I knew that, right?!
When I set upon making the Cardboard Kitchen and Cardboard Choo Choo Train, I knew it wasn’t going to be a keep-forever type of toy. I was simply making use of some old cardboard boxes in my basement, hoping that they’d have more value as my kid’s toys instead of in the recycle bin.
Since CARDBOARD happens be a a popular search term on my blog (geez, my writing on other topics must be so thrilling), I thought I’d share a look at these cardboard toys almost one year later.
What can I say, it’s been well loved, and a cheap toy for hours of enjoyment for my kids! I have been thinking about pitching it in the recycling bin, but just saw my kids playing with it yesterday. It will be a fixture in our basement for a bit longer it seems.
The Cardboard Train Engine has fared slightly better than the kitchen – a testament to my superior cardboard construction skills. It still has that slight lean to the right in the cab – again a testament to my superior cardboard construction skills.
More Cardboard Craft Ideas
As part of the Do Good, Read More Summer Reading Challenge, I found some other bloggers with more cardboard craft ideas.
- I love this post from Zing Zing Tree. Egg Cartons, Houses, Cars, and Story Diorama. Check it out for some fun craft projects on a smaller scale (it won’t take up as much space as the cardboard kitchen or train engine)!
- The Little Crafter that Could shares an awesome cardboard letters project. This would be really cute in my kid’s rooms!
- Finally, the BEST CARDBOARD MASTERPIECE that I found comes from Japanese artist who goes by Upunushu: Matsumoto Castle. Apparently she has been working with cardboard since 5th grade and is now in her twenties. All I can say is WOW! You have to check it out!
go mama o. 
They still are in pretty good shape after a year! They are still in one piece which is a feat in itself! That’s great that they still play with them! It doesn’t take a lot of money to have fun!
Yes, I know it could be MUCH worse. My kids are pretty good with things, though my son is into chucking toys around!
I am so impressed with your cardboard crafting skills! Either your kids are very gentle children, or you are a master with a cardboard box and duct tape. 🙂 I am not the “crafty” type, though I’d like to be. I clicked over to check out the cardboard letters (awesome!) and the egg cartons and box cars (super fun!) and of course the castle (Holy Smokes!), but I am instantly intimidated by all the steps. Haha! I’d probably be better off giving the kids a cardboard box and letting them create something!
Thanks! And yes, I used A LOT of duct tape! I have tried just putting my kids in a box and letting them color, but they haven’t been into it. As they say, try, try, and try again!
Those are so great! And, to last for over a year with 2 little ones is so impressive! Mine would have destroyed them within a week! 🙂
Thanks! I patched up the kitchen with some more tape, though my almost 2 year old is ripping off the paper on the “counter.” We’ll get some more use from them!