Say hello to your new fave art supply: Cardboard

Whip up one of these pretty little projects using upcycled materials, glue and paint. They’ll be so darling you won’t mind keeping them around for a while. Whether you use cardboard, egg cartons or TP rolls for your crafts, your kids are goint to love making these beautiful art projects!

Art Prep Tips:

  • Put on art friendly clothes for everyone, including yourself!
  • Tape your protective barrier down to prevent slipping.
  • Use an extra large barrier for peace of mind (think lots of newspaper, an old sheet dedicated to art, or a roll of craft paper).
  • Let go of perfectionism and let your little artist get caught up in creativity.

How to Take Child Art to the Next Level:

  • Use pretty shades of paint, or even metallic spraypaint.
  • If really young, let them paint some cardboard, then you can cut it out into a cool project (i.e. crown, lama, or see below for more ideas).
  • Get interactive! Hang cardboard shapes from the ceiling, let kids paint inside a big box, or tape your art project onto the wall.
  • If painting something like an animal or mermaid, let them do most of it, then add an adorable face or some cute details as a finishing touch.

Hope those tips helped spark some ideas in how to have an awesome time making cardboard art.

Find my tips for what to do with art projects at the bottom of the post. Okay, really cool cardboard crafts here we come!

Take a breath. Prep. And unleash some beautiful cardboard creativity!

Cardboard Sun Ray Wreath

TP Roll Flamingos

Macaroni Box Cameras

Egg Carton Boat

Make a larger boat out of a full egg carton, and definitely consider painting this cute cardboard craft. If going for a pirate ship look, you can add two masts with felt or fabric sails.

Prehistoric Cardboard Stamps

Upcycled Spraypaint Glam Art

Cardboard Popsicle Craft

Bumblebee Stamps

TP Roll Carrot Racer

Easy Cardboard Doll Dress Up

This could easily be switched to a dinosaur head and tail with a blank body, or a bird, a tree, or even a rainbow–your imagination is the limit.

Interactive Art Box House

Cardboard Hair Salon

I could see my toddler going crazy for this one!

Under the Sea Sculptures

Cardboard Spirograph Art

Egg Carton Flower Wreath

Cardboard Dogs

Egg Carton Finger Puppets

Cardboard Crazy Portraits

Cardboard Unicorn Craft

Egg Carton Mermaids

My toddler loved lacing the tail pieces! We used a pipe cleaner so the tail could be nice and flexible. And I freehanded a flowy modest mermaid top with seashell jewlery on ours because I wanted Miss T to know you don’t have to show all your skin to be beautiful. Go modest mermaids! 🙂

Cardboard Handprint Kissy Fish

Whimsical Cardboard House

Cardboard Mask

Cardboard Castle Art

Perfect craft for a princess or knight birthday party!

Egg Carton Christmas Trees

Cardboard Penguins

TP Roll Rockets

Upcycle other materials into cool art!

What other upcycled art projects have you tried? I’m super interested in hanging some balloons or cardboard from the ceiling/suspended from a string. Just sounds so fun to paint!

One last tip! Feeling overwhelmed by the number of art projects laying around? Upcycle them into collages, or take them apart to reuse the pieces. Store the favorites, gift to grandparents, or even slip in small art with letters or thank you cards. Take pictures of and then toss any remaining projects. Your storage space will thank you. 🙂