In three minutes you can turn an empty box into a neat little house, ready to decorate and play with. Watch the video below and see one made in real time! These houses are easy and fun to decorate. They’re also a great jumping off point for other creations like a taco stand or a cuckoo clock. At three minutes a pop you’ll run out of boxes before you run out of ideas.
Easy to make with just scissors and tape
Uses any size box that’s taller than it is wide
Make one or a whole town. Different 3-Minute Houses look great all together.
Lots of ways to decorate and play — see variations below
I designed this craft so it uses the box’s perfect factory folds, which saves you work and gives tidy corners and edges to your finished house. And each box makes its own one-of-a-kind measuring tool to create the perfect house shape. It’s so easy you will probably remember the steps by heart after making a few. A useful trick to have up your sleeve for rainy playdates!
Watch how to make a 3-Minute House in real time!
Steps At a Glance:
Ready? Here’s how:
1
You’ll need:
Any empty paperboard box that’s taller than it is wide (i.e., shaped like a cereal box). Any size will work.
Scissors
Tape
A pencil or pen
Optional: markers for decorating
2
Open up the bottom of the box. Find the side seam and open up by separating the two layers (tip: if the seam is hard to find, look for it on the inside). If the glue is stubborn try starting from the other end. Small tears won’t matter. Fix big ones with tape and you’re good to go.
See the four flaps at the top of the box? Leave one small (side) flap attached, and cut off the other three.
Leave all the bottom flaps attached.
3
Fold the box inside out and bring the side seam together again, with the narrow flap underneath. Tape up the side seam.
4
Take one of the long flaps you cut off. Fold it in half, and cut off half of one half.
5
Using this measuring tool mark this distance from the top of the box at all four folds.
Starting about 1/2” from the corner, cut diagonally, stopping at the mark. Make four cuts in all, one for each mark. This forms the two roof sections with edge tabs for strength.
Snip off the corners of the tabs. This lets them meet at the top later without crowding.
6
Push each roof section to the inside and fold down to crease, then pull back out.
The crease makes a nice sharp line at the roof.
7
Push the roof sections inside the box and overlap them. That one top flap you saved goes underneath. The side flaps point down.
Tape together at the peak. Use just one piece of tape for now.
8
Hold the box near the roof and cut along the roof edges. Flip and cut along the other side.
9
Your house is complete at this point. You can leave it plain, or decorate. See below for links to decorating tips and ideas.
For easier decorating undo the tape on the roof and flatten the house. Decorate, then retape the roof.
To finish, push in the bottom flaps to hide them and add tape at the roof edges if needed.
And that’s it! Your own little house, ice cream shop, world headquarters…you name it.
I hope you have fun making these! Be sure to see the variations and ideas below.
Questions
What kinds of boxes will work?
Any empty box that’s wider than it is tall - think “portrait” proportions. Any size will work, from jumbo cereal boxes down to little candy boxes. Because you make your own measuring tool for each box. the same method works for all sizes. Don’t forget boxes from frozen foods, and non-food boxes as well.
What are some ways to decorate and be creative with my house?
Markers, pens of all kinds, and colored pencils work great. Also rubber stamps and stickers. Paint works too if you don’t mind the mess. Check out these posts for ways to decorate paperboard, and how to make taco stands, holiday houses, and cuckoo clocks out of 3-Minute Houses.
Do I need special tape?
Ordinary household tape works perfect for these. “Magic” type tape will also work. You can even use double-stick tape if you have it. Double-stick is nice if you plan to decorate since it leaves no tape on the outside to color over. But any kind of tape will make a great house!
and try this:
Memory Houses
Write down your child’s ideas about the house on the back of the house, along with the date. Imagine reading those notes together years from now! It’s a great intergenerational holiday activity as well. BTW, you can assemble these houses with just the one piece of tape at the top, and flatten them for compact storage. Reassemble the roof with a new piece of tape each time..
Thank you for reading! If you have questions, please drop me a line.