How to Make a Cardboard Surfboard

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Things You'll Need

  • 74 x 20-inch cardboard

  • Pencil

  • Tape measure

  • Utility knife

  • Scissors

  • Primer

  • Sponge paintbrushes

  • Paint

  • Painter's tape

  • Spray polyurethane

  • Surf-themed stickers (optional)

Paint standard beach-safety warnings on your board -- or paint a set of offbeat, silly warnings.
Image Credit: Si Khanh Nguyen/iStock/Getty Images

Hang ten at your next Hawaiian-themed party or decorate a child's bedroom to fit a beach motif with cardboard surfboards. These boards can be cut out of large boxes or sheets of cardboard, shaped and painted to fit your needs. After only a couple hours of work and drying time, you'll be ready to affix them to the wall or lean them against the Tiki bar.

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Step 1

Lay the cardboard piece vertically on the floor. Place a mark the middle of each of the short sides of the rectangular piece of cardboard. Draw an arched line that connects the two points.

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Step 2

Find and mark the center of the arched line. Measure out 18 inches from that point toward the middle of the cardboard. Mark the point.

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Step 3

Extend the point at the end of the arched line 4 inches. This will create a flat bottom end to the surfboard.

Step 4

Place the pencil at the top mark and draw another arched line down to the bottom. Draw the line so it intersects with the mark in the middle and meets the edge at the end of the 4-inch line. You should have the outline of a surfboard shape.

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Step 5

Cut along the outline with the utility knife, going slowly around the curves. Use the scissors to snip off any excess cardboard or ragged edges.

Step 6

Paint the board with a coat of primer. Use a small brush to paint the edges of the board. Apply a small amount of paint to the brush so it does not pool in the open edges of the cardboard. Let dry. Flip the board and prime the back side. Let dry.

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Step 7

Apply a base coat of paint to the front and sides of the board. Let dry. Flip the board and paint the back side. Let dry.

Step 8

Adhere the painter's tape to block off your chosen designs -- gently. To create a stripe, space two pieces of tape side-by-side with the desired width of your stripe in between them. Paint the empty space between the tape the color of your stripe. Let dry. Carefully pull off the tape.

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Step 9

Coat with spray polyurethane when your design is complete.

Step 10

Add surf-themed stickers if you desire.

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