kids cardboard stove

Make this lovely cardboard oven with materials from around your home.

Tools and MaterialsCardboard file box with attached lid
Scrap pieces of cardboard or cardboard boxes
Mat knife or box cutter
Hot-glue gun and hot-glue sticks
Adhesive foam dots
Spray paint in chosen color for oven
Silver spray paint
Four plastic condiment-cup lids
Four small bottle caps
One large bottle cap

Templet #1 Knobs
Full-sheet printable label paper
Paper fasteners (brads)
Blank or old CDs
Black permanent marker
Ruler
Sheet protector
Double-sided tape
Plastic clothes hanger
Battery-powered light (optional)

Cardboard Oven Craft How-To1. Turn box on its side so that the lid opens like the door of an oven.

2. Cut a 13-inch square piece of cardboard and glue to the back of the oven with hot glue. Cut a 6 1/2-by-9 1/2-inch hole in the box lid to create the oven-door window.

3. Add adhesive foam dots to the front corners of the box, leaving the paper backing on the exposed side.

4. Punch holes in the cardboard back for dials.

5. Spray paint entire oven and door with desired color. Allow oven to dry.

6. Spray paint condiment-cup lids silver, and bottle caps the same color as the oven. Print label templet#1 on label paper; cut out knob labels and stick to bottle caps.

7. Attach silver dials to range with paper fasteners. Hot glue bottle caps to lids, covering the fasteners.

8. With a black permanent marker, draw concentric circular lines (burner coils) on the shiny side of CDs.

9. Hot glue CD "burners" to the oven stove top.

10. Cut a 9 1/2-by-12 1/2-inch rectangle from cardboard and spray paint silver. Allow to dry. Draw lines along the length, 1 inch apart, with a ruler and permanent black marker.

11. Fasten a sheet protector to inside of oven door with double-sided tape (artwork inserted into sheet protector will show through oven window).

12. Cut a piece from the long side of a plastic clothes hanger, and spray paint silver. Allow paint to dry; adhere hanger piece to the top of the oven door with hot glue to create the oven door handle.

13. Add a battery-powered light to the inside of the oven, if desired.

Templet #1 below