How to Make a Paper Log Cabin

Help your child make a simple log cabin out of a few basic craft materials. With this craft, you are not only having some artistic and creative fun, but also teaching an effective lesson in American history. Use the time to discuss what life was like on the American frontier. Follow these simple steps to build the cabin.

Things You'll Need

• Brown construction paper or craft paper
• Pencil
• Scissors
• Small piece of cardboard
• Tape
• White craft glue

Instructions

1. Cut the brown paper into 24 3-by-2-inch strips. Form the strips into logs by wrapping them around a pencil one at a time. Tape the long edge and slide the log off the pencil. Seven of the logs will be trimmed into shorter lengths.

2. Cut the cardboard into a 3½-inch square.

3. Glue a log on three sides of the cardboard square. Make a door on the fourth side by gluing a ¾-inch log and a 1-inch log to each corner. Add two more rows of logs, alternating the sizes on the door sides, putting a ¾-inch log on top of the 1-inch log and a 1-inch log on top of the ¾-inch log.

4. Build two more rows of 3-inch logs around three sides of the cabin, but for the last four rows, glue logs on the front and back only, trimming the logs to be progressively shorter to create a roofline. Taper the ends to appear like an A-shape.

5. Construct a roof by gluing a folded 3½-by-5-inch rectangle on top of the log cabin.

6. Roll a 5-inch square piece of paper to make a chimney, and glue it to the back of the cabin roof.