How to Make a Cereal Box Template

Make a template from a cereal box.

Kids love transforming old containers and cardboard into new creations. Most kids eat loads of cereal every month, so empty boxes are easy to find. A cereal box is the perfect thickness for creating project templates. Use templates to draw or paint an image onto paper or a wall. Stretch your available cardboard by making several templates with just one box of empty cereal.

Things You'll Need

• Cereal box
• Sharp scissors
• Paper image
• Permanent marker

Instructions

1. Remove the inner container from the cereal box. Toss it away.

2. Remove the box tops and bottoms from the cereal box with sharp scissors.

3. Cut the cereal box along a crease that connects the short side with the long side.

4. Smooth out the cereal box on a flat dry surface, inside facing up.

5. Outline your picture or design on the cardboard with marker. If desired, draw your image by tracing a paper cutout.

6. Cut out the template with sharp scissors. Make as many templates as you need with the remaining cardboard.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't make the outline too complicated for kids to cut out.

• Supervise your children when they use scissors or sharp blades.

References

• KETC Kids: Things to Do
• Growing Up Creative: A Tutorial for the Chinese New Year