How to Make a DIY Cardboard Dog House (Three Ways, Zero Dollars, Seven Years Strong)

I want to tell you that this project started with a brilliant plan. The truth is it started with a pile of Amazon boxes and a new puppy who needed a place to call her own.

Buttercup was my 50th birthday gift. I had always wanted a little pocket dog - a tiny, portable, carry-everywhere companion - and she was everything I had dreamed of. She was also coming home to a house that already had Lucky, our large golden doodle, and we weren't entirely sure how that was going to go. Lucky is gentle but she's big, and Buttercup was very, very small. We wanted her to have a space that was unambiguously hers. A retreat. A place she could disappear into when the world felt like too much.

I did not want to spend money on a dog house. We had just spent a significant amount on a designer puppy - which, I'll be honest, I have zero regrets about - and the options on Amazon were either overpriced or underwhelming or both. What I did have was a very large pile of shipping boxes, a hot glue gun, some leftover felt squares from another project, and a memory.

The summer I spent as a camp director on Orcas Island, Washington, one of my arts-and-crafts counselors was a cardboard artist. Not a hobbyist, an actual artist whose medium was cardboard. That summer, we made costumes, pretend armor, catapults, structures, all of it from cardboard. I learned that cardboard is an extraordinarily versatile material if you stop thinking of it as trash. When I looked at that pile of Amazon boxes, I didn't see recycling. I saw a dog house.

That first house has been standing for seven years. We've made three versions. This post will walk you through building the basic structure, then show you all three styles so you can make it entirely your own.

What You Need

The whole point of this project is to use what you have. Here's the list of things that actually matter:

A large cardboard box (or a few boxes to piece together — the U-Haul medium moving box is a great size for a small dog)

A hot glue gun and a big bag of glue sticks — don't skimp on the sticks, you'll use more than you think

A box cutter and a yardstick for straight cuts

Heavy scissors for smaller cuts

Acrylic or tempera paint, whatever you have around the house — even leftover wall paint works

Paintbrushes and a drop cloth

Whatever decorative materials you have and love: felt squares, ribbon, trim, rick rack, pom poms, yarn, fabric scraps, old wallpaper

Everything else is style. And style is whatever is already in your craft drawer.

Step 1: Start With Your Box

This is your starting point. A U-Haul medium box is the perfect size for a small dog — 18 inches wide, 16 inches deep, sturdy double-wall cardboard. Lay out your tools before you start: box cutter, scissors, hot glue gun and plenty of sticks, a yardstick, and a serrated knife for the curved cuts.

Step 2: Build the A-Frame

Cut two opposing sides of your box into an A shape - straight up the sides and angled to a peak. These become the gabled ends of your house. Hot-glue the remaining flaps of the box securely to form the A-frame structure. Take your time here and use plenty of glue. This is the foundation everything else sits on.

A yardstick is your best friend for the straight cuts. Lay the cardboard flat on the garage floor or a drop cloth, and score along the ruler rather than cutting freehand. Your lines will be cleaner, and the house will look more intentional.

Step 2: Cut the Door

Cut an arch or rectangle on one side of the house for the entrance. I like to leave the cutout piece attached at the bottom as a little flap that becomes a doorstep - it gives the house a finished look and gives your dog something to step onto. Size it for your dog with a little room to spare so they feel comfortable going in and out.

Step 3: Add a Window (Optional but Very Worth It)

Cut a square or diamond shape on one of the side panels. This is where the gingerbread version really shines - a cross-cut diamond window with white paint trim looks shockingly real. It also gives the interior a little light and makes the house feel less like a box and more like, well, a house. And it's the cutest thing ever when your pooch sticks their little snout through as a lookout. I wish I had a pic!!

Step 5: Finished Structure — Ready to Decorate

Step 6: Paint and Prep

This is where kids can genuinely participate. I handled the box cutting and structural work, then Vi came in to paint the roof panels white. She was so focused and proud of it. If you're doing a style that uses paint — the gingerbread version especially — paint the pieces before you assemble the roof so you can get coverage all the way to the edges without fighting corners.

Step 7: Lay Out Your Decorations Before You Glue

This is the step everyone skips, and everyone regrets skipping. Before you hot-glue a single decoration, lay everything out on a flat surface and figure out your arrangement. For the gingerbread version, this means cutting all your felt leaves, sorting your pom poms by size and color, and counting out enough for the full roofline. Once the glue is on, you're committed.

Step 8: Decorate and Add Your Finishing Touches

This is the best part. Buttercup moved in before we were even finished.

Step 9: Choose Your Style

This is where the project becomes yours. Here are the three styles we've done, with everything you need to recreate each one.

Color Block Joy

The first house I made for Buttercup was inspired by Elmer, the beloved patchwork elephant from the David McKee children's books. I had leftover felt squares in every color imaginable from a previous project, and the colors matched Elmer's iconic patchwork pattern almost perfectly. I just started gluing them on in a brick pattern, and the house came to life.

To make this style: hot-glue felt squares in a patchwork brick pattern across the entire exterior, alternating colors at random. Edge the roofline and doorway with white ribbon or trim, then add felt pom poms along all the edges - the roofline, the door arch, the peak. The pom poms are what make it magical. Get a big bag of mixed colors and go generous with them.

One thing I love about this style is that kids can personalize it. Vi added a rocket ship and a heart to the side of the house using felt cutouts, which I thought was the sweetest thing. It made it feel like it truly belonged to both of them.

What you need:

Felt squares in assorted colors https://amzn.to/4ubD4zD

felt pom poms or airdry clay https://amzn.to/491YwyH (white) https://amzn.to/4ubD4zD (assorted but in small packs, yeah! Mulitple uses!)

white ribbon or trim https://www.etsy.com/strfrnt/kelliehartwell/share?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.etsy.com%2Flisting%2F1193682226%2Fthick-cotton-brush-tassel-fringe-trim&listing_page_id=1193682226

hot glue + hot glue gun https://amzn.to/4wpykbc

Upscale Bohemian Vibes

I made this version when I wanted something that would actually look good in my living room. The Elmer house is magnificent but it is not exactly subtle, and there are times when you want a dog house that reads as intentional design rather than a toddler art project (both are valid, I contain multitudes).

Black felt on the exterior. Cream tassel fringe is hot-glued along every roofline edge. A strip of natural jute ribbon around the base as a footer. A piece of gray felt was on the roof. White faux fur spilling out of the doorway as a threshold rug.

This is the one that makes people stop and ask where you bought it. The answer is: you didn't.

Add a strand of fairy lights along the roofline, and this house at night is genuinely beautiful. It's been in my living room in various corners and spots for years, and it always looks like it belongs there.

What you'll need:

black felt or paper (large sheets), https://amzn.to/4ufZWxY

cream tassel fringe trim https://www.etsy.com/strfrnt/kelliehartwell/share?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.etsy.com%2Flisting%2F4464288604%2F2-yards-ivory-cotton-tassel-trim-fringe&listing_page_id=4464288604

natural jute ribbon, https://amzn.to/43eKNkA

hot glue + glue gun https://amzn.to/4wpykbc

fairy lights (optional but magical) https://amzn.to/495TEso

scissors for the final trims: https://amzn.to/4dLJS18 felt leaves and flowers: https://www.etsy.com/strfrnt/kelliehartwell/share?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.etsy.com%2Flisting%2F1044704719%2Ffelt-succulents-flowers-blush-luxe-gold&listing_page_id=1044704719

Cardboard Cutter: https://amzn.to/3RhVMXS

Gingerbread Dreams

White Bichon Frise dog sitting inside finished cardboard gingerbread dog house with felt holly decoration and candy canes, cozy faux fur interior lining visible

When the holidays came around, and we were decorating the house for Christmas, it just felt obvious that Buttercup's house should match. This is the version Vi and I made together. I prepped all the cutting and painting, we made the decorations together out of air-dry clay, and she came in for the fun parts -pressing the felt leaves, gluing the pom poms, positioning the candy canes.

The gingerbread house is all about paint and precision. Brown paint over the entire exterior. White roof paint, applied thickly so it looks like snow or royal icing. Scalloped edges cut into the roof before painting for that bakery window look. A diamond window on the side is painted with white grid lines. Candy canes are hot-glued flanking the door. Felt holly leaves and red pom berry clusters glued at the peak.

It looks like something from a holiday display. It is made of a U-Haul box.

What you'll need:

1. brown and white acrylic paint https://www.etsy.com/strfrnt/kelliehartwell/share?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.etsy.com%2Flisting%2F1193682226%2Fthick-cotton-brush-tassel-fringe-trim&listing_page_id=1193682226

2. candy canes (real or DIY AirDry Clay) https://amzn.to/4tD1IIw (white, to paint)

3. green felt for holly leaves (or air dry clay leaves) https://amzn.to/4ubD4zD (assorted but in small packs, yeah! Mulitple uses!) OR if you prefer felt: https://www.etsy.com/strfrnt/kelliehartwell/share?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.etsy.com%2Flisting%2F1044704719%2Ffelt-succulents-flowers-blush-luxe-gold&listing_page_id=1044704719 

4. red and pink wool pom poms (or air dry clay poms) https://www.etsy.com/strfrnt/kelliehartwell/share?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.etsy.com%2Flisting%2F734272360%2F3cm-wool-felt-balls-diy-craft-pom-poms&listing_page_id=734272360

5. hot glue + hot glue gun: https://amzn.to/4wpykbc

   
   

The Part About Durability

People are always surprised when I tell them these houses have lasted seven years. Cardboard gets a bad reputation as a temporary material, but a hot-glued, painted, and covered cardboard structure is remarkably sturdy when it's kept indoors and out of moisture. The felt covering adds a layer of protection. The paint seals the surface. And dogs, it turns out, are not particularly hard on their houses as long as the interior is cozy.

The only maintenance we've ever done is regluing the occasional felt square that started to lift at a corner. That's it. Seven years, three styles, one very contented Bichon.

A Note on Using Found Materials

The entire philosophy of this project is to use what you already have. Every material I used was a leftover from something else — the felt from a previous craft, the trim from an old project, the pom poms bought for one thing and repurposed for another. The point is not to go shopping. The point is to look at what's already in your house and let that tell you which style to make.

Old wallpaper as an interior lining for walls. Magazine pages as a collage exterior. Fabric scraps instead of felt. Yarn fringe instead of tassel trim. The structure is the same every time. The rest is just what you have.

What You'll Need (Shopping List for Those Starting from Scratch)

If you don't have any of these materials on hand and want to start fresh, here's everything linked for easy ordering:

• Hot glue gun  https://amzn.to/4wpykbc

• Large bag of hot glue sticks https://amzn.to/4uMcYmK

• Assorted felt squares https://amzn.to/4ubD4zD 

• Mixed felt pom poms https://www.etsy.com/strfrnt/kelliehartwell/share?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.etsy.com%2Flisting%2F734272360%2F3cm-wool-felt-balls-diy-craft-pom-poms&listing_page_id=734272360

• Tassel fringe trim https://www.etsy.com/strfrnt/kelliehartwell/share?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.etsy.com%2Flisting%2F4464288604%2F2-yards-ivory-cotton-tassel-trim-fringe&listing_page_id=4464288604

• Jute ribbon Acrylic https://amzn.to/43eKNkA

• craft paint set https://amzn.to/4doIyzW

• Box cutter https://amzn.to/4uWYyAs

• Yardstick https://amzn.to/4wFmHNI

• Faux fur "sheepskin"https://amzn.to/49MTtlR

• Fairy lights https://amzn.to/495TEso

  
  

Have you made something for your pets out of found materials? I would genuinely love to see it — drop a photo in the comments or tag us on Instagram at @craftandbondco. And if you make one of these three styles, let me know which one your dog picked.