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29 Creative Recycled Cardboard Crafts for Kids

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These cardboard crafts for kids are perfect for all ages and a creative way to use up that recycled packaging while learning about colours, shapes, letters and more!

Loving these cardboard crafts for kids - so many fun ways to be creative while learning about colours, shapes, letters and even engineering! #cardboardcrafts #kidcrafts #craftsforkids

Cardboard Crafts for Kids

I don’t know about you but since its not a great time to be going out shopping right now I am having far more parcel deliveries than usual.

Add that to the usual cereal boxes and food cartons and that’s a lot of cardboard!

I know it can be recycled, but where’s the fun in that?

Instead I’ve been collecting it, and we’ve been using it for craft time.

I needed some more ideas for cardboard art and crafts projects so I’ve been busy rounding up some new inspiration – and as always I’m sharing the ideas here for you too!

There are crafts in this collection for kids of all ages, from toddlers and preschoolers through to tweens and even teens.

Combine your cardboard with some items from your craft box and your child will have hours of creative fun, while also learning concepts like colours, shapes, letters and even some maths and engineering!

Are you ready to be inspired by these creative cardboard crafts for kids?

Cardboard Dinosaur

This DIY cardboard dinosaur is HUGE! So not only will you kids have fun creating him they can also adopt him as a pet for hours of pretend play afterwards!

Source: Chalk Academy

Recycled Cardboard Owl Craft

How sweet are these owls?

I love this cardboard craft for kids because you can use all kinds of materials from your craft box or recycling bin, and you can even let the kids loose with the paint if you have time for them to get messy!

Source: Arty Crafty Kids

Little Cardboard Houses

Oh how about creating a whole town full of these cute little cardboard houses?

Source: @mizzlee_art

Fabric Scrap Cardboard Houses

And here’s a twist on that project, this time using fabric to decorate the cardboard houses patchwork style!

Source: Art Bar

Cardboard Building Discs for Creating Sculptures

For a cardboard craft that keeps on giving have your children spend an afternoon painting stacks of these cardboard discs.

They can then spend hours making their own sculptures!

Source: The Artful Parent

Cardboard Self Portraits

These over-sized cardboard “self-portrait” masks were inspired by the work of artist and sculptor Kimmy Cantrell. Such for for kids of all ages to make, even the older ones!

Source: Hand Makery

Cardboard Robot Puppets

What’s better than making a cardboard robot? One that moves of course!

This cardboard craft is so much fun and the children can spend hours using their imagination to put on a puppet show afterwards.

Source: Artful Parent

Geometric Cardboard Tower

Here’s another cardboard sculpture idea that your kids can take apart and put back together as many times as they like.

Source: The House that Lars Built

Cardboard House Collage

I think I’m developing a “thing” for cardboard houses!

I love that this one again is different from the first two I shared; with the houses being added to a piece of cardboard to make a picture.

Source: Small Hands Big Art

Stained Glass Collage Angels

These cardboard stained glass collage angels are beautiful! I’m saving this craft to my kid’s crafts board over on Pinterest so I can find it again in December. I think these would look beautiful in the window for the Holiday season don’t you?

Source: Art Camp LA

Kinetic Cardboard Mobile

This cardboard mobile is so beautiful with all its different paint effects and glitter to sparkle as it spins and catches the sun!

Source: Handy with Scissors

Cardboard Safari Animals

No instructions for this cardboard craft as it was saved directly to Pinterest. Hopefully there is enough her to inspire you and your kids to create some amazing 3D animal faces from your recycled cardboard!

Source: Pinterest

Puss ‘n Boots Cardboard Cat

And now from Big Cats, to little cats. How sweet is this Puss ‘n Boots? I love his little whiskars!

Source: Kid’s Activities Blog

Cardboard Collage Portraits

Here’s another twist on the cardboard self-portrait idea. These are a little more realistic than the abstract ones I shared before.

Your kids can have hours of fun with these cardboard art project, making faces of the whole family!

Source: The Artful Parent

Big Cardboard Birds

Oh these cardboard birds are fabulous! Just look at that whimsical design. And they’re oversized too so they’d look fabulous hanging up on the wall.

Source: Krokotak

3D Collage Dinosaur

Here’s another dinosaur craft.This time decorated with collage papers. If you cut them out in different shapes and sizes your child will have a whole herd of dinosaurs to play with!

Source: Mini Mad Things

Cardboard Circular Weaving

My daughter and I have done this cardboard craft already. It was such a mindful activity to be weaving through the cardboard loom.

You have to love any craft that lets you make something beautiful out of scraps and leftovers.

Source: The Artful Parent

Woven Cardboard Llamas

Or for an adorable twist on the cardboard loom project try making these llamas instead with their woven blankets!

Source: Pink Stripey Socks

Yarn Wrapped Cardboard Letters

And while you’ve got the yarn out have a go at making some of these yarn wrapped letters.

This is a great way for your child to practice their letters. They could make the letters for their name, or why not go all out and make the whole alphabet so they can practice spelling and reading in a more tactile way.

Source: Art Bar

Cardboard Rainbow Collage

These sweet rainbow collages are a great way to talk about colours and then they can be hung on the wall to brighten your day.

Source: Art Bar

Cardboard Box Town

Ok you’re going to need actual cardboard boxes for this project. And depending on how many houses your child wants in their city you might need quite a few… so get collecting!

Source: Mini Mad Things

Cardboard Hearts

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner so it’s the perfect time to make this sweet cardboard heart hanger for your door!

Source: Little Bit Funky

Cardboard Spiders

Cute and spiders are not usually two words I put together in a sentence. But I will today!

Source: Krokotak

Giant Cardboard Insects

Of course your children doesn’t have to limit themselves to just making spiders, when there is a whole world of creepy crawlies out there to get crafty with!

Source: La Maison de Loulou

Cardboard Box Doll House

Cardboard boxes of different shapes and sizes are perfect for turning into a dollhouse.

This is a cardboard project that can last for weeks as each individual box can be decorated.

And of course there is always room for an extension on the house when a new interesting box arrives!

Source Mini Mad Things

Foldable Cardboard Superhero House

If you want something a little smaller that can be folded up and put away (or taken to grandma’s house or to a restaurant maybe) then how about this neat cardboard project?

It could equally be decorated as a dolls house, or even a barn, if your child isn’t into superheroes.

I do think the use of washi tape to capture the bad guys is totally genius though!

Source: Pink Stripey Socks

Cardboard Mermaid Tails

Copyright allthemummery https://www.instagram.com/p/B8SsF-dhulf/?igshid=1030dajnpm8ag

Here’s a fun twist on making mermaid tails out of cardboard. I love how they added seashells and sand for texture!

Source: @allthemummery

Recycled Sea Creatures

And from mermaids we have some amazing sea creatures made from recycled cardboard. These would look amazing strung from some fishing line and turned into a mobile!

Source: La Maison De Loulou

Recycled Cardboard Theatre

Or better yet… turn a large cardboard box into a giant aquarium for your sea creatures!

Source: Let’s Lasso the Moon

Loving these cardboard crafts for kids - so many fun ways to be creative while learning about colours, shapes, letters and even engineering! #cardboardcrafts #kidcrafts #craftsforkids
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