6.21.2010

cardboard playhouse

You've seen the felt houses.

You've seen the ones you can buy at walmart for hundreds of dollars.

Introducing:

The cardboard playhouse.


Cost:  maybe $10

STart with a BIG box:

lucky for me my sis in law just unpacked her new stove!!!!

cut out some windows and a door

start painting.

For the roof: I went to this awesome "teacher" store and found a huge roll of this corrugated trim (it's for bulletin boards)


oh yes, this is my favorite part! 3.29. for a roof. It tears apart into a wavy line.

hot glued that around...then I didn't tear it apart and just applied the strips all along the top.


 Made some shutters

and a mailbox out of:


and some mail:

Made some leaves:


and flowers for the leaves:

put them in a flower box....


(Just a rectangle and on the sides some triangles)

Made a welcome mat


and what house is complete without that sign



needed a picket white fence




needed an address so the post man can deliver the mail...

oh...and some cardboard curtains...


put it all together and what do you get?

hours of cheap fun.




put in a doggy door


Thanks for all who voted for this playhouse on S.Y.T.Y.C!!!! I am so excited to be in the top TEN!!!

Visit thecsiproject.com

71 comments:

  1. Love love this! I would totally make one for myself... if I weren't 25. :) Thankfully I've got a little four-year-old friend who will love something like this, even if it isn't as grand as this one. :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. What a great idea, Kim. Great job and good luck with SYTYC. I'm excited to see what you come up with next.

    ReplyDelete
  3. This is SO cute! I think I would add a little skylight so I could peep in at the little one. :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. This is so cute!! I can't wait til my boy gets older so I can make one!! (not pink, ofcourse. . . maybe a firehouse or something!!)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hey I loved this!!! Did you just use hot glue for everything that you had to glue on?

    ReplyDelete
  6. Too cute!!!!!! Love it! I want to play in there!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I voted for you!! Too cute! Where did you get the huge box?

    ReplyDelete
  8. such a cute idea! Love it. I made a felt playhouse for my kids to turn the bottom bunk into a playhouse, but I love the cardboard idea! So fun!

    ReplyDelete
  9. WOW! I want to come play! This is absolutely amazing!! It brings back lots of happy memories of playing in refrigerator boxes when we were kids. Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Congrats Kimbo! i follow SYTYC and can't wait to see what crafts you make.

    ~L~
    Fashion DIY @ Avid Accents

    ReplyDelete
  11. WOW! Will you be my mommy?
    That is adorable!

    ReplyDelete
  12. oh I just adore it!!! and i love the no soliciting sign on the front door, can you make one for my house? ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  13. Super cute! We just made a 'playhouse' out of a cardboard box for my son but it just had a door and window....and that is it! So when we bought him a real playhouse yesterday, he really stepped up in life. :) Your house put John's crappy box to shame!!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Adorable! You make it seem like you whipped it up in like 10 mins too :) Lucky girls you have!

    ReplyDelete
  15. this is AMAZING! come on over and link up to MMM

    ReplyDelete
  16. Fabulous!! That came out so cute! I will have more fun making things like that for Avery then she probably will playing in it lol!

    ReplyDelete
  17. I absolutely LOVE this. I have so many packing boxes taking over the garage that I think I'll make one of these over the summer vacation. Awesome!

    ReplyDelete
  18. It's fabulous!!!! Just don't leave it out in the rain.

    ReplyDelete
  19. This is so adorable and looks like lots of fun to make :-). Great job!

    ReplyDelete
  20. OMG that is crazy! Super cute. What a lucky little girl you have :-)

    ReplyDelete
  21. OMG !
    It's you the super handy crafter on SYTYC !
    I didn't know that was yours
    Goodluck!!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Oh my goodness, I am IN LOVE. That is SO cute -- I'm just in awe. I almost just burned a whole pile of huge boxes from moving, but now I can't wait to go leaf through them and see what I can create. Thanks for the inspiration -- what an AWESOME little playhouse, and you sure can't beat the price! :)

    ReplyDelete
  23. LOVE IT! My dad is a packing designer and he once designed a cardboard gingerbread house for Christmas pics one year. Once we took a bunch of cute pics, all the kids got to decorate it with crayons and markers...tons of fun! Thanks for linking up to Mad Skills Monday!

    ReplyDelete
  24. This is so darn cute I can't stand it! I'd make one for myself if no one would find me there!

    But for Grandson? I think it'll probably be Thomas the train. But thanks for the idea. He'll love it! Now, just gotta find some big boxes!

    ReplyDelete
  25. Brilliant! You have such amazing attention to detail!

    ReplyDelete
  26. I would like one of these now, even though I'm 35. Definitely going to make one of these for my little girl, she'll adore it. Found you at The Girl Creative late last night. Happy Monday, even though it's Tuesday now. =)

    ~Dawn

    ReplyDelete
  27. TOTALLY voted for this!!!! congrats on the top 10! i DIE over this, like DIE! my girls would completely freak out if i did this, they would each want one... i gotta get to work!!!

    sisters4saymoreismore.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  28. This is an absolute winner! What a fabulous idea and all the little crafty things that really made it a wonderfully whimsical play house. Not to mention we who decide to make one of our own can make it our own with our own coloring and design,i.e., butterflies, birds, flowers, bushes, berries...I'm going nuts just thinking of all the possibilities. Fabulous share! Fabulous.

    Haupi
    http://hauplight.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  29. It turned out so cute. Thanks for sharing. I already bought my materials for the felt version...but this seems like it might be easier...I just don't know if I have the patience to paint it all. Great job!

    Tricia Leafytreetopspot.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  30. You have GOT to be kidding me! This turned out too flippin' adorable! I found you through All Thingz Related, and this is just a heavy dollop of thrifty mom genius.

    ReplyDelete
  31. This is unbelievable, Kimbo! I love it!

    ReplyDelete
  32. I LOVE this! Totally going to make one for my girls... once I find a big enough box! :)

    ReplyDelete
  33. New follower from TTA - hope to see you at Dropped Stitches!

    xo Erin

    ReplyDelete
  34. I am popping over from Santa's Gift Shoppe. A new follower. Feel free to follow back :)

    ~Lori@live,laugh,love,create :)

    (paisleyinspirations.blogspot)

    ReplyDelete
  35. so cute! What little kids wouldn't love this and for $10.00 and a little elbow grease you can't go wrong!

    ReplyDelete
  36. Thanks for linking up at Take-A-Look Tuesday. Just wanted to give you a heads up that I featured you today! - Mandy, www.craftedition.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  37. I want a big cardboard box now!!

    ReplyDelete
  38. I loved this idea so much, I featured it today with a roundup of fun summer ideas!

    http://oopsey-daisy.blogspot.com/2010/06/wednesdays-wowzers-summertime-goodness.html

    Thanks so much for the inspiration!
    ~Alison

    ReplyDelete
  39. Wow! This is amazing! You are so creative.
    You can follow me back at http://www.pbandjoy.com/
    EnJOY your day!

    ReplyDelete
  40. Truly genius! What a great idea that will get hours of play time!

    ReplyDelete
  41. That is awesome! I did this for my son when we bought a freezer but it didn't look nearly as cute as yours!

    ReplyDelete
  42. This is the coolest playhouse!! So fun!

    ReplyDelete
  43. I saw this over at SYTYC and was so happy to find out you made it in! Can't wait to see what you come up with. ;)

    Thanks for linking up with Sugar & Spice.

    ReplyDelete
  44. I love this!!! I am featuring this on my friday favorites http://www.lilbitofus.blogspot.com Sorry I don't have a direct link, but I'm scheduling it today to post for tomorrow.

    ReplyDelete
  45. Kimbo this is soooo cute!! I'm definitely making one for my little boy-he will love it!

    ReplyDelete
  46. Soooooo incredibly dazzling!!!!! Love it! Love! Love it!

    ReplyDelete
  47. That is adorable! How Fun!
    Thanks for sharing @ Anything Related!

    ReplyDelete
  48. absolutely adorable!! thanks for linking it up at Fine Craft Guild DIY Linky party

    Do join again with an equally great tutorial next party, will ya? It opens Wednesday and you can reach it from our homepage.

    :0-)

    ReplyDelete
  49. Get. Out. Of. Here. No way!! That is insanely adorable!! My sis and I have a fridge/stove appliance store right across the street and we've often talked about getting a few boxes to do this. Oh my goodness, seeing your little house makes me want to make my son a "play house" sooo bad now!

    I am so your new follower, girl. Awesome job and awesome post. Thanks for sharing this with us.

    Lots of love,
    Laura

    P.S. Found you through Whatever Goes Wednesday!

    ReplyDelete
  50. SOO cute!!
    Love it! I think you should win this round of iron crafter :)
    Awesome.

    ReplyDelete
  51. Gorgeous!! And simply precious!!!!
    xox

    ReplyDelete
  52. So cute! Your creative genes are really going on this one.

    ReplyDelete
  53. Yup, just voted in the top 10. And now I'll be on the look out for a big box. I've heard you can go to big stores and ask them for a box, I might try it soon. Thist would be a great activity for a rainy day!

    ReplyDelete
  54. This looks so much easier than the felt houses! Simply adorable!

    ReplyDelete
  55. We completely concede! Your project is awesome, the tutorial is cool, and we'll get you next time!

    ReplyDelete
  56. Congrats Kimbo on The Iron Crafter win! Great project. Now if you could just find a way to mass produce those for the rest of us. ;)

    ReplyDelete
  57. I love this house! I want to make one today lol. I will be making one for my daughter and I want to make one for my son also... I have to think about a boys theme house hehe.. thank you so much for this great idea.

    ReplyDelete
  58. So cute! I love the "no soliciting" sign on the door :D

    ReplyDelete
  59. This is adorable. Every year in the summertime I get huge sofa boxes from a local furnature store for my boys to make into forts - I just love to see them being creative. It becomes very serious business. We are not allowed to throw them out! LOL! We will have to jazz them up next summer with some paint. Thanks for the inspiration! Such detail! LOVE IT!

    ReplyDelete
  60. It's very cute... I had one made from my mom when I was a kid and it was great!

    ReplyDelete
  61. Um, why didn't you win the CSI challenge with your playhouse?? I mean, what is UP? This is freakin AWESOME! You get my comment for the day.

    ReplyDelete
  62. Oh so cute! I love the fence, the flowers...oh heck...I LOVE it all! I am on a cardboard frenzy these days and just finished a project myself. I wish I had gone looking for others who had done the same thing first...but now that just gives me more inspiration to build more!

    I would love to share mine with you, if you would like to see what we did it can be found at http://thecraftyrecycler.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  63. Looks really nice. I'm planning to make ginger bread house with cardboard. May i know how you cut the cardboard?

    ReplyDelete
  64. Looks really nice. I'm planning to make ginger bread house with cardboard. May i know how you cut the cardboard?

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for your comments!! Unless they are mean. Then I take back my thanks....you are officially unthanked.