How to Make a Cardboard Castle

What does every Princess need, besides a Prince Charming?  A Castle, of course!  I put this Cardboard Castle together using just a few supplies.  You could make it bigger and more detailed if you want, but this size worked perfectly for what I needed.

Supplies Needed to Make a Cardboard Castle

• Cardboard boxes – You will need one large box for the main part of the castle.  Additional smaller boxes are great for entrances and additions to your homemade castle.  Round shipping tubes make great turrets.
• Scissors or box cutter
• Strong packing tape or tacky glue
• Rustoleum Stone Textured Spray Paint
• Flags, pennants, or other decorations to complete your cardboard castle.

Instructions for making a DIY Cardboard Castle

1. Using the packing tape, I tape the lid flaps at the corners so they would stand up.  Depending on the size of your box and how big you want your castle, you may not have to do this part.  I wanted the extra height.  The cardboard castle that I made is not large enough to play in, but it’s the perfect size for action figures.  An appliance box would be great for a cardboard castle that kids could play in.
2. I used scissors to cut the squares out of the top edge to make the uppy downy pattern.  If you look at the photo, you’ll see what I’m talking about.  (OK I admit, I’m not up on all the fancy names of the parts of a castle, so I will just have to describe them the best I can!)  I used old scissors.  My good scissors would have cut better, but I didn’t want to ruin them.  A box cutter or utility knife would also work for cutting straight lines, but cutting curves is more difficult.
3. Use a smaller box to create a foyer.  I don’t know if real castles have “foyers”, but mine does!  I cut a half oval for a door.  If you wanted to make an authentic castle, you could make a draw bridge door that goes over a moat and opens and closes with cables.  Use your imagination and have fun with it!  I wanted my Cardboard Box Castle to look like a sandcastle, so I didn’t need a lot of details.
4. For the small box on top of the “foyer”, I used the squares that I cut off of the large box.
5. To finish the castle, I painted it with Rustoleum American Accents texture paint.
6. I added an American Flag to the top.  You could make pennants and flags for decorations.

Here are some tips for using Rustoleum Stone Textured Spray Paint.

1. Only use in a well ventilated area.  I had to do it outside.  If you use it outside, do it on a calm day with little wind.
2. Shake the can well before using.
3. Hold the can 8-12″ from the surface you are spraying.
4. Shake the can frequently while using it.
5. Apply in thin even coats.
6. Let paint dry for at least 15 minutes between coats.
7. Base coat the object that you are painting a color that is close to the Rust oleum Stone paint color that you have chosen.  You will get much better coverage with the spray paint by having a base coat.  I made the mistake of not doing this.  My cardboard box had some white labels and black writing on them.  It took many coats of stone spray paint to cover them.

Here’s my box while I’m in the process of painting it.  I volunteered to make a sand castle for a Fire Prevention Parade Float.  Since it needed to be transported, I didn’t attach the boxes.  The largest box was a pressure washer box that I got from Sears.

Businesses are more than happy to save large cardboard boxes for you, but they don’t usually keep them on hand.  I asked at Lowe’s for an appliance box.  They unpack their appliances at night when they are stocking merchandise and break them down right away for recycling.  They were willing to save me one that I could pick up the next day.  I was really hoping to get one the same day, so I went to Sears.  They also do the same thing, but luckily one of the employees had just unboxed a pressure washer, and the cardboard box was just the right size.

I really wanted some large mailing tubes to use as turrets. (You know, the tall roundy things on castles)  I couldn’t find any mailing tubes that weren’t expensive, but if I had had more time, they would have been a great addition.

If you’re not crafty, here is a Premade Cardboard Castle that’s already decorated.

Ideas for your Cardboard Castle

This would be such a fun project to make with kids.  They would play with this for hours with knights and horses. If you cut the bottom off of the box, it will fold flat for easy storage.  You could use a HUGE box from a washing machine or clothes dryer so that kids could dress up and play in the boxes.

By removing the back of the box, you would make a puppet show stage.  The possibilities are endless, and you are only limited by your imagination.  Little girls would love a pink glitter castle, but little boys would love to draw stones and bricks on the outside.  Flags and pennants would make a nice addition as well, and the kids would enjoy making them.

How I Used My Cardboard Castle

Here is the Fire Prevention Float with the cardboard castle.  The theme was “365 Days a year, FIRE PREVENTION tops Santa’s list.  It was in the annual Maryland State Fire Prevention Parade in Ocean City, Maryland.  It won a trophy for Best Appearing Float and a trophy for best comical entry.

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