One of the #1 things that people often say to me is, “I would love to make creative projects with my kids, but I’m just not crafty. I don’t even know where to start!” My reply is always, “Trust me, you do NOT need to consider yourself ‘crafty’ to start getting creative with your children!” There are hundreds upon hundreds of craft projects that you can make with your children that require NO special skills or tools and that take less than half an hour of your time. In fact, most of these 50+ quick and easy kids craft project ideas that I’ve rounded up here actually take less than FIFTEEN minutes to make!
WHY CRAFT WITH YOUR KIDS?
A recent study by Dr. Richard Rende revealed that creative interaction between parents and young children engaging in activities like arts and crafts not only provides immediate and lasting cognitive benefits but also creates a unique bonding experience, which creates lifelong memories. Taking time to be creative with your children is a topic that I am incredibly passionate about. I know firsthand the benefits that children reap when they are exposed to arts and crafts activities, and in an age where arts are in a decline in the school systems, it is even more important than ever for parents to take the initiative to introduce art activities to their children.
Other key findings of Dr. Rende’s study showed that:
• Arts and crafts engage multiple brain areas simultaneously and
improve bilateral coordination between the left and right sides of
the brain, leading to immediate and future cognitive development.
• Activities like arts and crafts accelerate the development of muscles
in the hands and fingers, improving fine motor skills that are
essential for school success in the earliest formal years.
• Face-to-face interaction in the early years is critical for optimal
social development.
• Arts and crafts promote rich social interactions that help develop
language skills and social cognitive abilities like understanding
emotions.
• Creative activities are a great way to bond with children and create
lasting memories.
Nearly 90% of the parents surveyed for the study said that they would like to spend more time creating arts and crafts with their children, but they didn’t know where to start or how to carve out the time needed.
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Acknowledgements
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Adding a beautiful piece of art to a room is the last layer of decoration that every home needs. But a framed piece can be pricey. Instead of shelling out money for a print or painting, why not frame a gorgeous piece of fabric instead? Not only will fabric add color and pattern to a room, but it also lends personality. Plus, varying the textures in a gallery wall will add interest and depth to the space.
You can use a favorite piece of fabric that has been passed down in your family or simply a pattern that caught your eye at the fabric store. Either way, it's a great way to display a beautiful textile. Hang one of these prints on your wall as soon as possible! This is an easy project that takes less than an hour to complete.
Gather Your Materials
Small canvas
Fabric
Scissors
Hot glue
Iron
Cloth tape (optional)
Choose Your Fabric
Once you've selected your fabric, make sure it's large enough to fit around your canvas. While you can opt to use a more traditional picture frame, the canvas is a really easy way to complete this project while still showing off the texture of the fabric.
Cut the fabric to the size of the canvas, leaving at least 1 inch of extra fabric around all of the edges.
Note: If the fabric is vintage or heirloom, you can leave it as is. Don't cut or glue and simply pin it to the canvas instead.
Smooth the Fabric
If needed, gently iron the fabric to remove any deep creases. Then, stretch the fabric over the canvas and secure it using dabs of hot glue on the back frame of the canvas. You want to pull the fabric taut, but not so much so that it's going to release and look saggy when you're done gluing.
Attach the Fabric
If the fabric is delicate and you don't want to cut and glue it, put pins at each end and each side to secure it. Just be sure to pull the fabric taut as you go, so you don't end up with any weird wrinkles. If you aren't emotionally attached to the fabric, follow these steps to finish off the back of the frame.
There will be excess fabric at the top and bottom of the canvas, so to handle it in a way that is both functional and aesthetically pleasing, you're going to want to fold and glue the fabric to the canvas in a similar way that you'd finish wrapping a present. It will look finished and pretty once you're done.
Find a Place for It
Place the canvas art wherever you'd like. Add it to the top of your bookshelf or hang it on the wall. If you easily grow tired of decor, the beauty of this project—if the fabric isn't an heirloom or vintage piece—is that you can simply rip it off the canvas and start over!
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Mickey's sweetheart has the fashion sense to wear a bow in her ears, but Minnie mouse has very similar ears to those of her beau. In some special costumes, Minnie has also been known to wear a crown, a Santa hat, and other seasonal accents between her ears. The ears are always black, of course, and the bow usually red with white polka-dots, but you can choose your favorite patterns and colors to make the bow you place between your Minnie Mouse ears.
Part 1 Making the Ears.
1. Gather the material for making your mouse ears. You will need black felt to give your mouse ears color and texture. A cardboard core will give your fabric rigidity and form. If you don't have any cardboard, you might be able to layer several pieces of rigid construction paper together with glue as a substitute. The material you use for the ears should be stiff enough to keep it from flopping around loosely once attached to the headband and if you don’t have felt, you can paint or color the cardboard black.
Black felt, Cardboard, Rigid construction paper (optional), Household glue, Plain paper, Ribbon (10” (25 cm) long), Ribbon (3” (7 cm) long).
You should be able to purchase everything you need for this project at your local fabric or craft store.
2. Purchase a headband and tools, if necessary. The headband can be any color, but it should be at least ½" (1.27 cm) thick. You will eventually attach your mouse ears to the headband, so thicker headbands might give your mouse ears greater stability. Including a head band, you should also purchase the following tools.
3. Make two identical paper circle templates. You should trace two circles on your paper with a pencil or your chalk. Each circle should be between 3” and 5” (7.6 and 12.7 cm) and have a ½” (1.27 cm) tab at the bottom of the circle. These templates will be used to assist you in outlining the dimensions of your mouse ears on both fabric and cardboard.
The tabs will on the bottom of your circles will be used to secure the ears and the headband together.
You might be able to use the base of a bowl to help you in drawing identical circles for both of your templates.
4. Outline your felt circles onto your felt. Place your paper template on top of the felt and trace the circle with chalk onto it. You could use a piece of tailor’s chalk, or even regular chalk in a pinch. This way, you can wipe any leftover chalk away with a damp cloth.
Make four felt circles for every pair of ears you make. You will need to glue felt to the front and back of your cardboard core to make your mouse ears uniformly black.
5. Cut your felt circles. Take your scissors and follow the chalk outlines you've drawn to cut free your felt circles free from the fabric.You can add some jazzy flair to your mouse ears by using zig-zaggy pinking shears.
Pinking shears will add a cute border to your fabric and prevent your fabric from becoming frayed.
6. Trace cardboard circles for your mouse ears. These cardboard circles will form the core of your mouse ears, making it possible for them stand up straight, just like Minnie's! Use your pencil or a piece of chalk to trace the circle template onto the cardboard.
You will need two cardboard circles for every pair of ears you make.
7. Cut out your cardboard circles. Using your scissors, follow the chalk or pencil outline you drew with your templates onto the cardboard. Be sure you don't cut off your tabs! These will be necessary to connect your mouse ears to the headband.
You may need to touch up your cardboard and felt circles/tabs to make them as close to identical as possible.
Compare and trim your felt and cardboard circles by holding the cardboard and felt pieces together in a stack. Then you can trim down any irregularities.
8. Glue the felt to the cardboard. Household glue should be sufficient to attach a piece of felt to the front and back of each cardboard circle/ear. Drizzle glue back and forth along the cardboard and press your felt into place. Press the felt to the glue firmly for five to ten minutes help it set.
To create the best bond between your glue and the felt, you may want to allow your glue to rest for 30 minutes to an hour.
Part 2 Attaching the Ears to the Headband.
1. Spread hot glue along the tabs of the ears. Regular household glue won’t hold up to wear and tear as well as hot glue. The special glue used in hot glue guns, however, is much more durable. It will create a firm bond between ear and headband.
You'll have to move quick after you apply your hot glue. The glue will dry quickly soon after application.
Hot glue fresh from the gun will be very hot. Be careful not to burn yourself.
2. Hot glue the tabs of your circles to the underside of the headband. Your circles should be at least 4” (10 cm) apart so that you have room for the bow that will go between the ears. You may want to mark your headband with your chalk where you'll be attaching the ears to prevent yourself from gluing them into the wrong place.
If your headband is flexible or will permit the use of staples, you could also use a hardy stapler to connect the tabs of your mouse ears to your headband.
3. Allow the glue to dry thoroughly. Playing with your mouse ears before the glue has completely dried could cause your mouse ears to come free of the headband. To ensure you don't have to re-glue any of your pieces together, you should allow your glue to firm for 30 minutes to an hour.
4. Style the ears into position. Your mouse ears might not stand straight up like Minnie Mouse's at first. To encourage your mouse ears to hold this position, fold both up and forward. The glued tabs will keep the ears in place.
Part 3 Creating the Bow.
1. Measure and cut a 10” (25 cm) length of ribbon or fabric. You can use either ribbon or fabric for your bow, although ribbon will likely be a little shinier and look more like the bow Minnie wears. In either case, it should be 5” to 8” (12.7 to 20.3 cm) wide. You will eventually gather this fabric around its middle, which will cause the sides to fan out. This will give your bow its shape.
Thicker cuts of fabric will create more bunching when you gather this piece around its middle, which will give your bow a fuller appearance.
2. Measure and cut a 3” (7.6 cm) gathering string. This is the piece you will use to gather the fabric around the middle of your 10" (25 cm) length of ribbon. You should use a similar kind of fabric to your 10" (25 cm) ribbon, but you could also add some pop to your design by using a contrasting color fabric.
For example, if you are using Minnie's traditional bow color, red with white polka-dots, you might choose a bold blue for your gathering string.
3. Lay the 10" (25 cm) piece of ribbon on a flat surface. Put the print side face down. You're going to want to glue your gathering string along the back of your bow, which will be the same as the opposite side of the pattern.
4. Fold the long ends your 10" (25 cm) ribbon toward its center. You'll want each side to overlap slightly at the center of your 10" (25 cm) length of ribbon. Fold one end at a time so that there is enough overlap to glue these side where the meet at the center of the ribbon.
5. Glue the folded inward ends at the overlap. It should only take a dab or two of hot glue or fabric glue to join the ends together firmly. Press the fabric firmly to create a stronger bond between the fabric and glue.
You should follow the directions on your glue to achieve the best bond. Some glues will set and cure faster than others. Generally, you should hold the glue firmly for one to five minutes for best results.
6. Arrange your ribbon into a bow shape. Use one hand to pinch your ribbon together toward its centermost point from the top and bottom edges. This will be easiest to do if you are working with a ribbon that is at least 5” (12.7 cm) wide.
Pinching your ribbon together tightly will cause the outside edges to flare out more dramatically.
7. Loosely wrap your gathering string around your bunched ribbon. The 3” (7.6 cm) piece of ribbon will hold the fabric of your bow in its flared position. Wind it around several times and then remove your fingers where you were pinching the bow in the middle.
Hold the ribbon with your free hand to make sure it doesn't come unwound or loose.
Wind the remaining length of your ribbon around the center tightly.
8. Glue the gathering string in place. Lift one end of the small piece of ribbon and apply a dab of hot glue or fabric glue. If using hot glue, you should be careful not to burn yourself by pressing on the fabric immediately after glue application.
To apply pressure to make the best seal between your hot glue and fabric, you might use a tool to prevent getting burned, like a paperweight, gloved hand, or tweezers.
Fabric glue and other cold glues should be held together firmly to encourage a strong bond. Press the glued piece of ribbon together. Hold this position for about 30 seconds to a minute.
Part 4 Attaching the Bow to the Headband.
1. Slip a pipe cleaner through a fold in your bow. The bunchings of your bow fabric should have created folds through which you can thread your pipe cleaner so that it passes under your glued gathering string.
If you find it difficult to feed your pipe cleaner through a fold and under your gathering string, you can always use glue to attach the pipe cleaner along the back of your bow.
A dab of hot glue onto the back of your gathering string should be enough to hold your pipe cleaner in place.
2. Cross one end of the piper cleaner over the other. Orient your pipe cleaner so it is equal length on both sides of your gathering string. Now cross the sides of your pipe cleaner at the midpoint over the front of your gathering string and add a twist.
This will prevent the pipe cleaner from slipping out of the bow while adding stability to the bow in general.
Experiment with different colored pipe cleaners to personalize your Minnie Mouse ears!
3. Secure your bow with the loose ends of the pipe cleaner. Center the bow between the ears. Then you're going to wrap each end of the pipe cleaner around opposite ends of your headband. Twine each side of the pipe cleaner down opposite ends of the headband until you go no further.
The ends of pipe cleaner can be pointy. To prevent the wearer from getting poked, you may want to turn these inward on your headband. The ends can also be taped to the headband as an extra precaution.
By attaching your bow to your mouse ears with a pipe cleaner, you'll be able to swap out different bows without having to make a new pair of mouse ears.
Twist ties can be used to reinforce your pipe cleaners if you find the pipe cleaner windings are not holding the bow in place well enough.
4. Add finishing touches and show off your mouse ears. Minnie, being a stylish mouse, would probably go ga-ga over some rhinestones, glitter, feathers, or other accents you might add to your mouse ears. Most of these can be attached with a small dab of hot glue. Once you've finished adding your finishing touches, you should show off your mouse ears to all your friends.
Tips.
Use a black felt tip marker to color white pipe cleaners if you don't want the white to show too much.
Warnings.
Hot glue emerges from the gun applicator at a very high temperature. Whenever using hot glue, you should follow the instructions that came with your glue gun and take care.
Things You’ll Need.
Ribbon (10” (25 cm) long), Ribbon (3” (7 cm) long), Black felt, Black felt tip marker, black crayon or paint (optional), Cardboard.
Chalk, Foam (optional), Headband, Hot glue gun, Household glue, Pipe cleaner, Plain paper, Scissors, Stiff construction paper (optional).
Mickey Mouse is the worldwide symbol of the Disney empire. He is beloved by children all over the world, so it’s no surprise kids want to wear Mickey Mouse ears while playing or out trick-or-treating on Halloween. You don't have to pay outrageous prices for mouse ears of your own. All you need are a few household supplies and soon you'll have a pair all to yourself.
Part 1 Making the Ears.
1. Gather the material for the ears. You will need black felt and cardboard to fashion your ears. However, if you don't have cardboard, you might be able to use construction paper that is both thick and stiff.
All materials needed for making Mickey Mouse ears can be purchased at a craft or fabric store.
If you don’t have any felt, you can paint or color the cardboard circles black or you can even paste some normal black craftsheet on the cardboard.
You could glue together several pieces of sturdy construction paper if you don’t have cardboard for the ears.
The material you use for the ears should be stiff enough so that the ears don’t flop over after affixed to the headband.
2. Purchase a suitable headband. The headband should be black and at least ½" (1.27 cm) thick. This will form the base for your mouse ears and attach them to your head. A thicker band might give greater stability to your mouse ears.
3. Create two identical circle templates out of paper. You will need to trace two circles, one for each ear. Each circle should be between 3” and 5” (7.6 cm and 12.7 cm) and have a ½” (1.27 cm) tab at the bottom of each circle. The circle template will look somewhat like a globe lamp. The bottom tab on the circle will serve to anchor the ears to your headband.
4. Trace your circle templates onto the felt. Hold the paper template with one hand while you trace four circles onto your black felt. You can trace your circles with a piece of chalk. Later, you can wipe the chalk off with a wet cloth.
5. Trace the circle template onto the cardboard. This cardboard is what will support the fabric of your mouse ears, keeping them looking perky. You will need two cardboard circles, one for the left ear and the other for the right.
You can also use the bottom of a bowl to create the circles you need for the ears.
6. Cut the felt circles. You'll want to use very sharp scissors or fabric scissors, otherwise you might not be able to cut smooth circles in your fabric. Follow your outlines with your scissors and a steady hand. You may need to clean up the edges once you have cut the circles free.
7. Cut the cardboard circles. In the same fashion as the felt circles, but still identical in shape to those circles, you'll need to cut out your cardboard circles. These will be used to reinforce the fabric and make it sturdy.
8. Glue the felt evenly to the cardboard. In most cases, household glue will be good enough to attach the felt to the front and back of each cardboard ear. This will give the ears the internal stability of cardboard, but the color and appearance of mouse ears.
Part 2 Attaching the Mouse Ears to the Headband.
1. Use a hot glue gun if you attach the mouse ears to a plastic headband. The higher quality glue used in a hot glue gun will create a better bond between the flap of the ear and the base of the band. Or, if the headband is made out of more flexible material, you can simply staple the mouse ears to the headband.
2. Fold and glue the tabs to tuck underneath the headband. The circles of your ears should be about 3” (7.62 cm) apart. Use your hot glue gun attach your tabs firmly to your headband. You can achieve the best placement for your ears by marking the position of each ear where you plan on attaching it to the headband.
You may need to fold the ears up and forward to encourage an upright position.
3. Allow sufficient time for glue to dry, if applicable. Staples won't require time to firm up, but if you've glued your mouse ears together, you should allow 30 minutes to an hour for the glue to set. You can improve the bond between your mouse ears and headband by holding the glued parts together while the glue sets for 5 to 10 minutes.
4. Dress up in a Mickey outfit and show off your ears. You might be able to get away with a costume comprised of Mickey's classic yellow shoes and red shorts. Or maybe you'll want to imitate one of Mickey's character roles, such as the robed assistant wizard in Disney's Fantasia.
Tips.
Consider substituting pieces of stiff foam for the cardboard. Glue two pieces of foam back to back and create a tab so you can attach the foam circles to the headband.
The Mickey Mouse ears sold at Disney theme parks are actually ears attached to a black beanie. You can make your ears with a beanie instead of a headband to make yours look more authentic.
A sturdy stapler can work in place of a glue gun, if you have no glue gun available.
Warnings.
Avoid using regular glue for joining headband and ears together. It will not likely be strong enough to hold the ears in place for a long duration or throughout heavy play.
Things You’ll Need.
Black felt, Black felt tip marker, black crayon, or paint (optional).
Cardboard, Chalk, Foam (optional), Hot glue gun (and glue), Headband.
Heavy duty stapler (optional), Plain paper, Scissors, Stiff construction paper (optional).
Painting feathers is a fun and easy craft activity. They are fun to create and you will be left with a beautiful collection of feathers to display. You can choose to paint your feathers with watercolors or acrylic paint. Watercolor paints give a soft effect whereas acrylic paints allow you to create striking contrasting designs.
Method 1 Painting Feathers Using Acrylic Paints.
1. Choose your paint colors. Put the tubes of paint beside each other to see which color combinations work best together.
Consider adding black or white paints as these can be added on top of your base colors to create a striking contrast.
2. Squeeze a small amount of your selected paints onto a piece of card. Keep each color separate to stop the colors from merging. You will only need a small amount of each color.
Mix colours together on the piece of card if you want to create new colors. Mixing blue and red will make purple, red and yellow will make orange and red and white will make pink.
3. Load a medium-sized brush with a small amount of paint. Gently dip your brush into the first color of paint you want to use. Start with a small amount -- you can always add more if you need it, but using too much paint will make the feathers clump together.
4. Brush gently across the feather in the direction that the feather grows. Painting in the direction of growth stops the brush from damaging or ruffling the feathers and helps to ensure you evenly coat the surface with paint. Use the paint sparingly, you only need a thin coat.
If you want to change colors, make sure you thoroughly clean your brush before using the next color.
5. Turn the feather over and paint any patches you missed. Wait for the top coat of paint to try before turning the feathers over. This should take about 1 hour. You don't need to paint the entire back-side of the feather, only paint any patches that aren't colored. Try to match the colors so they mirror what is on the top of the feather. Avoid add unnecessary extra paint as this will make the feathers clump together.
If the top coat of paint has soaked all the feathers you can skip this step.
Let the feathers to dry for another hour before applying any more paint.
6. Add designs onto your feather using black or white paint. Dip a very small paintbrush into your paint. Create any designs you like over your colored feather. You can experiment with lines, polka dots. and zig-zags. Get creative!
Make sure the base layer of paint is completely dry before adding the black or white paint to stop the colors from merging together.
7. Leave the feathers to dry completely before displaying them. Keep the feathers in a warm place that is out of the wind until they are completely dry. Be creative with how you display your painted feathers. Try displaying them in a vase or attach them to a piece of card.
Make sure that the paint is dry before moving the feathers as the paint may stain other surfaces.
Things You’ll Need.
Painting Feathers Using Acrylic Paints.
Acrylic paints.
Paint brush (small and medium sizes).
Cardboard.
Water to rinse the brushes.
Feathers.
Scrap paper.
Method 2
Painting Feathers Using Watercolour Paints.
1. Choose your colour scheme. If you want to use multiple colors try putting the tubes of paint beside each other so you can see if the colors look good together.
If the colors on the tubes are darker than what you want, test them out on a spare piece of paper. Adding more water to the paint will make the color lighter. For example, change a deep-blue to a mid-blue by adding a few drops of water.
Choosing a mixture of all light colors or all vibrant colors will give the feathers a cohesive look.
2. Brush over the feather with a dry paintbrush to make them smooth. Use the tip of a brush to make the strands of the feather sit flat. This will give you a smooth surface to apply paint to and will help you to be able to paint all the strands of the feather.
3. Squeeze a small amount of your selected paints into a paint palette. Keep each color separate to stop the colors from changing. Add a few drops of water to each of the colors.
Keep adding water until you are satisfied with the color of the paint. For example, turn a dark-green to a mid-green by adding a few drops of water.
If you don't have the color of paint that you want, try mixing the colors. Red and white will make pink, blue and yellow will make green and blue and red make purple.
4. Paint your feathers using a watercolor brush. Dip the brush into the paint and brush the color across the feather. If the colours are too dark or aren't blending well, try adding more water to the paint. Paint each side of the feather in the direction that the feathers grow. This stops the brush from damaging or ruffling the feathers.
Wash your brush after you have finished painting with one color. This will stop the colors from mixing on your brush.
The water will absorb quickly into the feather so you only need to apply a thin coat of paint.
5. Turn the feather over and paint any patches you have missed. Wait for the top coat of paint to try before turning the feathers over. This should take about 1 hour. You don't need to paint the entire back-side of the feather, only paint any patches that aren't colored.
If you want the color to look evenly colored, try to match the colors so that they mirror the colors on top of the feather.
Use a different colour if you want the feather to have a blended look.
6. Leave the feathers to dry on a piece of paper. Choose a place out of the wind so the feathers don’t blow away. Make sure that the feathers are dry before moving them as the paint may stain other surfaces.
7. Brush out the dry feathers with a small nail brush. Pull the brush over the feather in the direction that the fibers grow. Brush both sides of the feather to ensure that you catch all of the strands. This process will help to make the feathers fluffy again.
Make sure that the feathers are completely dry before brushing otherwise they won’t fluff up.
There are lots of ways to make a homemade cooler using readily available insulating materials. Using a lidded box, foil, and recycled packaging materials, you can make a small, simple cooler. For a larger, more effective design, line a cardboard box with foam board. If you need something more portable, you could also sew an insulated lunch bag to keep items cold when you’re on the go.
Steps.
Remove the top flaps from a cardboard box. Use a pair of scissors or utility knife to cut off the top flaps. Keep in mind you’ll be building layers of foam about 6 in (15 cm) thick inside the box. Choose a box large enough to hold all of that insulation and still have room to store foods and drinks.
For example, if you use a 24 by 24 in (61 by 61 cm) box, the space available for storage will be 18 by 18 in (46 by 46 cm).
A cardboard box is the easiest choice, but a large plastic tote would work. You could also make your own box out of wood.
Line the box with a trash bag, shower curtain, or plastic tablecloth. Place a trash bag, or another type of waterproof material, into the box as if you were lining a trash can. Press the bag into the box’s corners, and take care not to tear the bag. Keep the bag flat against the sides of the box, then trim the bag so it’s flush with the top of the box.
Duct tape the bag to the top of the box; add strips of tape along the box’s entire top edge. Give the bag some slack so there’s extra material at the bottom corners. It’ll tear easily if it’s too tight.
The waterproof layer will help keep melted ice or condensation from getting the cardboard soggy. A trash bag is inexpensive and readily available, but a shower curtain or plastic tablecloth would be sturdier.
Cut 5 panels of 1 in (2.5 cm) foam to line the inside of the box. Use craft foam boards or sheets of foam board insulation. Measure the box’s bottom and sides, cut a panel that matches the box’s bottom, and make the side panels 2 in (5.1 cm) shorter than the box.
Cut 2 of the side foam panels 2 in (5.1 cm) shorter to account for the thickness of the other 2 panels. Suppose you have a 24 by 24 by 24 in (61 by 61 by 61 cm) box; make 2 of the panels 24 in (61 cm) long. Since the panels are each 1 in (2.5 cm) thick, make the other 2 panels 22 in (56 cm).
Cut with the grain of the foam to keep the edges straighter.
Glue the foam panels inside the box. Start by gluing the bottom board to the base of the box. Take care not to tear the waterproof layer. Then glue a foam panel to each side of the box's interior.
Once they’re glued into place, the tops of the side panels should be 1 in (2.5 cm) below the box’s top edge. Each side is 2 in (5.1 cm) shorter than the box, but the bottom foam panel adds an extra 1 in (2.5 cm) to their height.
Use 4 more foam panels to create an inner box. Make 2 of the panels about 4 in (10 cm) smaller in width than the sides of the box. Cut the other 2 panels 6 in (15 cm) smaller than the box’s sides. All 4 sides should be 1 in (2.5 cm) shorter than the height of the box.
Glue the 4 panels together to make an inner box. This smaller inner box is actually the storage space. You'll fill the gap between the inner foam box and the panels that line the cardboard box with insulation. All of these layers of insulating material will help keep the cooler nice and cold.
Glue the inner box into place. Center the foam box inside the cardboard box. There should be a 3 to 4 in (7.6 to 10.2 cm) space between the 2 sets of foam panels on all 4 sides. After double checking the fit, glue the inner foam box into place.
Fill the gaps between the panels with vermiculite or spray foam. Pour vermiculite between the panels, or use spray foam insulation. If you use spray foam, pause between applications to allow the foam to expand. If it expands beyond the tops of the panels, give it an hour to dry, then trim the excess foam with a utility knife.
In a pinch, fill the gap with packing peanuts, bubble wrap, or Styrofoam. Fiberglass insulation would also work.
Make 4 strips of 1⁄2 in (1.3 cm) foam board. Cut strips of foam wide enough the cover the insulation-filled gaps. If each gap is 4 in (10 cm) wide and each foam panel is 1 in (2.5 cm) thick, the cover strips should be 6 in (15 cm) wide.
Cut 2 of the strips, then set them over the gaps on parallel sides of the box. Measure the length between the 2 covers, then cut 2 more strips to match that length.
Be sure to use 1⁄2 in (1.3 cm) thick foam board for the strips to leave room for the box’s lid.
Glue the cover strips over the gaps. Apply beads of craft glue over the foam panels that line the cardboard box and the ones that form the inner box. Then set the cover strips into place over the insulation-filled gaps.
Remember to place the longer cover strips across from each other.
Use a sheet of 1 in (2.5 cm) foam for the lid. Measure the perimeter of the top of the box, and cut a foam panel to match. Since the strips that cover the insulation-filled gaps are 1⁄2 in (1.3 cm) thick, there should be a 1⁄2 in (1.3 cm) lip formed by the sides of the cardboard box. This lip should hug the sides of the lid.
If you’d like, glue handles or knobs to the top of the lid so it’s easier to remove. If you made a wooden box, you could make a wooden, foam-lined lid and join it to the box with a hinge.
Things You'll Need.
Insulated Box.
Large cardboard box.
Trash bag, plastic shower curtain, or plastic tablecloth.
