motor. I hope you enjoy these great ideas to get you and your kids building something fun with cardboard boxes too.
List Of Fun Crafts With A Box
It seems like kids and cats just love boxes! Boxes of all sizes can be turned into all kinds of fun and it is a perfect indoor activity when there is poor weather.
If you give them access to boxes, kids of all ages get all kinds of wild ideas for a fun project and a good time! You can also help stimulate the creative juices by providing some crafting supplies such as markers, crayons, masking tape, scissors (with supervision), yarn, and scrap paper, that they can use to decorate and make things even more exciting! Not only do boxes give your child a cheap or free medium to create with, it also teaches them something about planning, decorating, and building.
You might want to let your kids run free and build whatever cardboard boxes crafts they like or you might want to jump in and help them for some real family fun! It’s an activity that families can enjoy together, fostering collaboration and quality time. Here are 10 easy cardboard craft ideas to try. These will get your kids involved in imaginative play while they empty out your recycling bin!
1. Dollhouse Creations
A box can be turned into a fabulous doll house. Cut out windows and doors, craft a room and you can even make cardboard furniture. Once you do that, you can get even more creative. Above, my kids made a bowling alley for their dolls complete with a bouncy ball return! These simple box crafts are perfect for creative play.
2. Treasure Chest:
One of the best things about these easy cardboard crafts is that you only need a few simple craft supplies. In this case, you just need a box, construction paper, tape, and crayons. Because this craft does not come with set sized boxes, your child will get to use their problem-solving skills to figure out how to cover the box perfectly with paper. My daughter made this treasure chest to store her jewelry crafts and other things. She even made a key hole and insists that it is looked and we must not open it!
3. Cat House
Even cats love cardboard boxes and my kids love pretending this big box is the cat’s house. He doesn’t seem to mind. He has so much fun racing in and out of there. It only takes a little imagination to repurpose cardboard boxes.
4. Stuffed Animal Hotel
I don’t know where my kids get these crazy ideas but here they came up with a stuffed toy animals hotel. They put together a bunch of small boxes to make this hotel so that each stuffed animal would have his own room. It works great for allowing them to have a space for pretend play.
5. Puppet Theater
Here, my kids have made a puppet theater out of cardboard box:
6. Forts
Kids can really get creative and join boxes together to create tunnels, cardboard forts, and “castles.” You can personalize your creations, making them unique and tailored to your preferences.
7. Ice Cream Truck
Once we use a refrigerator box to make an ice cream truck and paint to decorate it and sell each other play dough ice cream out of the side. Boxes come in various shapes and sizes, offering endless possibilities for different projects. Large cardboard boxes are extra fun for unleashing your child’s artistic abilities.
8. Shoe Box Storage
Shoe boxes can be covered with wrapping paper for super cute storage boxes to hold things like hats, mittens, and scarfs in the closet or things like hair bows on the counter.
9. Cornhole
You can use a large box to make your own cornhole game for the back yard. Then you can find some bean bags to throw into your targets or use tennis balls instead if you don’t have bean bags.
10. Bed or Floor Desk
This ingenious idea is not my own but you can easily transform a medium sized box into a cute lap desk for use on the bed or floor. You can get the tutorial at thecentsiblelife.com
Box Craft Ideas Conclusion
Crafts with cardboard boxes are a great way to express your creativity and imagination. Boxes can transformed into almost anything! Crafting with boxes can help improve fine motor skills, spatial awareness, and problem-solving abilities. It can be a fun way to teach kids about geometry, engineering, and sustainability.
These family fun cardboard boxes crafts are a great way to reuse boxes. Using old carbaord boxes for crafts promotes recycling and upcycling, which is environmentally friendly. In addition, when you have gotten bored of your creations, you can always reuse them again to build something new or bring them to the recycling center. What have you and/or your kids had fun building out of boxes? Share pics of your creative things on social media @familyfocusblog!
Bonus:
Cheri says
Boxes really make awesome toys! I Love the bowling alley and the ball return on the side is so darling!! My son made a mask one time out of a box that he could fit over his head. He cut out holes for the eyes and drew the fact and then glued string on the top for hair.
blueBriX says
These cardboard box craft ideas for kids are so amazing. Excited to try some of these out with my young children!
Mary Lisa says
What an amazing list of crafts! I love how each project is both creative and eco-friendly, making it a perfect activity for kids to enjoy while also teaching them about recycling. My kids are already excited to try out the cardboard box castle – they can’t wait to decorate it and create their own little kingdom.
Bari Steel says
Hi!
What a fantastic collection of creative ideas! Cardboard boxes are such a versatile and inexpensive material, and it’s amazing how many fun and imaginative crafts can be made from them. I especially loved the idea of turning them into mini playhouses and vehicles—such a great way to inspire kids’ imaginations and keep them engaged. These crafts not only offer endless fun but also encourage recycling and upcycling. Can’t wait to try some of these projects with my little ones! Thanks for sharing these clever and practical ideas.