DIY Cardboard Playhouse

Prudent Grammie (my resourceful & crafty mama) made this awesome cardboard playhouse when she came to visit this Summer. With a roll of packing tape, a sharpie, an x-acto knife and two cardboard boxes she made the most entertaining thing in our home. Oh, and it takes about a half hour.

Instructions after the jump...


What to do:
1. Open your larger box so that the flaps stand up straight and tape around the outside to hold them up

2. Cut your smaller box down the side about 2 inches past the corners (as shown below)

3. When your smaller box is unfolded it will look like the diagram below

4. 2 of your side flaps (C&D) will fold as shown below to make a solid eve for the house.

5. If your smaller box was as tall as the width of your larger box, flap G&H can be folded just like C&D (or) Flap G&H may remain flat to become a continuation of the roof (as shown below.) They may need to be trimmed to fit.

6. Now fold your roof so that C&D are inside the top of the larger box. Leave flap A&B outside to keep the roof in place (as shown in diagram 4)
7. Now tape around the top of the larger box again to hold roof in place.

8. Draw windows and doors with a pencil (or sharpie if you like to live dangerously like my mom) and cut through with a box cutter or x-acto.


Clare (and little people who visit) play in this house every day. It has become the home of random photos, birth announcements, and many, many stickers. To jazz it up a little for it's photoshoot, I added Clare's name in Peel-n-Stick felt from Michael's and drew on some shingles. It would be really fun to make some of these to decorate as a party activity.

If you're feeling "Tom Sawyer-ish" this is a great project for Dad or older brother... or Grammie.

thanks Grammie!

If you have any questions or problems, post a comment here and I'll try to help. While Jaime is writing her book poolside, I'll be chasing 2 babies and doing some new crafty projects for Prudent Baby so I'm around. I'm not bitter, really, I'm not.