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Creating Houses Out of Empty Boxes + Links To FREE Downloads!

Empty boxes and cartons such as that of cereals, pancake, milk, juice, medicine etc. can still be use to create all sorts of crafts for kids. There are many creative ideas and ways to use it, one of it is by making some colorful box houses or buildings. These box houses we made was an art project that Lauren did in Brightly Beaming Resources' (Step 2: Letter of the Week) home school curriculum for the "b" sound as in "building", Click Here To Find Out Why We Are Doing Homeschooling.


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IDEA FOR OUR BOX HOUSES 

I did a search for some house craft ideas and found "Recycled Milk Cartons" from auntannie.com, this is a gift box tutorial using recycled milk and juice cartons but you can adapt it into a house or building craft using all kinds of boxes. You can use their printable cutouts to make a cuckoo clock, house or church buildings. 


Recycled Milk Carton Buildings (auntannie.com)

They have two cutout templates to choose from: Colored (that are ready to cut and glue into your boxes) or Black & White (that the kids can color themselves so they can create their own look for their buildings). You can use these doors and windows template for immediate cutting and gluing to your houses or you can get creative with your own doors and windows by drawing or using cliparts.


CREATING OUR BOX HOUSES

For the details of our houses, I took door lamp clip arts and made some windows and doors using shape tools in MSWord. I also had bushes as additional details on the houses and trees and cars as extra props. 


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Shop for new & used children's books @ thriftbooks.com

I took small and medium sized empty boxes of computer and belt accessories that I have kept for recycling purposes. I printed roof and wall texture patterns to cover the roof and our house boxes. We took the idea of doing and cutting the upper part of our box and roof from auntannie's "Recycled Milk Cartons" tutorial.

FREE DOWNLOADABLE IMAGES, EXTRA PROPS

Add background decorations or props around your box houses such as cars, trees, animals or people. The kids can get creative with their houses and create a village, make the props stand on a flat surface using craft sticks. Attach the craft stick stand from the back of each prop using hot glue to display them. Check out the links for some set of FREE downloadable props such as: trees, animals, people and vehicles.





FREE DOWNLOAD, ROOF & WALL TEXTURES FOR YOUR BUILDINGS

Make your houses look like the real thing, check out the links below for some FREE downloadable roof and wall textures that you can print for personal use. Roof and wall texture thumbnails without the small "crown" icon to them can be downloaded and use for FREE, wrap printed texture to cover roof. 


FREE Roof & Wall Textures @ freepik.com




 
HOW TO PRINT WALL & ROOF TEXTURES TO COVER THE BOXES

Choose any FREE texture you like from the links above and download to your computer. Locate image and double click on it to view in picture viewer. In picture viewer, click on "print" ; choose PAPER SIZE: 8.5" x 11" or 8.5" x 14" (depending on the paper you will use) ; PHOTO SIZE: Full Page ; FIT: Fill Page next click on PRINT. or right-click on image then choose "print" in the side menu that pops up. In the printing setting that appears choose your PAPER SIZE: Legal or Letter (depending on the paper you will use) ; on the right thumbnail choose FULL PAGE PHOTO and make sure FIT THE PICTURE TO FRAME at the bottom is checked then click on PRINT.

GET CREATIVE WITH YOUR OWN BOX HOUSES USING ANY TYPE OF EMPTY BOX OR CARTONS & FREE DOWNLOAD IMAGES & PRINTABLES!

STEP #1: Cut the upper part of the box in a triangle pattern. Visit the page: "Recycled Milk Cartons" for the step by step tutorial including creating the roof!

STEP #2:  Cover your roof and boxes with construction papers in any color of choice or roof and wall texture patterns if you like. You can use solid glue stick or scotch tape to secure the papers onto the cardboard boxes.

STEP #3: Glue some cut out windows and doors at the front and sides of boxes or cartons to complete your houses. You may glue additional shrubs, bushes or plants on your buildings if you like. Check out the links below for some FREE downloadable images.





STEP #4: Your box houses are finish! Add extra props if you like, check out the links above for some FREE downloadable images you can use (such as: animals, vehicles, trees, and people). Display on a flat surface such as shelf or on top of a table as decoration or for pretend play purposes for kids!

MATERIALS TO CREATE THIS BOX HOUSE CRAFT

* printer * empty boxes or cartons * scissors * scotch tape or solid glue stick * bond papers * assorted construction papers * heavy weight paper (for creating roof or printing extra props)

GET A LOW-COST AND QUALITY PRINTER FOR HOME PRINTING

Print FREE printables for home DIYs and more! I'm using "HP Ink Tank 115" single function inkjet printer in printing templates and printables, I bought it online at shopee.ph. It is a quality and low-cost printer for home printing that uses tank for the ink. 

Check Out "HP Original Ink" or "HP Compatible Premium Refill Ink" @ shopee.ph
Check Out "HP Ink Tank 115 Single Function Printer" @ shopee.ph

It needs a total of 4 ink bottles (CMYK) to refill the tank, you can save even more by refilling with universal ink. Just make sure the ink is compatible with the printer model before deciding on a purchase.

I'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU

If you got any thoughts and questions regarding this topic, feel free to interact and write it down in the comment box below. Thank you so much for viewing and reading.

POST UPDATED: May 2024

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