Medieval Castle

You will need: 9″ x 12″ cardboard box cut down to 5 1/2″ high, two 7 3/4″ cardboard rolls, small pudding box, cereal box 5″ wide and 8″ high, Popsicle sticks, paper, toothpicks, string, scissors, coping saw, or heavy shears, and glue.

Use large cardboard box for courtyard walls. For castle, use inverted cereal box after removing top. Cut 5 1/2″ long slots in castle sides to fit down over back wall.

For towers at front corners, use cardboard rolls 7 3/4″ long. Make a pair of slots 5 1/2″ long on one side of each roll. Fit rolls down over front corners of courtyard.

Cut a flap 2 1/2″ x 4 1/2″ about 1/4″ from bottom of wall on front of courtyard, and fold down for the drawbridge. Glue string under drawbridge, bringing ends up and through holes made above opening in wall, and knot ends. Pull on the knots to raise and lower drawbridge.

For the battlement above drawbridge, cut pudding box to 1 1/2″ high. Cut small slots on open ends to fit battlement down over top of wall.

Cover tops of towers, castle, and battlement with colored paper. Make arched door for castle from colored paper, adding hinges and markings, and glue in place.

Cover all sections with Popsicle sticks, glued on vertically. Stagger rounded ends of sticks around top edges. Be sure sticks don’t interfere with pieces fitting together. When necessary, cut sticks with heavy shears or coping saw. Cover both sides of drawbridge with sticks. Glue two sticks horizontally to the castle wall under the drawbridge for support—but do not glue them to drawbridge. Fit all pieces together.

To finish castle, cut rectangular or rounded windows from colored paper and glue to towers and castle. Make frames for door and windows from Popsicle sticks. Glue triangular pieces of paper to toothpicks for pennants and attach to tops of towers. Make coat of arms and glue to battlement.

Illustrated by Doug Roy