A Kid's Dream Cardboard Castle Made Out of Boxes
This is my second cardboard castle to build for my kids. The first castle I built was a hit, but after having another child it was time to expand. This castle contains a Main Room, Middle Room and a Tower Room inviting more guests to fit inside. I got an email from IKEA about getting more pictures for the popular Building a Cardboard Castle #1 and sadly that castle didn't survive our latest move to Austin. So I offered to build a new castle which is to be featured in an "Up Cycling" book for IKEA France.
I built a lot of "forts" when I was a kid from boxes, baskets, couch pillows, blankets or anything I could get my hands on. Most children love building "forts" and playing inside them. Whether they are hiding, playing pretend, or just cozying up and reading books, a fort is a perfect little space for a small children to feel secure in a big world.
Building this castle of course is a great bonding experience. The kids love participating in the construction. Just be extra careful with the hot glue and razors, which I had to supervise at all times.
Materials
- Lots of cardboard boxes (I used recycled moving boxes and some donated boxes)
- 1 each 24" x 20" x 46" Large Wardrobe Box (Left Tower)
- 1 each 18" x 18" x 28" Dish Barrel Box (Middle Room)
- 1 each 27" x 26" x 36.5" Chair Box (Main Right)
- 1 each 48" x 96" Double Wall Corrugated Sheet (Trim and Toppers)
- 4-6 Large moving boxes for trim and coin corners
Tools
- Razor Blade Knife
- Measuring Tape
- Straight Edge
- Hot Glue Gun
- Sandpaper (Optional)
Steps
- Glue the three main boxes together
- Cut out doors and windows
- Cut and fold a ton of coin corner rectangles out
- Decorative trim the Windows
- Decorative trim the Doors
- Add the 2 Toppers for Tower Left and Main Hall Right
- Add the Slanted Roof for the Middle Room