Yuletide Fortresses: Crafting a Medieval Castle from Christmas Boxes – A Step-by-Step Wonderland of Creativity

Creating a medieval castle from leftover Christmas boxes can be a fun and creative project. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you bring your castle to life:


medieval castle illustration

Materials Needed

1. Leftover Christmas boxes of various sizes
2. Craft paper or construction paper in various colors
3. Cardboard sheets or poster board
4. Pencil and ruler
5. Craft knife or scissors
6. Glue or tape
7. Acrylic paint and brushes (optional)
8. Markers or colored pencils (optional)



Step 1: Design Your Castle

Sketch out a rough design of your medieval castle on a piece of paper. Consider different elements like towers, walls, a gate, and a drawbridge. This will serve as your blueprint.

kids making a cardboard castle Enhance with Pain1

Step 2: Gather and Prepare Boxes

Collect your leftover Christmas boxes. Ensure they vary in size to create different sections of the castle. Remove any tape or wrapping paper from the boxes.


Step 3: Cut Open the Boxes

Cut open the boxes, so they lay flat. This will make it easier to work with and allow you to create walls, towers, and other elements of the castle.


Step 4: Create Castle Walls

Use the flat cardboard pieces to cut out rectangular sections for castle walls. Use your sketch as a guide and cut battlements along the top edge to give it a medieval castle appearance.

castle walls illustration

Step 5: Towers and Turrets

Cut out rectangular sections for towers and turrets. You can also create cylindrical shapes for corner towers. Attach these pieces to the walls using glue or tape.

castle towers and turrets illustration

Step 6: Gatehouse and Drawbridge

Design a gatehouse with a large entrance and create a drawbridge that can be raised or lowered. Attach these elements to the castle walls.

castle gatehouse with drawbridge photo

Step 7: Add Details with Craft Paper

Use colored craft paper or construction paper to add details such as doors, windows, and flags. Cut out shapes for windows and doors and attach them to the castle walls.


Step 8: Enhance with Paint and Markers (Optional)

If you want to add more details and color to your castle, consider painting it with acrylic paint. You can also use markers or colored pencils to add finer details.

kids making a cardboard castle Enhance with Pain

Step 9: Create a Base

Cut out a larger piece of cardboard or poster board to serve as the base for your castle. This will provide stability and a foundation for your medieval creation.


Step 10: Assemble Your Castle

Begin assembling the different sections of your castle on the base. Use glue or tape to secure the pieces together. Pay attention to the arrangement of walls, towers, and the gatehouse.

kids making a cardboard castle illustration

Step 11: Personalize and Decorate

Add any additional personal touches or decorations to make your medieval castle unique. You can also use small figurines or toy knights to populate your castle.


Enjoy the process of creating your medieval castle from leftover Christmas boxes, and don’t be afraid to let your imagination run wild!