Hello my friends of the Omschool! In keeping with our April Earth Month theme, I'm sharing a recycle bin full of recycled cardboard craft projects for kids! And today we turn our focus toward rainy day craft projects for kids because you know that April showers bring May flowers! Here are recycled cardboard crafts for kids that can go indoors or outside. These cardboard crafts for kids include a homemade cardboard castle, complete with medieval crafts, costumes and props for authentic middle ages fun!
Make cardboard castle walls
Collect from appliance cardboard recycling center, several refrigerator and stove or washer/dryer boxes. Cut open large, recycled cardboard refrigerator boxes. Or cobble together several smaller boxes to create flat cardboard walls. Tape two boxes together to make an octagon or square castle "keep." Here are free printable cardboard castle patterns to help. Skipton Castle in England has a webpage with medieval coloring pages and free printable paper castle crafts projects for kids.
Cut cardboard castle battlements
Castle walls had a series of crenelations and merlons (squared edge thingys) along the top. See image above for ideas. Here are free printable patterns for medieval crafts and castle design ideas. Cut cardboard castle keep windows: Draw a four-pane window and cut openings. Hang curtains in windows (not exactly medieval, but very festive!)
Decorate recycled cardboard castle
Draw in bricks and family crest to make these medieval crafts for kids look really old school! Cut drawbridge opening in the side of cardboard castle. Attach yarn to both sides of to lower and raise drawbridge. Cut holes in the top to tie drawbridge closed when the royal inhabitants aren't receiving company.
DIY castle moat
Place blue, green or brown blankets around the outside for the castle moat. Fill with stuffed animal dragons, fish, alligators and other aquatic creatures. You can add a pattern of stepping stone rocks to create a medieval castle siege game.
Homemade medieval flag craft projects
Make flags for cardboard castle. Royals had ancient family crests that symbolized their clan. These were placed on banners flown when the family was in residence. Banners were carried on standards (tall posts) into battles. Have kids design their royal family crest. Here are free printable heraldry stencils for medieval crafts for kids. Make banners on squares of fabric cut from old bed sheets or towels. Draw or paint crest using permanent marker, paint pens or fabric paint.
Secrets tunnels: Omi's favorite part
Make secret entrances for your recycled cardboard castle. Line chairs up to make a crawl-through tunnel entrance into castle. Drape sheets, blankets and bed linens over tunnel. Establish cardboard castle dungeon. Make a parapet (walkway) by placing several chairs or a bench along the inside edge of the castle. Soldiers keep lookout here and send prisoners to the dungeons (sitting under chairs means being in the dungeon).
Fashion a turret
Put a collapsible net laundry hamper upside down on a chair inside the castle. Children crawl into hamper and onto chair to look out of the turret. If you are feeling extra creative, fashion a conical top for it.
Outfit your royals
Haul out the dress up bin and collect old towels, sheets and blankets. Donate junk jewelry and outworn fancy dresses. Make recycled cardboard crafts of crowns.
- Paper Plate Crown: Cut a paper plate into 8 wedges while folded (without cutting through the edge), then unfold, paint, and fold up the points.
- Cardboard Cereal Box Crown: Cut a cereal box into a zig-zag shape, paint with acrylic paint, and fasten with tape or glue.
- Origami Paper Crown: Use a single sheet of A4 paper to fold a sturdy, adjustable crown without glue.
- Paper Bag Crown: Use the sturdy bottom of a paper bag, cut into a zigzag, and let kids decorate with paint and gems.
Paper Plate Crown Pattern & Instructions
| Project: The Royal Star-Burst Crown | Prep Time: 5 mins | Difficulty: Easy |
| Materials: | Tools: | Yield: |
| 1 Standard Paper Plate | Scissors | 1 Custom Crown |
| Markers or Stickers | Pencil | |
| Plastic Gems (Optional) | Ruler |
Instructions
Map the Center: Flip the plate upside down. Use your ruler to draw a vertical line and a horizontal line through the center point, creating a plus (+) sign.
The Pizza Cut: Draw two diagonal lines through the center (an "X") so you have 8 equal triangular segments.
Establish the Border: Identify the "rim" (the ridged edge of the plate). This will serve as your headband. Do not cut through this rim.
Slice the Triangles: Poke a small hole in the center. Carefully cut along each of your 8 lines, starting from the center and stopping exactly where the flat part of the plate meets the rim.
Form the Points: Fold each of the 8 triangles upward so they stand vertically.
Style & Decorate: Leave the points sharp for a classic look, or use your scissors to round the tips for a tiara style. Add gems, colors, or your family crest!
Pro Tip: For a smaller child, use a dessert-sized plate. For adults or older kids, a standard 9-inch dinner plate works best!
Recycled Cardboard Suits of Armor Craft Projects for Kids
Use this guide to make a suit of armor cardboard crafts for a knight.
- Materials: Large flattened cardboard boxes, duct tape, hot glue, scissors/utility knife, paint, and fasteners.
- Process: Draw armor shapes (breastplate, pauldrons) and cut them out. Score cardboard for bending and shaping. Add detail with hot glue (for rivets) and cover edges with tape for durability.
- Assembly: Use duct tape to connect pieces, and create hinges for mobility.
- Finishing: Paint with metallic acrylics to look like steel.
Equip the keep
The keep is the living area of a castle. Let kids fill their cardboard castle keep with snacks, blankets, pillows, coloring supplies, books and pets. When the novelty of guarding the castle wears off, kids can use it as a cozy play fort. Set your homemade castle up in a place where it can be left up for other rainy day fun or make it convertible to go outdoors on nice days.
What you'll need
Structural Materials
Large Cardboard Boxes: Refrigerator, stove, washer, or dryer boxes from an appliance recycling center.
Small Cardboard Boxes: To cobble together for walls or to create a square castle "keep."
Cereal Boxes: Perfect for cutting into zig-zag shapes to create DIY crowns.
Paper Plates: Used for making wedge-style crowns.
Paper Bags: Heavy-duty bottoms can be used for adjustable crowns.
A4 Paper: For folding sturdy origami crowns.
Construction & Tools
Adhesives: Duct tape, hot glue, and standard tape or glue for smaller crafts.
Cutting Tools: Scissors or a utility knife (for adult use) to cut battlements, windows, and drawbridges.
Measuring & Marking: Writing utensils to draw bricks, family crests, and armor shapes before cutting.
Decor & Details
Paint & Markers: Metallic acrylics (for a steel armor look), paint pens, or fabric paint.
Textiles: Old bed sheets, towels, or blankets for banners, flags, curtains, and "moat" water.
Hardware: Yarn or string to operate the functional drawbridge.
Embellishments: Junk jewelry, plastic gems, and outworn fancy dresses for the "royals."
Interior & Accessories
Furniture: Chairs or benches to create "secret tunnels," walkways (parapets), and supports for turrets.
Keep Comforts: Blankets, pillows, and snacks to outfit the living area.
Prop Fillers: Stuffed animals (dragons, fish, alligators) to populate the DIY moat.
Laundry Hamper: A collapsible net version works great as a lookout turret.
Bibliography of books on castle and castle construction
1. Macaulay, David.
Caldecott Honor Book (1978): Recognized for its intricate pen-and-ink illustrations.
2. Robert Arthur: The Secret of Terror Castle
This is the inaugural book in the "Alfred Hitchcock and the Three Investigators" series. It established the dynamic between Jupiter Jones, Pete Crenshaw, and Bob Andrews. The key feature that I want to highlight is the clubhouse called "Headquarters" they created from junk in Jupiter's Uncle Titus's junkyard. The description of the secret tunnels is what we are trying to create in our cardboard castle. Since most of us don't have access to a junkyard, more's the pity!
Arthur, Robert.
The Secret of Terror Castle . New York: Random House, 1964.Series Note: Volume 1 of The Three Investigators series.
Illustrator: Harry Kane (Original 1964 edition).
3. Marian Cockrell: Shadow Castle
While often overshadowed by mid-century giants, Shadow Castle is a beloved cult classic of the fantasy genre, known for its enchanting world-building and fairy-tale logic.
Cockrell, Marian. Shadow Castle. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1945.
4. Richard Scarry: Busy, Busy World (Golden Press, 1965)
Omi’s Note: This contains the iconic "Castle in Denmark" segment. Try to find the original 1960s editions if you can; later reprints often trim down the international stories.
