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| Carton Craft |
| Create a fantasy land out of something as simple as milk cartons. |
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What do you do with your old milk and juice cartons? Hopefully you are recycling them in some way, as most councils now have collections. Alternatively you can reuse them around the house, put them on the garden compost or even grow seedlings in them. But they are also great for different craft projects including creating some fun toys for the kids, such as a Medieval Castle.
1
Wash out your cartons with warm, soapy water and allow them to dry.
2
Four one-litre milk cartons will form the corners of the fortress. Cut the triangular top off all four cartons with a Stanley knife and a steel ruler. So the cartons hold steady, place scrap foam inside them while you're cutting. Trace the template (see diagrams) around the top of the carton and cut out the teeth.
3
Two two-litre juice cartons will be used for the parapets. Trace the template at whatever height you'd like the parapets to be, and cut out the teeth.
4
Two one-litre milk cartons will be positioned under the parapets. Open the top of the carton and insert the foam block. Mark a window on the front and, using a Stanley knife, cut three of the four sides of the window out so the window can be folded back to open up. The top of the carton will need to be folded down so that it's not too bulky to be glued to the base of the parapet. Remove the foam block, cut down the four folds of the triangular top, trim the tabs and then fold and glue them down flat.
5
The one-litre juice carton will form the entrance and drawbridge. To create the drawbridge, mark a rectangle on both sides of the carton, cut one out completely and, on the other, cut along three sides only, leaving the bottom attached.
6
So that the walls can be glued together, the tops of the cartons will need to be folded down. The carton in the centre of the back wall will need to be trimmed down to size.
7
Undercoat all the cartons with white acrylic paint and leave them to dry. You may need a couple of coats of paint.
8
Paint the corner cartons in chocolate brown on the outside and black on the inside. Paint the two parapets with yellow oxide on the outside and black on the inside. Leave them to dry.
9
Cover all the remaining cartons, one at a time, with brown crepe paper. Cut enough crepe paper to allow an overlap around the outside and ends of the carton. Brush PVA glue over the surface and wrap the paper around the carton. When the glue is dry, trim the excess crepe paper with scissors.
10
For decorative detail, use gold pen to define the castle border on the corners and parapets. Paint the windows beneath the parapets in red. Paint the drawbridge with metallic gold on the inside and out and black inside the entrance. For the drawbridge, the border is cut from a Christmas card. Then, so you can open and close the drawbridge, thread two shoelaces through four holes and hold the laces in place with some beads.
11
Now that all the cartons have been decorated, they can be attached together. Make a cardboard base, complete with its own moat. Attach the pieces into position with glue or double-sided tape.
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Materials
(Medieval Castle)
13 x 1 litre milk cartons
2 x 2 litre juice cartons
2 x 600ml milk cartons
1 litre juice carton
2 x 300ml milk cartons
Pencil & Eraser
Stanley knife
Steel ruler & Scissors
Scrap foam block
PVA glue and brush
2 packs brown crepe paper
Acrylic paints: Red, Chocolate Brown, Yellow Oxide
Gold pen
Shoelace
Four black beads
Two timber skewers |
More Info
If you would like to receive a free booklet on more carton craft ideas, ph 1800 025 530. Miniature knights and animals that were displayed on the castle are available from Hopscotch, 701 Military Rd, Mosman. Phone 02 9960 5733 or fax 02 9960 7117.
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Disclaimer
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