15 Cardboard Crafts That Are Easy to Make

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We often find ourselves with an excess of boxes. Cereal boxes pile up as we enjoy breakfast daily, and shipping boxes from online orders keep accumulating. You might even have old moving or storage boxes you no longer need. So why not recycle it and create a fun DIY project?

Yes, that’s right. It’s time to take those old cereal boxes or shipping boxes that arrived in the mail and begin crafting. This can be a creative and enjoyable way to repurpose them into cardboard crafts.

Here are 15 ideas that we think you are going to love.

1. Castle Trinket Box

Castle Trinket Box
Image Credit: In The Playroom

Turn a cardboard shoebox into a fun castle that kids can play with – or better yet, use it to store small items. You’ll notice the trinket box has a working drawbridge in front of the castle, which will be the perfect way for kids to pretend the castle is open and for all to come and see the prince or princess.

Make this Craft: Castle Trinket Box

2. Cardboard Cactus Craft

Cardboard Cactus in Pots
Image Credit: The Purple Pumpkin Blog

Turn those cardboard boxes or small cardboard pieces into cactuses. Put the cactus together in a clay pot with some sand and have a fun porch or table decoration for the summer.

Make this Craft: Cardboard Cactus Craft

3. Cardboard Airplane

Airplane Craft
Image Credit: Crafty Kids Play

Kids will love helping you use cardboard to make this airplane. It has a working propeller, and once it’s put together, they can pretend to fly the plane around the house or outside in the yard.

Make this Craft: Cardboard Airplane

4. Cardboard Donut Pinata

Cardboard Donut Pinata
Image Credit: Angie Holden

Did you know that you can use the Cricut machine to cut cardboard? Using the Cricut to cut the cardboard is an easy task, and Angie shows you how to cut and create a cute donut pinata.

Make this Craft: Cardboard Donut Pinata

5. Cardboard Gift Tages

Holiday Scrap Tags
Image Credit: Creatively Beth

Instead of letting cardboard scraps go to waste, turn them into gift tags to spread holiday cheer. You can use custom fabrics and other craft materials to decorate and make your own custom tags.

Make this Craft: Cardboard Gift Tages

6. Cereal Box Notebooks

Cereal Box Notebooks, Pen and paper
Image Credit: Creatively Beth

Who knew you could get so creative with cereal boxes? Use empty cereal boxes to create notebooks that can be used to journal, take notes, and so much more.

Make this Craft: Cereal Box Notebooks

7. Cardboard Tube Giraffe

Cardboard Tube Giraffe
Image Credit: Crafts by Amanda

Don’t throw those cardboard tubes that you get with wrapping paper away! Save it for a fun project for kids instead. For instance, cardboard tubes were used to create this large giraffe.

Make this Craft: Cardboard Tube Giraffe

8. Cereal Box Pirate Ship

PIRATE SHIP FROM CARDBOARD
Image Credit: Red Ted Art

Here’s another creative and fun cardboard craft for kids. You can turn cereal boxes, shoe boxes, or thin pieces of cardboard into pirate ships for kids to play with.

Make this Craft: Cereal Box Pirate Ship

9. Foldable Doll House

Cereal Box Pop Up Dolls
Image Credit: Red Ted Art

Another great way to reuse cereal boxes is to make a foldable doll house for kids to play with. Kids can design their rooms for each of their dolls, a kitchen, a living room, and more.

Make this Craft: Foldable Doll House

10. Cardboard Space Shuttle

Kids in a white Cardboard Space Shuttle
Image Credit: Mama Smiles

It is a simple but fun cardboard craft that you can make for kids to play with. This space shuttle uses a large cardboard box and is turned into a space shuttle that kids can enter as they pretend they are heading off to space.

Make this Craft: Cardboard Space Shuttle

11. Mini Swimming Pool

Miniature Swimming Pool
Image Credit: Barley and Birch

Use a smaller cardboard piece to make a fun pool for kids to play with their toys. You can decorate the pool area with trees, animals, rocks, and more.

Make this Craft: Mini Swimming Pool

12. Dragon Shield

Kid holding a cardboard dragon shield
Image Credit: In The Playroom

Kids love to pretend they are fighting these big monsters, being superheroes, and dueling with others. It’s a natural thing for them to do. To help them with their fight, they can make a fun dragon shield with cardboard and other various items.

Make this Craft: Dragon Shield

13. Cereal Box Christmas Trees

Christmas Tree Cereal Box
Image Credit: Sustain My Craft Habit

This will be a fun craft for kids to make, and you can use the Christmas trees as holiday décor. You only need a few supplies, and you can let the kids get creative with decorating the trees however they want.

Make this Craft: Cereal Box Christmas Trees

14. Custom Stamped Business Cards

Custom Stamped Business Cards
Image Credit: Create to Donate

Making business cards isn’t typically considered a cardboard craft, but it works and is a great way to recycle cardboard.

Make this Craft: Custom Stamped Business Cards

15. Cardboard Robot Costume

Kid in a Box Robot Costume
Image Credit: Two Kids and A Coupon

Do you need a Halloween costume that you can make at home, or do you want to put together a fun play robot outfit for the kids? You can easily make one out of cardboard boxes, and the kids will love it.

Make this Craft: Cardboard Robot Costume

16. Cardboard Dog Kennel

Woman holding a dog in a Red Box Dog Kennel
Image Credit: Tonya Staab

Let the kids get creative and make a home for their stuffed animals. One of the cutest and easiest cardboard crafts is to make a dog house for their stuffed animal puppies.

Make this Craft: Cardboard Dog Kennel

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