Total Time Needed: Weekend Project
Kids can create all kinds of cool structures - from houses to high-rises, metal shops to museums - with household boxes and a few found objects.
Materials
- Small cardboard boxes, such as cereal and pasta boxes
- Newspaper
- Masking tape
- Decoupage mix (or make your own with equal parts white glue and water)
- Tempera or acrylic paint
- Toothpicks, Popsicle sticks, dowels, film canisters, or other inexpensive household items
Instructions
- Stuff the boxes with newspaper until they're sturdy, then assemble them in the desired shape. Tape them together.
- Dip roughly 1- by 6-inch strips of newspaper into the decoupage mix and cover the boxes with them, alternating the direction of the strips as you go. Let them dry (anywhere from a few hours to overnight, depending on the weather).
- Paint the structure, then add decorative details, such as Popsicle stick trim, toothpick window frames, corrugated cardboard or craft foam tile roofs, and dowel chimneys.
Tips:
Anything goes here! And part of the fun is looking around your house or yard for any items that would add interesting touches to the sculpture -- from acorns and twigs to old game pieces.
Crafts