Box Buildings
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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.
What you'll need
- 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
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.
How to make it
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.
