How To Make An Epic DIY Cat Castle Out Of Cardboard Boxes

By  Trisha Sprouse

If you're going to build a cardboard castle for your cat, you might as well make it an epic one. We made ours extra royal with a festive drawbridge, twin towers, grass courtyard, water feature, and fortress walls. Our kitties have been playing king and queen ever since!

Things You'll Need

  • 5 large tall boxes
  • 2 medium square boxes
  • Box cutter
  • Duct tape
  • Scissors
  • Acrylic craft paint (non-toxic)
  • Paintbrush and roller
  • Black permanent marker
  • Hot glue gun
  • 3 wooden dowels
  • Felt
  • Twine
  • Hot glue
  • Synthetic grass
  • Kitty drinking fountain
  • Small plant pots
  • Live cat grass
  • Pom-poms, bunting flags, garland (optional)
Cats in front of castleTrisha Sprouse
Overhead view of castle courtyardTrisha Sprouse

Step 1: Make the Towers

Assemble two of the tall boxes and tape the bottoms shut. Cut off the top flaps from both boxes. Then cut out battlements around the tops of the boxes and window arches on the front and sides of the two towers.

Cutting window arches in boxTrisha Sprouse

Paint the towers a light gray color and opt for a festive trim color for the battlements.

Paint a colorful trim around the window arches. Once the paint is dry, draw a faux window ledge and stones around each window using a black permanent marker.

Use the leftover scrap cardboard from the flaps to cut out faux stone shapes and paint them a dark gray. Sponge some lighter gray on top to add texture, and glue clusters of them to the front and sides of the towers.

Drawing faux stones around windowTrisha Sprouse

Make a flag for each tower by cutting a triangle out of felt and gluing it to a small wooden dowel. Tape a flag inside each tower.

Completed tower with flagTrisha Sprouse

Step 2: Make the Drawbridge

Turn a tall box on its side and tape the top and bottom shut. Draw a cat face shape on the center of the box and cut it out. Make sure you don't cut off the bottom of the cat shape, as that will be the bridge that opens and closes.

Cutting out cat shape bridgeTrisha Sprouse

Paint the bridge on both sides and then paint a matching trim around the cat shape on the box. Draw faux stones on the trim once the paint has dried. Then hot glue a piece of rope/twine to each side of the bridge and also to each side of the cat shape opening on the box to act as railings.

Create torches by rolling cardstock into sconce shapes, fill them with yellow felt, and hang one on each side of the drawbridge.

Cat on drawbridgeTrisha Sprouse

On the back side of the drawbridge, cut an arched doorway and paint faux stone trim around it.

Two cats playing on drawbridgeTrisha Sprouse

Step 3: Make the House

Tape the bottom shut on a tall box and cut off the top flaps. Cut out battlements around the top, two window arches for the top floor and an arched door for the bottom floor. Paint the same color treatment as the towers. Tuck a blanket or faux sheepskin rug inside and tape a flag inside the center of the box.

Cardboard house with flagTrisha Sprouse

Step 4: Make the Hammocks

Assemble two medium boxes and tape them both shut on top and bottom. Cut out matching square holes on all four sides of each box. Then paint the boxes. Once dry, cut a slit in all corners of the box, about 2/3 of the way up.

Cutting slits in cornersTrisha Sprouse

Cut a piece of fabric to the same dimensions as the bottom of your box except add 4 inches to all sides. Then cut a 3-inch diagonal slit in each corner of the fabric.

Slit cut in corner of fabricTrisha Sprouse

Pull the fabric through the slits in each corner and tie a knot in all corners. Tuck blankets or pet beds underneath each hammock.

Cat laying in hammockTrisha Sprouse

Step 5: Make the Courtyard

Roll out synthetic grass in the area behind the towers/drawbridge. Mark the center and set a kitty water fountain there. Cut a slit in the grass directly under the fountain and feed the power cord through it. Set three little plant pots filled with cat grass on each side of the fountain.

Cat sitting in courtyardTrisha Sprouse
Water feature in courtyardTrisha Sprouse

Step 6: Make the Fortress Walls

Cut off two of the long sides of a tall box and paint them gray. Once dry, glue some faux stones to them. Set the wall panels around the courtyard.

Fortress walls around the courtyardTrisha Sprouse

Step 7: Add Some Cuteness

Colorful details make all the difference, in our humble opinion. So get that glue gun back out and attach some pom-poms along the top of the drawbridge. Also, hang some bunting flags between the towers.

Flags hanging between towersTrisha Sprouse

Hang colorful tassel garland along the fortress walls.

Tassel garland hanging on fortress wallTrisha Sprouse

Create a paw print on top of the hammocks using felt and pom-poms.

Paw print made from felt and pom-pomsTrisha Sprouse

Do you love pet DIY projects? Awesome! Check out our tutorial on how to make a vintage kitty camper out of cardboard boxes, and then like us on Facebook for more how-to guides and join our newsletter for maximum cuteness. You're about to take your DIY game to the next level. Congratulations!

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