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Website Exclusive: Craft Kit by Robyn Coburn
Recycled
Cardboard Village
Kids will have fun making this play village using recycled cardboard cereal
boxes.
If you print these
templates on to card stock, they will be more durable. Alternatively you can
trace or glue them on to card to use as your main template. Templates can be
printed or copied larger or smaller for other cardboard. Printed at 100% they
are sized to fit letter-szied paper for standard 14-oz cereal boxes.
Transfer the shape on to
your recycled cereal box. The insides will usually take paint better than the
shiny outside. One simple way is to trace around the outlined shape and use a
ruler to draw on the fold lines. Tip: Make a small notch at the intersections of
your templates to mark where to draw lines.
Cut out the buildings with
scissors. Use a straight edge or ruler to score or bend the fold lines forward
and then towards the inside. Tip: It is easier to fold the roof first then fold
the walls around, and finally attach the roof tabs to the walls.
Some people prefer to
paint the building while it is flat, others once it is constructed. For very
young kids it may be easier if an adult pre-builds the structure for them, and
they then paint it.
Masking tape on the
outside can easily be painted over with acrylic paints. Hot glue also works very
well to hold the boxes together, and works fast. Tacky glue or craft glue tends
to take longer to dry and the cardboard has to be held (or clamped with
clothespins or rubber bands) during the drying time.
Add details once your base
colors are dry. Use paint, glitter glue, stickers or paint pens.
Recycled
Cardboard Village
