Turn Cardboard into Cute Decor!

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You may instinctually toss your old cardboard boxes into the trash but I’m here to tell you why you should stop right NOW! It’s easier than you might think to take those Amazon boxes and turn cardboard into cute decor, and the possibilities are really endless… your creativity can run as free as ever! And the best news, if you mess up, it’s ONLY cardboard, so who cares, right! 

what you need to turn cardboard into cute decor

• cardboard
• paper
• buttons
• hot glue
• raffia 
• scissors
• black craft paint

cute decor comin’ at ya

1. Cut a square of cardboard out from your box and rip and rough it up (my square was probably 4×2.5 inches or so) so it’s not a perfect square. You can use water to help you if you’re having trouble tearing– just dip your finger in water and tap some onto the cardboard.
2. Now tear out 2 smaller pieces of cardboard. You want these to look roughed up, less than perfect! Once again, rough these up by ripping some of the sides and the front.
3. Use black craft paint and a small brush to sort of outline the edges of the 2 smaller pieces and give it a little character!
4. With the same black paint, paint a christmas-tree like shape on the front of your larger cardboard piece.
5. Rip some of your paper (I used book pages) up into the same size and shape of your 2 smaller cardboard pieces. It doesn’t have to be exact, just similar.
6. And glue it onto your 2 smaller cardboard pieces, then glue those onto the owl.
7. Now using that same vintage paper, cut out 2 circles. I did 2 different size circles for the eyes, to make it sort of asymmetrical and whimsical!
8. Glue those circles down onto your own, and then glue corresponding buttons right on top!
9. Cut a tiny “owl” nose out of the vintage paper and hot glue it on!
10. Now bunch up raffia and hot glue that onto the back of the cardboard, like little owl hair.
11. And I used 2 tiny clothespins as feet– plus it makes the owl easy to attach to things!

And you’re pretty much done!! 

This owl was SO easy to make and is seriously precious…

The best news– you can use this same method to make other animals, shapes, and decor!

If you want to see more cardboard DIY’s, click HERE!