DIY Recycled Cardboard Animals Craft Kit Gift

Are you looking for an inexpensive and handmade (but easy) kid gift idea? Look no farther! This is the time of year where a lot of us have cardboard boxes in our recycle bin…and you don’t need much else to make these cardboard animal kits!
This idea is part of a crafty share-fest conceived over breakfast at Alt Summit last year. My creative friends Amanda Kingloff, Robert Mahar, and I decided to join forces and spread the love of handmade gifts and fellow makers on Instagram to create a handmade gift rainbow on our feeds. Each maker was assigned a color...mine is yellow!

Cut out some animal shapes like these (link to templates below)…or any shapes…and wrap them up with some paint. I added pipe cleaners which are hand for tails, tusks, and horns. You could add some paintbrushes too (these are my favorites)!
For a super quick (and really fun) alternative idea, click over here to see “cardboard stackers”which are simply cardboard squares with slits that make a fun building toy! (They remind me of the Eames House of Cards!)

The channels inside corrugated cardboard are perfect for holding pipe cleaner tails and tusks! I used scissors to taper the ends of the pipe cleaner for the elephant's tusks and tail and camel's tail. And I painted spots onto the cheetah’s tail, the horns of the giraffe and painted the elephant’s tail grey (since I didn’t have grey pipe cleaners).

You can even just make one giant animal…your kid’s favorite! After painting them you can create a zoo with blocks….or play veterinarian!

I originally designed some of these for Family Fun magazine. You can click here to get the templates! NOTE: polar bear and giraffe templates coming soon!!

I hope you’ll try this easy gift idea! Have you made anything fun out of recycled cardboard?
Happy holidays!