Create Your Own Cardboard Castle

If you’ve got a child with any sort of imagination, you’ve probably experienced them imagining themselves as a Prince or Princess. They love to play make-believe, and because there are so many stories, films and TV shows about royalty and knights, they often imitate what they see and here. And if your kids are anything like mine, they’re always asking for a cool castle to play with. Of course, you could go to a toy store and buy one, or you could go through your recyclables to find supplies to make your own!

This is a truly fun craft to do with your kids, as it’s simple to make, and you can let them decorate them however they wish!

Supplies:

• Cardboard box that is approx. 9” x 11”
• 4 toilet paper rolls
• Piece of heavyweight paper
• Glue gun
• Scissors
• Exacto knife
• Pencil
• Craft paint in brown, gray, blue
• Paint brushes
• String

Instructions:

Lay your box upside down with the flaps folded outward.

Cut 3 of the flaps off with the exacto knife leaving one flap connected on a long side of the box.

Take the flap that you cut off from the long side and cut a piece that is 3 inches tall. Then, use the ruler and the pencil to measure and mark one inch sections across the cardboard. Then add a pencil line across the cardboard that is about ¾” below the 1 inch measurements.

Use the scissors or exacto knife to cut the top of the castle wall using the 1 inch marks on the cardboard (as shown). Then, fold the cardboard piece in half. On each side of the bottom of the cardboard piece, measure 1” in and 1” up and make a cut at each side.

Where the front flap meets the box, measure a 2 ¾” wide and 3 ½” tall rectangle in the center of the box. Use the exacto knife to cut this out.  On the flap that is sticking out, make the same measurements so that it looks as though the drawbridge was lowered (as shown in the photos).

Use the glue gun to glue the two small end flaps to the front, top of the box and the longer piece to the top of the box (as shown).

Use the glue gun to attach the toilet paper tubes to each of the four corners on top of the box.

Use your paints to decorate the castle. Paint the castle grey. On the front flap, paint the drawbridge brown and the water (on either side of the drawbridge) blue.

Make 4 cones from the heavyweight paper that are about 3 inches tall. (You can make a semi-circle that is 5 1/2 “ along the bottom and 3” tall in the middle. Bend this in half and use the glue to secure the two straight ends together.) Use little bots of glue to secure these to the tops of the toilet paper tubes.

Use two pieces of string attached to both sides of the opening and the drawbridge to look like the chains use to raise and lower it. You can cut four small squares from the extra cardboard and attach them with glue to cover the ends of the string.

TIP: You can cut the back out of the box if kids want to more easily move their action figures in and out of the castle.

There you have it! A super fun and simple Cardboard Castle Craft for your kids to enjoy. Remember you can make it super fancy if you want, but this gives you the basics for making yourself a truly cute castle.

See some of my other cardboard play set ideas below.

Katie Reed

Katie Reed is a passionate writer and mother of four vivacious boys from Salt Lake City, Utah. Drawing from her own journey through TTC, pregnancy, and the joys of raising children, she offers a wealth of insight into the world of motherhood. Beyond her heartfelt tales, Katie delights her readers with family-friendly recipes, engaging crafts, and a curated library of printables for both kids and adults. When she’s not penning her experiences, you’ll find her crafting memories with her husband and sons—Dexter, Daniel, Chester, and Wilder.