Cardboard Castle

Building this cardboard play castle reminded me of my mom.  Our ability to create with cardboard is completely hereditary.  

Do you think Susie would be able to create Minecraft swords without training from a cardboard master?  

Our mom created puppet show stages, giant trees, castles, and an old west town with refrigerator boxes and paint.  

When I popped open that bottle of pink tempera paint, I was flooded with memories of watching my mom create backdrops for our school plays.

For all those who don’t have paint fume flashbacks to help you out…here is a step-by-step guide for how I made the cardboard play castle for Little Miss’ princess birthday party.

Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase an item, we may receive an affiliate commission.

No time to make this cardboard project? Pin it for later!

If you’re currently in the middle of researching what to make with old boxes, save this pin and come back to it when you’re ready to create. That way you’ll be able to grab all the fun crafts when you’re ready!

Tips for making a cardboard castle

• Make the majority of your project before the event. Then assemble the pieces in their final resting place.
• Determine what you want to happen inside the castle. We added mirrors and jewelry so that the kids could play princess.
• You can make your castle any color you want! We chose pink because it is my little girl’s favorite color.

Yield: 1 Castle

Cardboard Play Castle Tutorial

Print

This castle was much easier to create than it looks.  It all started with three large boxes

Active Time 1 hour

Dry Time 3 hours

Total Time 4 hours

Difficulty Medium

Materials

• Large cardboard boxes
• Tempera Paint
• Shims or paint sticks
• Inexpensive Plastic Table Clothes
• String
• Packing Tape (or other strong tape)
• Glitter (optional)
• Hot Glue

Optional Items for playing in your castle

• Fake Flowers
• Costume Jewelry
• Small Mirrors
• Foam stickers 

Tools

• Box Cutter
• Paint Brushes
• Something sharp to poke holes into the cardboard

Instructions

1. Take apart all of your boxes along the seams
2. Play around with arranging the boxes until you find a shape that you like that will stand on its own.
3. Paint the outside of the boxes at least 2 coats of tempera paint. You may need a third coat if the print on the boxes is extra dark.
4. To keep the box flaps upright, use hot glue to attach shims (or paint stir sticks) across the folds.
5. Once the paint is dry, reassemble the boxes into your castle shape. If you are transporting your castle later, hold the pieces together using binder clips and or clothespins.
6. With a sharp box cutter, cut out a door, windows, and whatever else you want to make your cardboard castle.
7. I left the bottoms of the windows attached so that the kids could close the windows.
8. Begin to paint the details. I used purple paint to paint the window detail and bricks around the doorway.
9. Glue 2 pieces of the inexpensive table cloth to the inside of the doorway.
10. Move your castle to its final destination to assemble it. Poke holes in the corners and attach the boxes together using string.
11. Line the floor with another unfolded box. Then cover it with an inexpensive table cloth. Make sure to tape the doorway down really well.
12. We added some glitter to parts of the castle. This is optional.
13. "Plant" some flowers around the doorway.
14. Decorate the inside with things that you already have. I used some foam stickers that I had from Hobby Lobby.
15. Hang some mirrors and add some dress-up items to encourage interactive play.
    

How to use this DIY princess castle

This giant castle is perfect for a lot of activities.

• Create a fun castle station in your classroom or daycare.
• Use it as a birthday party activity. It’s perfect for younger kids.
• Put in your basement for days of creative play.

More crafts you will love!

• Trolls Hug Time Bracelet – This button flower craft is perfect for imaginative play.
• Paper Tube Bracelets – This toddler craft is perfect for skinny wrists.
• Paper Bracelets – A free coloring page style printable.

If you loved this cardboard craft, share it by pinning or sharing on Facebook.

This site wouldn’t be here without shares from people like you, and we are so thankful that you took the time to visit Twitchetts.

Know a friend who is looking for how to make a cardboard castle? Please share it on Facebook or save it to your favorite board on Pinterest.

The post How to Make a Cardboard Castle: an easy step by step tutorial appeared first on Twitchetts.

Lace and Pearls Themed Party

By the time my daughter turned 1, I had thrown 6 boy themed birthday parties. I was super excited to finally get to plan an elegant 1st birthday. I chose to throw a lace and pearls themed party. 

Tips for a fantastic kids party

Kids parties are all about creating memories. Sure, you may be tempted to go crazy with decorations and perfectly curated dessert tables. But what’s important is that people are happy and having fun. There are several key areas that I like to focus on when planning a kids party.

• Party food. For an elegant 1st birthday party I want simple foods that kids and adults will enjoy. 
• Simple decorations. Adding a few wall decorations and some table decor will really bring the party together.
• Party Activity. The main event at a first birthday party is the smash cake. For a lot of kids, this is their first time eating cake, so it’s usually fun to watch.
• The extra details. For our lace and pearl themed party, this extra detail was a cute lace outfit for V to wear.

Finger sandwiches for kids’ birthday party

Finger sandwiches are perfect for an elegant party. They are super easy to make but can be time-consuming, so make sure to give yourself plenty of time to put them together. I chose to make 6 different tea sandwiches.

• Cream Cheese with Cucumbers and Dill
• Walnut Honey Cream Cheese with Pear
• Hummus with Tomato and Cucumber
• Smoked Salmon with Cream Cheese and Dill
• Ham with Apricot Preserves and Cream Cheese
• Peanut Butter with Bacon and Banana

Even though the sandwiches seemed extra fancy, the kids loved them!

Elegant First Birthday Party Decorations

The decorations need to be elegant. But we love simple too. For this party, there are 2 main areas to decorate. The wall behind where V will eat her smash cake, and the food table.

This “ONE” sign is super simple. Just purchase some paper doilies and paint an “O”, “N”, and an “E” onto each one. Then tape them to the wall.

After this party was over, I used the leftover doilies to create fun doily roses. I could have used these at the actual party!

Check out this tutorial for making simple tissue paper flowers. Attach the flowers to your wall and add inexpensive beaded necklaces in between the flowers.

To create the V, I cut a large letter out of the side of a cardboard box that I had been saving. I painted it pink and Modge Podged on doilies.

For the food table, I used bits and pieces of the supplies that I used on the wall.

I used the scraps from the big flowers to make some smaller paper flowers here and there.  Some more of the cheap pearls on the table.  The lace I had from a few scarves my grandmother used to wear. I’m sure you can get small pieces at a fabric store.  It definitely spruced up the cheap plastic tablecloths underneath.

Add a lemonade station to the party for a fun touch. Check out how we create a mix-your-own pink lemonade station.

1st Birthday party activity

When it comes to a first birthday party, the main event is usually the smash cake. Pink is hard to get without using red food dye, so I had to think outside the box.

I made her cake using all organic ingredients. I also made the frosting from scratch using dehydrated strawberry powder to color the frosting pale pink. The color wasn’t as vibrant as I had hoped, but the flavor was Amazing!!

 Lace outfit for a 1st Birthday

Sometimes it takes one little detail to bring the whole party together. For me, it was an adorable outfit that I saw on Etsy. I contacted the seller at SweetChubbyCheeks and she worked with my colors to make this perfect 1st birthday outfit! I added some pearls and V was ready to Party!

Then she wore a matching Ruffled Diaper Cover while she ate her cake.

Inspire creativity

Are you trying to inspire creativity in your kids? Sign up for the weekly Twitchetts newsletter to get that and more. Get access to free printables, special offers, and weekly crafts and activities that kids will love!

[button link=”https://pages.convertkit.com/42816cc397/eadce80a49″ type=”big” color=”teal” newwindow=”yes”] Join Here![/button]

More party ideas you will love!

• Monster themed 1st birthday – This fun party idea is perfect for boys or girls! 
• 1st Day of Summer Party – We threw a summer birthday party, but you can make it a fun BBQ themed party too!
• Fun Farm Animal Party – What little kid doesn’t love farm animals! This party is perfect for a 1st, 2nd, or 3rd, birthday!

If you loved this party idea, share it by pinning or sharing on Facebook.

We are thankful for every share! Each time someone shares our posts, our site grows and we are so thankful that we can continue to create unique and simple ideas for kids. Know a friend who’d like this lace and pearl themed party? Please share it on Facebook or save it to your favorite party board on Pinterest.

The post Lace and pearls themed party ~ perfect for an elegant 1st birthday appeared first on Twitchetts.