We’re going to show you how to make your very own authentic castle out of your old cardboard.
This design has been inspired by Carisbrooke Castle on the Isle of Wight.
For this you will need
4 identical pieces of cardboard
A large piece of cardboard for the base
4 cardboard kitchen roll tubes
String
2 split pins
A sharp pencil
A black marker pen
A ruler
Masking tape
A paintbrush and paint; in blue, green, brown, and grey
Scissors
A craft knife with board
Flags for decoration
First, you need to form the walls of your castle.
Draw a crenellated pattern on to the top of your cardboard wall.
Now you can cut out the walls of your castle.
We are using a craft knife and cutting mat, but make sure that there’s an adult to help you.
To form the battlements in your castle towers, draw a crenellated pattern on the top of four kitchen rolls and cut them out using scissors.
Next, cut a slit up the side of the tower to match the height of the castle wall
Then turn it around 90 degrees and cut another. Repeat the process with the three remaining tubes.
These will slot over the corners of your castle.
It’s time to add a drawbridge.
First, draw the outline of your doorframe on the front wall of your castle
then cut it out, keep the door to hand as you will need it later.
Next, take the large piece of cardboard to make the base
use one of the walls to measure out the shape of your castle.
Then, draw out a surrounding moat.
Paint a grey square for your castle floor using your markers as a guide
then paint your moat blue and your grass green.
Now you can decorate your castle, paint the walls grey first, then do the same with the towers.
Don’t forget to paint your drawbridge brown.
You can even add in some windows in black pen.
Using a pencil, make a hole either side of the drawbridge door and on either side of the doorframe.
Cut two pieces of string the same length and tie a knot in each end.
Tighten the knots around the head of a split pin.
Thread the pin through the hole in the drawbridge and fasten
Repeat on the other side.
Assemble your castle by placing two pieces of wall next to each other,
make sure they are straight and secure in place with masking tape.
For the final wall, you may find it easier to arrange it in a square shape.
You can really see your castle starting to come together.
Slot your towers over the four corners of the castle using the cuts you made earlier.
Now you need to attach the drawbridge so you can keep out invaders.
Thread the strings through the holes in the wall, then create a hinge for the drawbridge using masking tape.
Now you have a working drawbridge.
Finally, add a flag for extra decoration.
You can even add your own coat of arms.
Now it’s time to defend your castle.