About
Cardboard Crafts is a free collection of cardboard craft tutorials for adults. The guides turn clean shipping boxes and other saved cardboard into useful and decorative things for the home, and they explain the handful of skills that every project relies on: measuring, cutting, scoring, folding and gluing.
What the site covers
- Beginner guides that explain which cardboard to keep, which basic tools are worth having and which common mistakes to avoid.
- Techniques covered one at a time: cutting, measuring and scoring, gluing, painting, strengthening and finishing edges.
- Easy projects made from one or two box panels, such as a simple box, bookmarks and a tray.
- Home decor and organization: picture frames, wall pieces, desk organizers, drawer dividers and storage boxes.
- Models, gifts and seasonal projects: small decorative houses, mini models, gift boxes and decorations for fall and the winter holidays.
If you are new to the material, begin with Cardboard Crafts for Beginners, then read Types of Cardboard and How to Cut Cardboard. The easy cardboard box is a good first project. Every guide is listed on the Tutorials page.
How the tutorials are written
Each tutorial covers one project or one skill from start to finish. The designs are original and are meant to be drawn by you, directly on the cardboard, from the measurements given in the steps. There are no commercial templates to buy and nothing to print.
Measurements are given in inches with metric equivalents in parentheses. Tools and materials are described by type, such as a craft knife, a metal ruler or white craft glue, and not by brand, so you can use what you already own.
The pictures on this site are original illustrations drawn for each tutorial. They are diagrams, not photographs of finished pieces, and they are there to show where to measure, where to cut and which way a fold goes.
What you can rely on
- We do not publish invented reviews, ratings or testimonials.
- Time estimates are approximate. How long a project takes depends on your tools, your cardboard and how much practice you have had.
- Sizes are starting points. Cardboard varies in thickness, so a guide may ask you to check a fit before gluing.
- Cardboard projects are suited to light, dry household items. No tutorial promises a weight that a finished piece can carry.
Working safely
Cardboard is a forgiving material, but the tools used to shape it deserve respect.
- Craft knives are for adults. Cut on a cutting mat, guide the blade along a metal ruler, keep your free hand behind the blade and make several light passes instead of one heavy one. Replace a dull blade, because a dull blade slips.
- Scissors or a safety cutter are good alternatives. Many projects can be made with one of them, and a tutorial that calls for a knife names an alternative.
- Hot glue burns. If you use it, choose a low-temperature glue gun, keep your fingers away from the nozzle and the fresh glue, and never leave the gun switched on unattended.
- Cardboard is flammable. Keep finished pieces away from candles, stoves, heaters and hot lamps. Where a project includes lights, use battery lights only.
- Supervise children. The tutorials are written for adults. If children help, an adult should do all of the cutting and all of the hot gluing, and should stay with them throughout.
Corrections and suggestions
If a step is unclear, a measurement looks wrong or a link is broken, please tell us through the Contact page. Mention the name of the tutorial and the step number so the problem can be found quickly. Corrections are always welcome.