DIY Cardboard Castle Tutorial - Cost:$4

I have been getting lots of questions about how I made

this Cardboard Castle for my daughters' Storybook Princess Party..

So here's a full tutorial on how to make it yourself!

If you get free boxes, use paint you already have..

then you'll only spend $4(pack of zip ties) to make this castle!

I went into my dollar store and asked them if they had any extra boxes..

They were nice enough to let me choose the sizes I wanted and let me load up my car!

It always doesn't hurt to ask! You can also try places like Target or Home Depot..

(That's where I found boxes for my daughters' Sweetopia Village the year before!

Luckily I stopped by the day their trash compactor broke. :)

CAREFULLY cut out doors & windows using a utility knife.

I used extra cardboard to make a template..

and then traced that on both towers for my windows.

I cut out the drawbridge but left the bottom part connected so it could swing up and down.

You'll notice the stacked boxes...I cut out part of the bottom of one and top of the other so that they kids could fit in that space. (hope that makes sense!

photos below might help explain that.)

CONNECTING THE BOXES:

I would poke a hole with a pen through both layers of the boxes or sides of them if I was connecting that way.. and then thread a zip tie through it..and zip tight!

Just mess with it when you are putting the boxes together..

You will be able to sense where you need to add a zip tie to make it sturdy.

I didn't zip tie all 3 big pieces together (2 towers and 1 doorway)

because I wanted to be able to one day move it out of our play room....haha.

it's in the basement and ready to be moved up whenever we

decide it's time for a castle play date!

PS. I bought my zip ties at Target.

But you can buy that at any hardware store too.

Using scissors I roughly cut out rock shapes.

have fun with it! do more..or do less!

Random: For my church's VBS I made a roman village like this..
and used a darker share to shadow all the rocks when I painted them (with a sprayer)

For the drawbridge I poked two holes.. threaded some rope from my craft box and double knotted it on the outside. the strands lay inside for the girls to pull up to shut it!

I made up a flag design on my computer..with different patterns and colors.

then just printed them out..cut them..and sewed them together with white thread.

I now have 3 of the garlands hanging over the girls' play kitchen in the corner of their room.

I REALLY wanted to make clouds.

The quilting batting material was always calling my name!!

I kinda made it up as I went along.. but really just roughly sew them together. the looser the better.. and then just puff them out once you turn them inside out before stitching it closed.

I think these clouds would be so cute for a baby's nursery..

or for a variety of party themes.. toy story..noah's ark..etc etc.

This castle hosted plenty of tea parties and baby doll nap times.

The drawbridge was used a lot by the 3 yr old to keep her 1 yr old sister out.........

glad I didn't put a lock on the castle door. ;)

Here's a video of the cuteness in "action"

Hope that answers your questions..
just leave comments below if I missed something! :)

My Girls' Storybook Princess Party

Just so you know...This is a LONGG post LOADED with DIY ideas
and Fun Party Details. You've been warned. :)


My Girls recently turned 1 and 3! (ahh! still in shock.)

I love putting together their birthday parties and making it a special day full of fun memories.
One of the best parts of being a mommy has got to be
seeing their faces when I put together fun things like this. They are so sweet!

Sophia wanted a princess party but was also in love with anything mermaids!
So I took the basic Princess Party Theme and
turned it into a Storybook Princess Party!



It started with the invite..I made fun DIY Pop-Up invites!
I wanted them to look like a children's book! Check out my easy tutorial here.


"To get to their Castle you must travel through the butterfly garden, past the mermaid candy cove and the pirate ship of captain bubbles.  Go deep into the cookie forest and there you'll find it...Just under the rainbow!"
Each Guest received a map that showed
all the fun things in store at the party!
I was told by the friends that their kids made them read them the invite and map 10+ times a day ;) sorry parents..but yay that is exactly what I wanted them to do! ;)



Each place on the map matched up with a station at the party!
I love interactive play stations at parties!
I used budget friendly DIY projects to add special and fun touches...
I'll be adding tutorials for all of these soon!
(let me know which one you are wanting to learn more about and i'll try and post it first!)


Princess Sophia and Sienna's Cardboard Castle -
I asked my dollar store if they had any leftover boxes..and I hit the jackpot!
They took me in the back to pick out sizes I wanted! Sophia was thrilled with the whole experience. ;)
For Their Sweet Shoppe Party last year I created a Sweetopia Village using free boxes
from Home Depot..(you just have to go out and ask!)

Supplies & Cost of Castle

Boxes...FREE

Paint...FREE (mixed white and pink leftovers)

Banner Garlands...FREE (Designed/Printed on Cardstock and Sewn together.)

Drawbridge(working!)...FREE (used string from old project)

Zip Ties...Target (Home Depot has a 100 Pack - $4...LOTS leftover.)

TOTAL COST OF CASTLE - $4

Check out my Tutorial Here!

I think one of my favorite touches is the clouds!

I made them from bunting material.. (I'll share the easy Tutorial soon.)

I think they would look so cute in a nursery or for a Toy Story Party Theme!

Inside the castle was a coloring station..
I printed out coloring pages that matched the invitation.
I had dress up clothes and crowns for all the girls.
There was also a play kitchen, crib and a little table for playing house.

Mermaid Candy Cove -
I used discounted fabric from Joann's, crumpled up packaging paper, and things from around the house/dollar store to make this area come to life.
I had fun crumpling up the paper and taping it up to the ceiling..
it made a big impact for almost nothing! I wrapped some blue and green ribbons around it too.
I used our Ikea Canopy and tied it to the ceiling..slanting it a bit.
Sophia kept calling it a mermaid castle! ;)
I covered her Ikea Easel with blue fabric..
hot glue gunned clear plastic rock/gems?! to fishing line and strung around to add some sparkle!
Fake plant from Michael's..Nice cashier gave me a discount. be nice to cashiers. :)
 I put a blanket in the inside of the canopy and loaded it with pillows from around the house. 
Dollar store sea shells were the final touch!

Dessert Table - I made up a birthday banner(just print/cut/sew!) and cupcake toppers.
Baked up some little cupcakes..and used my dishes and leftover paper straws and lollipop sticks. I printed out little flags, wrapped them around lollipop sticks and taped! Turned out to be one of my favorite details of the party! Glad I grabbed up the striped paper cups from Target when I saw them.
I loveee yellow and white stripes..(a color pattern throughout the party) 
KEEPING IT REAL.....I was making a castle cake....but we have no ac..and it was the hottest day of the year...it melted. we were laughing that it looked like the pirates got to it. haha. The hubby saved the day and ran to Giant Eagle for 2 cakes. go with it! :)

Captain Bubbles Pirate Ship -
I used the leftover red and white ikea striped fabric
(used for sophia's sweet shoppe party last year) to make a pirate bunting and sashes.
I made eye patches with felt and black headbands.
(Was going to have knights but ran out of time! so..pirates only.)
I filled up our sandbox with treasure and coins from the dollar store. Huge hit!
Captain Bubbles also left some Dollar Store bubbles for all the kiddos to play with!

Cookie Forest - I LOVED this project.
I made faux birch stands from a cement tube.(I'll post the tutorial soon. you could use this idea for so many different dessert tables..paint to match you color scheme or wrap with patterned paper..etc..)
I covered boxes from around the house with packing paper. (I use this stuff for everything..totally budget friendly..have rolls of it!) I put the cookies around on different layers..Some homemade some store bought! I put out my ikea plants/pots.. and the back of the table I taped up fake branches I bought at JoAnns in the clearance bin. I picked up 2 mums from Home Depot and broke them up and placed around..I wanted a colorful forest but flowers can be pricey! I printed out signs for each of the stations..and also a pirate and mermaid graphic that I blew up by taping multiple pages together

Butterfly Garden - I used a Butterfly Craft Punch and
Scrapbook Paper that I bought at JoAnns on sale..with coupons.. Sewed together different lengths of garland and strung up. I think this was Sienna's favorite thing!

Just under the Rainbow...Balloon Rainbow - 
I wanted to make up a rainbow with big impact but little cost.. Picked up some balloons for cheap at Target and had some twine in my sewing box. My cousins came over and threw this baby together in no time! ;) Tutorial here. This stayed up for a month or more..haha.
(Ben blew up the balloons..and wanted to see how long his hot air would last.)
I also put up a sign on the bathroom door...the hubby was disappointed that I missed a perfect chance to call it the royal throne...i just couldn't do it.



Birthday Cake and Presents Time -
Sophia was all about this..Sienna was more interested in eating her watermelon.
we had to dip the watermelon in the cake to get it going. hehe.

Favors - I Designed and printed up favor tags..
Filled Clear bags with dollar store goodies.
All favorites of the royals. ;)





The party might be over..
but the mermaid cove and castle stayed up for a while..
we had story time and snack time in there.. :)

Thanks for checking out my
Girls' Storybook Princess Party..
Hope you've found some inspiration for your party planning..
A few DIY details..big or small.. can go a long way!
Tutorials coming soon..and I might be adding some of these printables
to my Etsy Shop...Pretty Paperie Printables