How to Make a Cinderella Castle Using Shoe Boxes
The story of Cinderella is a classic fairy tale that most children are familiar with. In the story, Cinderella goes to the castle to attend a ball and meet the handsome prince, leaving her glass slipper behind. A child might enjoy a toy fairy-tale castle, like the one in the Cinderella story, and you can make your own using simple items, such as cardboard shoe boxes. This project can be simple or complex depending on your skill and the amount of time you have available.
Things You'll Need
- Masking tape
- Craft knife
- Cardboard tubes and containers
- Cardboard
- Scissors
- Heavy paper
- Flour
- Water
- Glass or metal bowl
- Newspaper
- Acrylic paint
- Acrylic spray sealer
Instructions
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Remove any tags or other objects from the shoe boxes. Arrange the boxes together to make a suitable arrangement, according to your tastes. If the castle is to be a toy or is designed for miniatures, the open sides of the boxes must face toward one side so that the insides are accessible for play and decoration.
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Cut apart the lids of the shoe boxes, dividing them into pieces. Slip these pieces inside of the shoe boxes to make "floors" in the castle. Tape the pieces into place using masking tape.
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3
Cut out doors, windows and archways in the boxes using the craft knife.
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4
Arrange cardboard tubes and containers around the shoe boxes. Paper towel rolls, toilet paper rolls and oatmeal boxes are good for this. These form towers on the castle. Tape everything into place using some masking tape. You only need enough tape so that the structure stays together for a short amount of time.
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Build a staircase. In the story of Cinderella, Cinderella loses a shoe, which the prince finds and uses to locate her. A good Cinderella castle should have at least one staircase. Cut two identical pieces of cardboard into a stair-step pattern. Then cut rectangles to place on top of these steps, forming a staircase. Glue the rectangles into place.
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Cut circles from heavy paper. Cut a slit in these circles, going from the outer edge to the center. Bring one of the edges of the slit over the other, pulling until the circles form cones. These are good for making roofs for your towers. You can use a bent piece of paper or cardboard to form a roof on each of the rectangular shoe boxes, as well.
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Coat the castle in papier mache, which will create stability and hold everything together. To make papier mache, mix equal parts water and flour in a glass or metal bowl by blending them together with your hands. You can add some salt to discourage mold, as well. Dip strips of newspaper into the mixture, smooth away excess paste, and smooth the strips over the outside and insides of the castle. Most likely, you will only need a few layers of papier mache. Wait for it to dry completely before continuing.
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Paint the castle. Acrylic paints work well on papier mache. You can also use spray paint for special effects, such as stone or metal, or use spray paint to add glitter if the castle is designed as a toy. Use a clear acrylic sealer to protect the paint once you have finished.
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Add accessories. Banners, paintings, rugs, furniture, clear plastic in the windows, doors and even lights are all items that you can add to make the castle more appealing.
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Tips & Warnings
In the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Florida and also at Disneyland in California there is a castle known as the Cinderella Castle. If you want your castle to resemble this castle, refer to pictures of the castle as you work to put towers in the right places. Paint the castle in an off-white and use a dark blue paint for the roof.
References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
