A large cardboard box from Christmas has been haunting me with its presence. It’s just sitting there, waiting for me to do something creative with it. We haven’t taken it down to the recycling because both my husband and I WANT to do something fun with it. I mean that’s what people who have kids do with cardboard boxes right?

My limited creativity had me imaging it as some kind of playhouse but as you can see by the box, she already has a playhouse.

Thankfully, the internet saved me with these wonderfully creative ideas.

Cave of stars

This one is right up my alley because it’s simple. Poke holes in a cardboard box, pop some lights through, add a little imagination and voila – you have a cave of stars! It just so happens; I haven’t put our Christmas lights away yet…

photo credit: playathomemomllc.com

Cardboard box town

This one is more suited to a sitting baby. I imagine if I made this for my 17-month-old it would be more like a scene from Godzilla. Again, it’s simple. It utilizes the toys you already have to make up the town and cars and only requires a little cutting and some drawing. Even I can handle that.

photo credit: theimaginationtree.com

Box vehicles

These are fantastic! Mine would likely turn out a little less polished, but it’s such a fun idea. This blogger gives a step-by-step tutorial on how to make each of the boxes. With the giant box that we have, we could make a ferry or a ship.

photo credit: keriene.wordpress.com

Drop box

Anyone with a toddler knows that they love to drop things and they love to hide things. This drop box would be hours of entertainment for my daughter. And the great thing is because you can customize the holes to any size, you can work with toys that you already have. I love breathing new life into currently neglected toys.

photo credit: happyhooligans.ca

Cardboard castle

For all of you craft wizards, this one is for you. Maybe you have a birthday party coming up or you just have a big rec room looking for a new structure. This is a big project, but I am sure it would be a dream for most kids to have their very own castle. It doesn’t sound that complicated, just time consuming but the end result is spectacular.

photo credit: thebusybudgetingmama.com

Within an hour, I was able to dig up some great ideas for how to turn garbage (well, recycling) into a treasure. If you’re looking for some fresh inspiration, take a look at our Pinterest page where we have great ideas for kids crafts and more! I’d love to hear what great inventions you’ve created with cardboard.