House in a Rock Using Cardboard

by Creative Mother

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Intro: House in a Rock Using Cardboard

In this instructable I show you how I made a house in a rock using cheap, basic materials available to anyone. This project is super easy to make, requires no special skill and looks amazing in the end. You can make any variation you want. You can make it taller with rectangle shaped door and rounded windows or maybe thinner columns with taller windows. Any variation works. This is just a proof of concept that enables you to be creative in your own unique way. If you make this project I encourage you to post it here in the comments. I can't wait to see your creations. Have fun!

STEP 1: Making the Walls

I cut the walls from a single cardboard piece and made some indentations where the corners should be (I used a wooden modelling tool). I cut out four windows and a door. I glued a cardboard stripe on the inside of the door and windows to give the impression that the walls are really thick. Glued the walls to a cardboard 'floor' in the right position with 90 degrees angles in all the corners and added a ceiling as well.

STEP 2: Making the Door and Columns

I made the door using the piece I cut out plus two other pieces just like it to have some thickness. I then textured one side using a cutter. Please be very careful when using sharp tools. You can obtain a similar effect using a ball pen and pressing into the cardboard. The columns are also made from one piece of cardboard with indentations where the corners should be. Added some caps to the upper end of the columns and glued them in place, in front of the door

STEP 3: Adding Lights

I added some LED string lights around the windows and door on the inside. I also made sure to have two LED's on the porch making two small holes using my pen.

STEP 4: Making the Structure for the Rock

I rested everything on a cardboard cylinder that will also host the batteries for the lights. The rock structure is extremely easy to make. Long stripes of cardboard glued together from the edges of the house in the shape of some arches that surround the walls of the house. The basic shape can be as irregular as any natural rock so you can't mess this up.

STEP 5: Making the Rock Surface

In this step I covered the structure with egg carton pieces. I teared apart some egg cartons in smaller pieces and used them to cover the whole structure. The egg cartons have a rough wrinkly texture that will give our rock that awesome natural look. I sanded my rock a little bit after this step to make it look like one solid block.

STEP 6: Painting

I started with a beige as a base color. When this layer was dry I brushed the surface with some white so have better highlights. Next I watered down some yellow and applied on the whole surface. I did the same with some light brown but only applied it here and there. Did the same with a little black and green in the end. I let it dry after each color. Using the heavily diluted acrylics, starting with the lighter colors and finishing with the darker ones makes it easy for the darker colors to go in the texture in the end and give a pretty natural look.

That's it! The house in a rock is finished. I use it as a night lamp in my daughter's room and she absolutely loves it. Let me know what you think in the comment section below. Happy crafting!

60 Comments

Dwargh 3 months ago

Hi!

Really nice build! :D


I don't understand Step 5 where you put the egg carton pieces onto the structure.

Did you hot glue them? Did you wet them? I can't see that in the description nor in the pictures ;)

moltcraft 3 years ago

I HAVE to do this! Its amazing!

tq4real 3 years ago

its hard to believe that it is made of cardboard

XYZ Create 3 years ago

The final piece came out great!

cirena 3 years ago

Beutifull!
Well documented and explained! Thank you :)

mscaldwell888 3 years ago

Love this! Put it on my 'to do' list. Did you just hot glue the egg crate paper on? It laid flat enough to get that great texture? I was wondering if a solution of water and white glue might work (I'm sure there is something like that technique our there), or even exterior grade wood glue (to make it more water resistant)?
It looks so good I'd love to have it outside. Maybe modify someone's fake rock approach combined with someone's outdoor 'elf house' project?
OK, one more time: So Cool!

Creative Mother 3 years ago

Thank you. For outside, like @duncanis suggested here in the comments, you need different materials and a combination of expanded or extruded styrofoam with a layer of cement should work just fine.

mscaldwell888 3 years ago

Yeah, but I'd like to find a way to keep the texture that your process creates! If I ever do, I'll let you know.

MichelleC15 3 years ago

OMG that's amazing!! I'm gonna have to make that with my son who has a rock collection :D

mrdebos 3 years ago

Very cool! Texture looks amazing!

Jacsig 3 years ago

Amazing I tried to do it but failed at the egg box part, I didn't use a glue gun and used cellotape instead, will do it again when got another egg box

Creative Mother 3 years ago

Thank you. Yes, the hot glue adds some rigidity, tape wouldn't work

Tuthuthu 3 years ago

That is great. I love "little dioramas from scratch." Good photography, too.

OhYeahThatGuy81 3 years ago

That looks absolute amazing. Thanks for sharing this awesome project with us!
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