Cardboard Balance Sculptures

Wondering what to do with all that cardboard piling up from your online shopping? If so check out this fun idea that will get your kiddos creating treasures from the trash. The cardboard balance sculptures are a ton of fun to make and they are super easy. The possibilities are endless.

You will need:

• Cardboard
• Paint or markers
• Scissors
• Optional items:
  • Wood Block
  • Skewers
  • hand held drill
  • tin cans
  • metal brads
  • hair dryer

If you have younger kids you are working with you may wish to pre-cut some cardboard shapes. The cardboard can be tough to cut out. When I do this I like to make a mix of sizes, geometric shapes, and organic shapes so that there are plenty of choices.

You should allow your kids time to experiment with different construction ideas as they develop their plan. Your kids may wish to draw or photograph their plan prior to dismantling it for decoration. Once they have an idea of the sculpture they want to create, allow them to paint or color the cardboard pieces they will be using. It is easier to to paint/color the cardboard flat. Use a hair dryer to dry paint as needed. Once the pieces are dry, construction begins.

Attachment Methods

The challenge with these sculptures is to attach the pieces without using any type of adhesive…no glue or tape! Here are some tips for attachments.

1. Skewers can be stuck in to the corrugated cardboard between the cardboard faces. If you use a sharpener to sharpen both ends of the skewer it will be easier to insert. Skewers can be cut down to the desired length making them very versatile. A hole could be drilled into a wooden block and a skewer inserted to create a heavier base to hold your sculptures up.
2. Slits can be cut into the edges of cardboard pieces. The pieces can then be attached by sliding two pieces together along the cut slits. You can use the slits in the cardboard to attach the pieces to a base as well. I love to use old tin cans as bases.
3. Tabs can be cut into a piece of cardboard which could then be attached to a second piece by cutting a slit in the center of a second cardboard piece. (Adults may need to help with the cutting).
4. A metal brad can be used to attach two pieces together by poking a hole in the pieces and inserting the brad. This can be a fun way to create movable pieces.

What other ideas can you come up with? I would love to hear about your projects and see what you create! Feel free to leave me a comment!

Happy Creating,