12 DIY Castle Ideas to Build at Home from a Cardboard Box and More

Make a DIY castle from a cardboard box, simple craft supplies, and other household items. Reuse, recycle and encourage your child’s imagination.

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Give a kid a cardboard box and they’ll probably turn it into a car, a spaceship, or a castle. There’s something so fun about a big, empty box. It is a blank slate that can become anything you can imagine.

We do a fair amount of Amazon shopping at my house, so there’s frequently a stack of boxes sitting by the recycling bin. My kids often grab one or two to use in craft projects or save “just in case” they need it. And I always prefer to reuse the boxes instead of tossing them out with the recycling when we can.

Below I’ve rounded up a few of the neatest looking cardboard box castles, plus some other creative ideas to make a DIY castle from other recyclable materials and art supplies.

DIY castle ideas

Printable 3D Castle | Make Time Together

My kids love crafting with printables and this printable 3D tower is too cute. It has 2 layers, so the windows on the outside open up to reveal scenes inside too. It doubles as a coloring page before you assemble it, so this project will keep kids busy for a while.

Cardboard Box Castle | Be a Fun Mum

A few small mismatched boxes are easy to turn into a tiny palace for toys with a little imagination. Add a few cardboard tube towers, paint, and other features. This size is perfect for dolls and action figures.

Cereal Box Castle | Right Now Crafts

This cereal box castle is similar to a cardboard box version, but the unique texture of a cereal box creates a very different result. Folding the boxes inside out creates a smooth but uniform surface that’s great for drawing details. It’s also an easy way to get mismatched boxes to look the same.

Sandpaper Castle | I Heart Crafty Things

This 2-dimensional art project is such a creative way to build a sandcastle at home. This can easily become an educational activity for young children learning shapes and colors. Try using different grit sizes for a sensory experience with an unusual texture.

Watercolor Castle | Deep Space Sparkle

This watercolor castle is perfect for exploring different art techniques with kids. It combines crayon resist art, drawing, and of course watercolor painting techniques. For a more educational project, research a few watercolor artists and try to imitate their styles.

Draw a Castle | Art Projects for Kids

Learn how to draw a castle, complete with turrets and towers, that looks like something you would see in a medieval history book. This art tutorial is easy enough for kids, but adults will enjoy it too. Once you’ve learned the basics, you can add your own embellishments too.

Toilet Roll Castle | Red Ted Art

If you’ve got a stash of empty toilet paper rolls or paper towel tubes, you can recreate this beautiful Frozen-inspired ice castle. The details are simple but will thrill any little Disney princess fan. Bonus parent points if you have the right shade of paint to finish it.

Play-Doh Sandcastle | Play-Doh on Pinterest

Whether you use homemade or store-bought play dough, this sandcastle tutorial is easy for kids to build and rebuild with a bit less mess than a trip to the beach. Collect a few tools, like plastic utensils or cookie cutters, to create a whole scene.

Air Dry Clay Castle | Hobby Craft

This tiny clay building is marked as a beginner craft project but even experienced crafters will enjoy the challenge. Add details as you go and paint once the clay dries. You could even make two of these buildings and connect them to make a bigger castle.

Card Stock Castle | It’s Always Autumn

If you don’t have a stash of empty boxes, you can still build an impressive 3D castle using card stock and a printable template. It’s easier to bend and cut than cardboard but looks just as cool when you’re done. This is the perfect size for LEGO minifigures but might work for tiny paper dolls too.

Interlocking Cardboard Castle | Mermag

The simplicity of this 2-piece castle makes it easy to assemble and take apart for easy storage. Instead of paint, this one is decorated with duct tape for a less messy and more durable finish. Use knights and princesses from a playset or make your own from cardboard too.

Giant Moving Box Castle | Brandon Tran

It’s every kid’s dream to have access to an empty refrigerator box or something equally giant to build with. This one is pretty elaborate and uses a variety of box sizes for moving to a new house, but the final castle will last a long time.

Bonus: DIY Cardboard Box Fort | Backyard Summer Camp

I had to throw in one last idea, a lucky number 13, for a bonus! Over at Backyard Summer Camp I put together a tutorial for building a box fort (so very similar to a castle) using scrap cardboard. It’s giant!

More DIY castle materials

Get creative and try designing your own castle with the kids using some of these other craft materials. And if you’d rather buy than DIY, I’ve included some kits that will get you started.

• clean popsicle sticks or craft sticks
• empty plastic bottles
• empty round containers, like Pringles or Quaker oats
• LEGO or Duplo
• homemade or store-bought kinetic/moon sand
• building blocks
• wooden castle painting kit
• kid-sized castle playhouse
• Melissa and Doug 3D castle puzzle