How to Build a Cardboard House

Making a Cardboard Model House

Pick a box to use. Use one slightly larger than a shoe box if you have one.

Place one of the open ends on the bottom. You can close the flaps or cut them off, depending on what you want. If you want to have a removable roof, you should leave the bottom on.

Create the roof structure. Cut flat lines on two opposite sides. On the other two sides, go up to a point in the middle, like a roof. Basically, you're creating a triangle shape on top of a rectangle or square shape. For this part, you can use scissors.

Cut out the roof. The roof should be a single piece of cardboard large enough to reach over the edges of the roof space. Bend it in half so it rests correctly over the roof angle.

Cut out the doors and windows. Use a pencil to draw where you want doors and windows. Use a craft knife or scissors to cut them out. For the doors, leave one edge uncut, so you have a door that opens and shuts.

Glue the roof on. Use hot glue to glue the roof in place. Trace the glue along the top edges of the cardboard, and then set the roof in place. You can leave the roof off if you want a removable roof, as long as you left the bottom on for structure.

Creating a Criss-cross Cardboard Dollhouse

Choose a large box. It should have large sections that aren't bent. This type of dollhouse has a center wall with pieces fitted through the center to create rooms on either side.

Cut the box into sections. Follow the folding lines to create large pieces of cardboard.

Cut a large rectangle for the center wall. This piece will be the largest one for your dollhouse, and it determines the length.

Cut equal-sized squares or rectangles. These should be the same height as the original wall and should be able to extend out on either side of it to create good-sized rooms. How many of these walls you make depends on how long you made the original wall. You need a wall on each end, but you may have one, two, or three dividing walls in between. One wall in between will create four rooms, while two will create six rooms and three will create eight rooms.

Mark each of the smaller walls in the middle. You should measure lengthwise, and use a pencil to mark the middle. Also measure to the middle height-wise.

Cut a narrow strip down the middle of the cardboard. Cut into the middle lengthwise, going down to the middle height-wise. Repeat for each smaller wall piece.

Line up the pieces. Place the pieces on the long piece of cardboard, lining them up where you want them to go. Use a pencil to mark the places. Use the strip you cut to line them up. Insert the large wall into the cut strip. The smaller walls will sit up too high, which is why you will cut strips in the large wall in the next step.

Cut a narrow strip for each wall to the middle height-wise. The strip should run the same direction you had the walls standing up. For the end pieces, move in a half-inch or so from the outer edge to cut the strip.

Add windows and doors. Draw and cut out windows and doors in the walls.

Place and glue the walls. Put the walls together. The small walls should fit into the large wall like a puzzle piece, with each side straddling the other. Glue the walls in place with hot glue.

Making a Cardboard Playhouse

Find a large box. The best boxes for this activity are refrigerator boxes or other boxes of that size. Dishwasher boxes also work fine.

Cut off the bottom flaps. Reserve the flaps for later.

Cut out a door and windows. On the door, leave one edge uncut. Bend it back to make the door open.

Attach the flaps to the top in a triangle. Bend the flaps or tape two together to create the roof, resting it on two edges of the top of the box. You will need to add a triangle piece of cardboard at the front and back to match the slope of the roof. Glue the roof in place.

Cut out squares. Attach them to the roof in a shingle pattern. Beginning at the bottom edge, glue the shingles on in a row with the bottom part hanging over. Only glue the top edge on. Glue the next row in, also leaving the bottoms unglued. Each layer should hang over the layer below.

Add eaves, if desired. Cut out scalloped pieces of cardboard, and glue them under the front edge of the roof to create eaves.

Decorating Your House with Paint

Lay out newspaper. The decorating process can be messy, so make sure you protect your table or other painting surface by spreading out newspaper.

Coat the house in a layer of gesso. Gesso is a primer used to prepare surfaces for acrylic paint. It dries hard and white, both covering up the brown of the cardboard or any ink on the cardboard and providing a smooth surface for the even application of paint. Gesso can be purchased in any craft or art supply store. Using a clean brush, apply the gesso in an even coat to the entire surface of the house. Use long, parallel strokes to ensure an even coating. Let the gesso dry completely before painting the house.

Sketch details in pencil. When the gesso has dried, you’ll have a white surface on which you can sketch any details you might want to include on your house. Using your ruler, sketch out flowers, eaves, or anything else you want to paint on your house. If you don't want to cut out windows in an earlier step, you can draw and paint them instead.

Paint the house. Use a small brush on the smaller house so you can control the detail, or else you might end up with a smudgy door or windows. For the playhouse, you can use a larger brush. Paint the exterior walls first, being careful not to let the paint bleed over the lines you’ve sketched for your doors and windows. Paint the background first, then add the details. Clean the brush with fresh water when switching between colors. If you have to apply one color over another — a black doorknob on a red door, for example — let the bottom layer of paint dry completely before applying the second color. Apply the paint in thin layers, so it doesn’t drip down. Even if you have newspaper under the house, the dripping will leave an uneven texture on the surface of the house.

Let the paint dry before applying a second layer. Leave the house in the sun, if possible, to speed up the drying process. After an hour or two, lightly brush your finger along the paint surface to see if any comes off on your skin. If not, you’re ready to apply a second layer of paint to cover up the gesso underneath. Once your second layer of paint has dried, you’re finished.

Decorating Your House with Paper

Pick an appropriately-sized piece of paper. For larger houses, try wrapping paper. For smaller houses, try scrapbook paper.

Use it to decorate the inside or outside of the house. Inside, it works as wallpaper and carpet. Outside, it can work as paint.

Cut the paper to fit. Measure the size of the space, and cut the paper down to size.

Glue it into place. Smooth out the paper as you go.

Add paper flowers to the yard. You can make flowers out of paper and create a yard or window box. For a simple paper flower, cut out a round circle of paper. It should be about an inch across. Cut out a simple spiral with two edges. Wave the lines as you cut. Beginning on the outside of the paper, roll up the spiral tightly. Once you've got it curled up, let it unravel slightly to form a flower. Glue the bottom of the spiral to the circle you made in the beginning.