Play Castle in the Sky

Kids love presents that come in really big boxes, but wrapping them can be a challenge.  There's always newspaper -- functional and uninspiring -- but for Little Miss S' first birthday I wanted something prettier.  I found a box that her new rocking horse fit into -- a toilet box leftover from recent renovations -- and gathered white paper, scissors, tape.  The plan evolved as I worked:  "Kids like the boxes best . . .  Miss S will fit inside this box . . . I could cut a door . . . and a window."

 

By the time I finished, I was more excited about the gift box than the gift, and when her birthday came, Miss S agreed.  

 

Is there anyone in your life who would fit in a box?  Here are a few castle construction details.

I used a large mixing bowl and a ruler to draw the shape of the door and window.  A serrated kitchen knife worked best for cutting the cardboard. 

 

I used a roll of heavy white paper and a glue gun to wrap the castle.  I wrapped the door and window by trimming away the paper in the openings, leaving a wide margin, then slitting the paper to the edge of the box and gluing the tabs to the inside.  This took a little while, but wasn't difficult.

Then I cut crenelations in the top flaps of the box and used chop sticks and hot glue to help them stand upright (see next picture).  The finishing details:  a cardboard tube flag pole and freehand stone work detailing around the door and window.  Ta Da!

 

This project is a classic case of making-it-up-as-you-go, so it's far from perfect, but Miss S doesn't seem to mind.  She has a cozy quilt and a menagerie of stuffed animals in her castle.  She loves opening and closing the door.

 

She likes crawling out the window too.

Do you ever make projects up as you go or do you always plan them out?  How does it go?

Linking to Everything Etsy.