HOWTO make a cardboard playhouse

If this morning's Swedish cardboard playhouses gave you a nosebleed with their 370 Kroner pricetag (approx US$3,221,145.22), you can always make one yourself, with a set of plans like these:

It is easiest to start with a large cardboard box such as a refrigerator or other large appliance. I called my local appliance store and had them save me a box. I told them I was making a cardboard playhouse and they were more than happy to set one aside. If you can't find one large enough you can certainly construct one out of smaller boxes, it will just take more time to piece it together.
Link (via Craft)

Discussion

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#1 posted by efergus3 , May 7, 2008 2:39 PM

As the recession gets worse, this may come in handy.

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#2 posted by hanov3r , May 7, 2008 3:37 PM

370 Kroner pricetag (approx US$3,221,145.22)

*sigh*

I remember the days when I made jokes like this about Canadian money...

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I used to make myself doll houses out of shoeboxes. I stacked them up to make different levels. It was quite fun; they had furniture, fire alarms, pillars for architectural purposes, and the occasional window.

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Back in the 70's, my father brought back a *giant* box from some industrial refrigeration unit or something. It was like 4x12x6 or so. He made a giant playhouse that me and my sister played in for years.Totally awesome, we drew on the walls, cut out secret exits, strong enough to play on the roof. Go figure, couple of kids with a giant box, awesome!

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Oh that's. .that's great.. At least it's easy to cut out a fire escape. You'll need one when you momentarily forget about your ez-bake oven to nurse the massive papercut you got by answering the cardboard door. Please only give kids nice round or soft plastic things to play with so they don't get hurt. (ever cut yourself on an Apple product? Didn't think so).

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what is it STRATOJOE? are you a shill for dupont or something?

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#7 posted by Tenn , May 7, 2008 11:09 PM

You give them this, put it in a larger box for them to open, and they'll play with the packaging first and forget about your carefully crafted box playhouse.

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#8 posted by aandnota , May 8, 2008 2:43 AM

um... 370 SEK (kroner) is only 61.0082 dollars. it's about 6 kroner per dollar. via www.xe.com

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#9 posted by airship , May 8, 2008 8:03 AM

Does bOINGbOING have a official Humorous U.S. Currency Calculator app now? Are you going to CC license it so that we can ALL use it?

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#10 posted by hanzo Author Profile Page, May 8, 2008 11:43 AM

These instructions really over-think the entire process, not to mention they limit the kids to just a playhouse.

Craftiness and DIY be damned, here are the proper instructions:

1. Buy a large appliance/leg lamp.
2. Allow your children access to markers, glue, yarn and all sorts of things that will inevitably end up the walls, in their hair/nose, on the dog, and possibly the floor of the local ER. You know, all the great things we had as kids
3. Go about your daily business, reminding yourself that it's just as important to nurture your children through self-discovery as it is to guide them through life.

Result: A time travel capable transmogrifier castle cave go fortkart.

Note: If you have multiple children of close proximity, this will invariably provide a great source of amusement/headache when it turns into the sibling wrasslin' ring.

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#11 posted by hanzo Author Profile Page, May 8, 2008 11:57 AM

It would seem I often forget entire words. Perhaps I was just giddy thinking about a go fortkart.

For those confused, here are the missing words:
on
age

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#12 posted by GaryG , May 8, 2008 2:27 PM

Sweet. But the neatest bit was the Google ad in the middle of the article: "Childrens Playhouses
Now From Only £98."

Ironic or something I guess.

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#13 posted by stratojoe , May 8, 2008 4:27 PM

No, I'm not a shill for dupont. I'm just a concerned citizen trying to make people more aware of the dangers surrounding the products and by-products of the paper industry (cartel). I haven't had a sheet of paper (or cardboard) in my house since my son Enos was born 5 years ago. His older sister cut her finger so badly on a Little Golden Book that she had to have plastic surgery due to all the other schoolgirls teasing her about the gruesome scar.

In addition to cuts, paper can also suffocate a child, or cause them to choke. It can also be a source of skin irritation, and the fine fibers (of wood or rag) shed by rough use can get caught in a child's developing lungs.

These dangers are real, and are the reason my family decided to use little scraps of velvet instead of toilet paper. They are washable, recyclable, and we even built a neat little steampunk velvet square dispenser for the commode out of copper plumbing parts and vacuum tubes.

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#14 posted by Antinous , May 8, 2008 4:34 PM

Stratojoe,

I think that your behavior is shocking and can best be described by this Wikipedia article.

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#15 posted by stratojoe , May 8, 2008 4:43 PM

That wasn't an article - it was a link to a youtube video of a young man dancing. Do you have the real link?

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#16 posted by Tenn , May 8, 2008 6:19 PM

I think he meant to direct you here.

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#17 posted by Antinous , May 8, 2008 7:20 PM

Good save, Tenn.

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#18 posted by Tenn , May 8, 2008 7:22 PM

My pleasure.

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Why you scamps! You got me again! Enos thinks the "rick roll" is even funnier than the knock knock joke with the bananas.. and then.. the orange! Oh you guys- LOL all the way.

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#20 posted by Tenn , May 9, 2008 4:57 PM

Knock Knock.
Who's there?
Orange.
Orange who?
Orange you glad I'm here?

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#21 posted by Agent 86 , May 11, 2008 1:25 AM

Actually, I think I get what Ant was going for (here). Not very nice, Antinous!

and, a link for the suspicious.

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