100 things to make

What Should I Make Out of Cardboard

One press picks something to build from a box, with what you need and the trick to it.

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A marble run down the side of a boxTape tubes cut in half along a box in zigzags. Tilt each one a little so the marble keeps rolling.

Next step Draw a toy to copy in cardboard No box? Make something out of paper

All 100 things to make

Toys and games 25

A ball toss board Cut three holes in a big flat box and write a score by each. Lean it on a chair.
A board game with your own rules A flat sheet is the board. Draw a path of squares and make the pieces from scraps.
A bowling alley Six tubes are the pins, and a box with one end open catches them. Roll a ball of socks.
A cash register for the shop A small box with a drawer that slides out. Draw the buttons and cut card coins.
A claw grabber Two strips of card joined in a cross with a paper fastener. Squeeze the handles and the tips close.
A coin bank with a secret door A slot on top lets coins in. A flap underneath, held shut with tape, lets them out.
A garage with three floors for toy cars Stack three box lids on tube pillars. Sloping strips of card join the floors.
A giant dice Tape a square box shut and draw the dots, one to six. Roll it across the floor.
A glider Thin card flies best. Slot a wing through a slit in the body and slide a paper clip onto the nose.
A guitar with rubber band strings Cut a round hole in a box and stretch bands over it. A tube taped on is the neck.
A hoop for the back of a door Ask a grown-up to cut a ring from thick card, and tape it to a back board. Shoot balls of paper.
A jigsaw puzzle of your own Draw on thin card first. Then cut it into pieces with scissors, and time a friend.
A mailbox with a slot Cut a slot in a shoebox lid with scissors. Post letters to your family and open it at dinner.
A marble run down the side of a box Tape tubes cut in half along a box in zigzags. Tilt each one a little so the marble keeps rolling.
A mini golf course Every hole is a box with a door cut in it. Add ramps and tunnels and number the holes.
A pinball table A sloping box lid with card bumpers. A strip of card bent back flicks the marble.
A play shop with a counter A big box turned on its side is the counter. Small boxes are the shelves.
A puppet theater Cut a window in the front of a big box with a grown-up. Hide behind it and hold the puppets up.
A ramp for toy cars One long flap of a box propped on books. Fold up the two edges so cars stay on.
A ring toss Stand a tube up on a square of card. Cut rings from the middle of old box flaps with scissors.
A table football box Sticks pushed through a shoebox carry pegs as players. Spin the sticks to kick a ball of foil.
A tilt maze in a box lid Glue strips of card on edge inside a lid to make walls. Drop in a marble and tip the lid.
A toy kitchen stove Draw four rings on top of a box. Bottle tops glued on are knobs that turn.
A tunnel for a toy train Cut an arch in both ends of a small box with scissors. Paint it to look like a hill.
Giant dominoes Cut flat card into matching rectangles and draw the dots. Play them on the floor.

Costumes and props 21

A camera with a strap A small box with a tube stuck on for the lens. Draw the buttons on.
A car you wear A box with the top and bottom open hangs from your shoulders on two ribbon straps.
A crown A long strip with points cut along one edge. Wrap it round your head and tape it to fit.
A dinosaur tail Roll a big sheet into a cone and tape triangles down the top. Tie it on with a belt.
A horse to ride around on A box round your waist on straps, a card head at the front and wool for the tail.
A jetpack Two tall tubes taped side by side to a flat sheet. Ribbon makes the shoulder straps.
A knight's shield with your own crest Cut a shield from flat card and tape a strap on the back. Draw an animal that stands for you.
A microphone on a stand A short tube with a ball of foil on top, taped to a long tube that stands in a box.
A photo booth frame Cut the middle out of a big sheet with a grown-up. Hold it up and pull a face.
A robot costume One box for the body with holes for your head and arms. Bottle tops make the dials.
A steering wheel and dashboard Fix a card wheel to a box with a paper fastener, so it really turns.
A suit of armor Two flat sheets, front and back, joined over your shoulders with wide tape.
A telescope that slides open Slip a thin tube inside a wider one. Pull it out to make it longer.
A top hat Roll a tube that fits your head. Tape a flat circle on top and a ring round the bottom.
A treasure chest A shoebox with a lid taped along one side as a hinge. Fill it with foil coins.
A trophy for the winner A cup shape cut twice from card, slotted together in a cross so it stands up.
A turtle shell A wide shallow box worn on your back, with straps like a backpack. Draw the plates.
An animal mask Cut the face from thin card and ask a grown-up to cut the eye holes. Tie string at both sides.
An astronaut helmet A box that fits over your head, with a window cut in the front by a grown-up.
Binoculars Tape two short tubes side by side and thread string through for round your neck.
Wings Draw one wing, cut it out and trace it for the other. Elastic loops hold them on your arms.

Models and buildings 22

A big wheel that goes round Two card circles joined by small tubes, turning on a pencil held between two box towers.
A bridge that holds a book Fold flat card into zigzags to make it stiff. Rest it between two chairs and test it.
A bus with a row of seats A long box, open on top, with windows drawn on. Small boxes inside are the seats.
A castle with a drawbridge Cut square notches along the top of a box. A flap on two strings lifts and drops.
A city of small boxes Every small box is a building. Draw windows and set them out along card roads.
A crane with a hook that winds up Wind string round a pencil pushed through a box. Turn the pencil and the hook rises.
A doll's house with four rooms Stand a box on its side and slot in a card floor and a wall. Wrapping paper is wallpaper.
A farm with a barn and pens A box with a pointed roof is the barn. Strips of card bent in squares are the fences.
A fort made of boxes Tape big boxes side by side and cut doors between them with a grown-up.
A lighthouse A tall tube with a paper cup on top. Stand it on a rock made from a crumpled box.
A maze to crawl through Join big boxes end to end with tape. Add a turn and a dead end.
A pirate ship Cut a big box down to a curved hull with a grown-up. A long tube is the mast.
A rocket you can sit in A tall box with a door and a cone on top. Draw the dials inside.
A scene in a shoebox Turn a shoebox on its side. Stand cut-out trees and animals inside on folded tabs.
A space station made of tubes Join tubes with tape at different angles. Flat card squares are the solar panels.
A tower as tall as you Stack boxes with the biggest at the bottom. Tape every join before you add the next.
A train with three wagons A line of small boxes joined with string. Circles of card are the wheels.
A windmill with sails that turn Pin a card cross to a tall box with a paper fastener, loosely, so it spins.
A zoo with a home for each animal Lids and small boxes are the homes. Give each toy animal a sign with its name.
An airport with a runway A flat sheet with a runway drawn down the middle. A tube stood on end is the control tower.
An elevator that goes up and down A small box hangs on string inside a tall one. Pull the string over a pencil at the top.
An island in layers Cut each layer a bit smaller than the last and stack them with glue. It rises like a hill.

Things for a room 18

A bookshelf for small books A strong box on its side with a card shelf slotted in. Put the heavy books at the bottom.
A box for your treasures A shoebox covered in paper. Glue small boxes inside to keep things apart.
A box with a hidden bottom Cut a sheet that fits inside a box and rest it on four small blocks. Hide things under it.
A calendar with a date you slide Write the numbers in rows on card. A loose card ring slides along to mark today.
A clock with hands that turn Pin two card hands to a circle with a paper fastener. Use it to practice telling the time.
A desk tidy made of tubes Cut tubes to different heights with scissors and glue them to a square of card.
A file for comics and magazines Cut the top off a cereal box on a slant with scissors. Cover it with paper.
A height chart Tape long strips end to end and mark them with a ruler. Add a line each birthday.
A letter rack Cut the lid off a small box and glue two card walls across the inside.
A loom for weaving Cut notches along two ends of stiff card and wind wool up and down. Weave across with more wool.
A mobile to hang up Cut shapes from card and hang them on thread from two crossed strips.
A photo frame that stands up Two sheets of card with a window in the front one. A card triangle behind props it up.
A sign for your door Cut a hook shape at the top so it hangs on the handle. Write Come in on the other side.
A stand for a phone or tablet Fold a strip of thick card into a triangle with a lip at the front.
A stand for headphones A tall tube stuck upright on a thick square of card, with a curved piece on top.
Drawer dividers Cut strips as tall as the drawer. Slot them together with a slit halfway through each.
Steps to show off small toys Three boxes of different heights glued in a row. Tall ones go at the back.
Your name in big letters Draw each letter on flat card and cut it out. Stand them on a shelf or tape them to the door.

Things for a pet 14

A backdrop for a fish tank Draw rocks and weeds on a sheet the size of the tank. Tape it outside, on the back.
A box with holes for paws Cut round holes in a shut box with a grown-up. Drop in a ball for a cat to bat at.
A cat castle Two or three boxes taped together with doors between, and a window to look out of.
A hideout for a rabbit A box turned upside down with two doors cut in it, so there is always a way out.
A house for a guinea pig A small box with a door and a window. Ask a grown-up before it goes in the cage.
A jump for a dog Two boxes with a tube resting across them. Start with the tube low.
A maze for a hamster Glue card walls inside a wide box lid. Put a treat at the end and stay to watch.
A photo frame for a pet Cut the frame in the shape of a bone or a fish and glue a picture behind it.
A play gym of tubes for a hamster Hang short tubes on string and lay others as tunnels. Ask a grown-up what is safe to chew.
A scratching pad for a cat Cut many strips the same width and pack them on edge in a box lid, wavy sides up.
A sign with your pet's name Cut the letters from card and glue them to a strip. Hang it near the bed or the cage.
A treat puzzle for a dog Fill a box with balls of paper and hide a few treats among them.
A treat tube Put one treat in a tube and fold both ends in. The pet has to work it open.
A tunnel for a cat Open both ends of a long box. Cut a window in the side for peeking.

How it works

Got a box and nothing to do? Press the button for one of 100 things to make out of cardboard, from a marble run to a cat castle.

Read the full guide

Start with the box you have

A shoebox, a few tubes or a cereal box is enough for anything in Quick, from one box. Big builds need a box you can climb into, so ask before the next large one is thrown away. Flatten small boxes and you have sheets to cut.

Cool things to make out of cardboard that move

A build feels clever when part of it works: a marble run that zigzags, a windmill with sails that turn, a crane with a hook that winds up, a claw grabber that closes. A paper fastener, or a pencil through two holes, makes most of them go.

Scissors cut thin card. For a thick box, ask a grown-up to make the cut.
Press a fold line with the edge of a ruler first, and thick card bends where you want it.

Questions and answers

What are easy things to make with cardboard?

Anything from one small box with no hard cuts: a ring toss, a crown, binoculars from two tubes, a mailbox with a slot, a desk tidy or a tunnel for a toy train. Quick, from one box holds 36.

What can I make out of a big cardboard box?

Something to get inside: a rocket you can sit in, a fort, a puppet theater, a play shop, a pirate ship or a maze to crawl through. A grown-up cuts the doors and windows.

What can I make out of cardboard tubes?

A marble run, pins for a bowling alley, binoculars, a telescope that slides open, a lighthouse, a jetpack or a space station. Save tubes in a bag until you have enough.

What can I make out of cardboard for my pet?

A cat castle, a tunnel, a scratching pad, a maze for a hamster or a treat puzzle for a dog. Ask a grown-up what is safe for your pet to chew before you hand it over.