Mr. McGroovy's Cardboard Castle Plans

You need 8 refrigerator boxes to build this design (DON'T PANIC...see How to Get FREE Boxes). This plan is easily adapted for fewer boxes or a smaller space.

Approximate size if built with...

• Refrigerator boxes = 10' x 10'
• Wardrobe boxes = 8' x 8'
• Dishpack boxes = 5' x 5' (toddler sized!)

Arrange your boxes so that four boxes stand vertically at four corners. These will be towers. Take three other boxes and lay them horizontal between the towers on three sides. These will be tunnels that connect the towers as well as form castle walls (they will not stand up until you attach them with rivets). The illustration below, right is a "bird's-eye-view" schematic.

The first connection is tower 1 to tunnel 2.

1. Hold tunnel 2 up to tower 1 and mark the height of the tunnel box on the side of tower 1. Move tunnel 2 box out of the way for now.
2. Cut three flaps from the side of tower 1 box as illustrated below. You need to create the door in order to reach inside and snap rivets together, so cut the door also.
3. Fold the three flaps out and move tunnel 2 into position.
4. Place rivets into the three flaps to connect the boxes together (see How Box Rivets Work). One or two rivets per flap is adequate.

Tip: Make one rivet hole, and then fasten the rivet in place. Do not punch all the rivet holes at one time and then try to place all the rivets. The box will move and holes may not line up correctly.

Tip: Placing the last rivet of each connection is always the trickiest, because you need to stick your hand in the box to push the inside rivet piece together with the outside rivet piece (if you don't understand what I mean, you will).

To solve this problem, cut a window in the tower, and then you can reach your arm in. Try to cut the window close enough to where you want to place the rivets so that your arm will reach this location. Another way is to cut a small "horseshoe" line close to the location where the rivet will go. This becomes a small flap that can then be closed up without looking too conspicuous.

Tip: I prefer arched windows because then I can use the cut-out piece for a shield.

Connect tunnel 2 to tower 3.

1. AS with the first connection, begin by marking the top of tunnel 2 on the side of tower 3. Move tower 3 aside to proceed to next step.
2. Cut three flaps from the side using the same pattern as before, but DO NOT CUT A DOOR IN TOWER 3.
3. Fold the three flaps out, move tower 3 into position and place rivets. Use a "horseshoe" cut to place rivets on inside flap.
4. Cut an arched window in the side of tower 3 to place rivets in top and outside flaps.

You have now completed one side of the castle!

Complete the opposite side of the castle using the same connections as the first side. However, this side is a mirror image of the first. Make sure everything is reversed.

Make the gateway arch.

1. Take another refrigerator box.
2. Cut off one full side.
3. Keep the other section for making the portcullis (or gate) later.
4. Draw an arch along one of the long sides of the rectangle. The arch should start about 6-9 inches in from the end on each side. Leave about the same distance from the edge at the top.
5. Cut the center section off and discard.

Use the arch piece to mark the dimensions for the portcullis.

Connect the two walls sections using the arch.
The arch should overlap the gatehouse towers 6" on each side.

Connect the last wall.

Since the arch overlaps the gatehouse towers by about one foot, the box that will be used for the back tunnel needs to be cut a little shorter.

Connect tower 3 to tunnel 4.

Cut three flaps using the same pattern used for all connections done so far. One difference, however, is that the inside flap will no longer be attached to the tower box. It will remain in place because it is attached to tunnel 2 by rivets. Cut an arched window and a horseshoe in order to place rivets.


Connect tunnel 4 to tower 5 using the same technique as above (but all cuts will be reversed).

Add the battlements to the towers and gateway arch. Cut a rectangle (~10 in.) out of the middle along each top edge of every tower. You may prefer to measure the first section cut out and use it as a template on all the rest so that battlements look somewhat uniform.

The portcullis adds a nice touch to the castle design. It defines the space better, and adds a good deal of castle flavor. It doesn't actually go up and down, it just "flops" back and forth as kids run in and out.

Use the portcullis section that you measured previously using the gateway arch.

1. Extend the line measured earlier to mark out correct width for portcullis.
2. Cut to correct width and discard extra.
3. Use each horizontal fold as one edge of a "cross-brace", and draw a line parallel to each fold as the other edge of the cross-brace. Then use the vertical outside edge to draw two bars perpendicular to the cross-braces
4. Finish drawing out the rest of the bars. Make sure to draw an even number of lines, otherwise bars-&-spaces will not work out right. Once bars are drawn, cut out sections in between and discard.
5. Connect the portcullis to the gateway arch using rivets. It may be too long. Cut off each bar to the proper length.