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CHRISTMAS · MAKE SOMETHING WORTH REMEMBERING

Santa’s Workshop Cardboard Door

Build a tabletop elf-workshop entrance with a green paper door, a candy-striped frame, and cheerful paper toy shapes beside it.

55 min hands-on1–3 makersAges 8+ with adult cuttingModerate with adult assemblySanta’s workshop ↗4 illustrated steps ↓

Allow about 55 minutes of hands-on time plus drying time according to the glue label. Adults cut the thick cardboard and help with the support braces. The door is a tabletop decoration, not a working door or a climbing toy.

Wide cardboard panel standing on a white base with a green door, red-and-white candy-striped frame, and flat red rocket and yellow teddy-bear decorations.
One way your finished project could look.

A LITTLE INSPIRATION

See it. Make it.
Make it yours.

Start with this finished example, then follow the four illustrated steps below. Choose the colors and details that feel like you.

Gather your supplies ↓Follow the steps ↓

Project and step images are AI-generated illustrations. About our images

Let’s make it.

  1. Solid cardboard back panel lying flat with a centered green paper rectangle glued near its bottom edge.

    Add the green door

    Ask an adult to cut the cardboard pieces. Lay the large back panel flat. Cut a green paper rectangle about 14 × 21 cm and glue it in the center, with its bottom edge aligned with the panel’s bottom. This is a pretend door drawn on a solid panel; do not cut an opening.

  2. Green paper door surrounded by a white frame with diagonal red paper strips and a round yellow paper handle.

    Build the striped frame

    Cut two white paper strips about 2 × 23 cm for the sides and one about 18 × 2 cm for the top. Glue them around the green door as a frame. Cut short red paper strips, glue them diagonally across the white frame, and trim the excess so the red stays inside the white border. Add a yellow paper circle as the door handle.

  3. Flat red rocket and yellow teddy-bear paper shapes glued beside the striped workshop door.

    Add paper toys

    Cut a simple red rocket and a simple yellow teddy-bear silhouette, each about 5–6 cm tall, and glue them on the wide cardboard margins beside the door. Add white paper rectangles as snow along the bottom if you like. Keep all decorations flat against the panel so they cannot tip over.

  4. Rear three-quarter view showing two triangular cardboard braces taped between the upright decorated panel and its white-covered base.

    Make it stand

    Cover the rectangular base with white paper. Stand the decorated panel across the base, about 3 cm behind its front edge. An adult helps tape each triangular brace upright behind the panel: its 12 cm edge touches the panel and its 8 cm edge rests on the base. Tape both edges securely, add craft glue along the joints, and leave the display supported until the glue dries. Check that it stands steadily before placing it on a shelf.

A little help: Place the two braces apart near the left and right sides of the panel, with their wide feet pointing backward. Both must sit flat on the base.

KEEP THE GOOD TIME GOING

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