Give old boxes a second life

Cardboard boxes can be found in plenty in most homes. Here are a few ways to repurpose them into projects that can brighten up your child’s room and make play time more fun.

Materials needed: a small/large cardboard box, markers, poster colours and paints, a pair of scissors, and a hot glue gun.

Toy car

Create a toy car or bus for your child with a cardboard box. Choose a clean and large box, and stick four cardboard or paper tyre cut-outs on it. “Paint the tyres in a bright colour and outline them in black to make them stand out. Draw a door partition, handles and lights around the box to replicate a car,” says Karthik V, a Bengaluru-based craft hobbyist.

For the steering wheel, cut out a cardboard disc and stick it on an empty toilet paper roll or a small piece of pipe. Fix this at the front of the car. “Use the front panel where the steering wheel is, to create a windshield. Use a black marker or paint to draw a wiper,” he adds.

Place a low-cushioned ottoman or a stool inside the box for your child to sit comfortably and play.

To make a small toy bus, use a small box. “Cut out the top. At the bottom, stick four bottle caps to depict tyres. Colour all four sides and decorate with lines, animal faces or flower patterns. Stick a few cardboard strips between the two vertical sides, to mimic open seats,” he adds. Cut out the front side of the bus to create a windshield and the sides for windows. “Use a dark marker to highlight these,” says Karthik.       

Canvas pinboard

Let your child’s imagination flow by allowing him or her to paint and draw on a large cardboard box. “Let them pin up pictures and stick fun notes, quotes or photographs on the box like a pinboard,” says Sagarika T, a Montessori teacher and craft hobbyist from Lucknow.

These coloured boxes can also be used to store your child’s books and soft toys, and place them in a corner of their room. “Make sure to use child-friendly poster colours and paints, especially if the child wants to do finger painting on the box,” she adds.

Costume

You don’t have to wait for Halloween to make fun costumes for your child. Grab a large cardboard box, open both its ends and slide it over your child to check if the size works. “After confirming this, choose the theme you want to work with. If you are making a robot costume, cut out a few squares and circles from different colour papers and stick them on the front of the box. These represent different buttons and panels on the robot outfit,” says Sagarika.

Cut out two circles on both sides of the box for your child’s arms to pass through, and cut a large circle on the top flap to make room for their head. Alternatively, you can remove the top flap entirely. “Add some wires and cables to make the costume quirky. Use cello tape to seal all the sides, so the costume stays in place,” she adds.