1 - Cut Cardboard House

Here's a quick project for you next time you need a "keep the kids busy" project. A cardboard house.

Once you see how easy it is to make, and how fast, you won't be buying the cheapy hobby store ones anymore.

It's fast and easy, and the kids can decorate it when they're done.   I spent maybe 10 minutes cutting and taping it together.

Keep in mind this is the quick house method, and you should definitley take it a step further and decorate it and make it your (kid's) own.

Want to do it?

Here's what you need:

A bigger box - I used a medium sized moving box, which was about the right size for a toddler.

Some tape - duct tape, packing tape - something strong and cheap, you need a bit of it.

Cutting edge - You can use scissors, but the best thing for cutting cardboard in my opinion is a set of X-acto   knives - it's about a $10 set at the craft or hardware store.

I made up a quick visual tutorial for you - I'm a visual learner.

Here's some extra words for those of you who learn better that way:

1. Get a box - larger is better - this is a medium sized moving box.
2. Open box - stand it on end - no taped or folded flaps at this point.
3. Tape 2 of the top side flaps into an "L".
4. Flip box over, tape the same flaps into an "L".
5. Use your sharp thingy and cut down the corner sidewall of the box, opposite from your "L"
6. Open box up
7. Adjust sides of the "house" until they are level.
8.  Tape to the gabled roof.
9.  Decorate as you like - we pasted coloring pages and scrap paper all over ours - cut some extra doors for the "fire station" etc.  I would've liked to whitewash it and give it windows. Or a wrapping paper tube slide for animals.

PS -- this technique originated at Instructables - I thought it needed some extra steps and more clear instructions, so I've added my two cents here on my blog.  Just wanted you to know - most of you know my geometry is not so functional as this. This was mind-bendingly awesome to figure out.

I linked up at: