This post is sponsored by Plaid Enterprises.

Say cheese!! Turn humble macaroni boxes into these colorful toy cameras with just a little bit of paint! Giving recyclables a new life has never been easier – grab some empty boxes and jar lids, and your favorite shades of Folk Art Acrylic Paint.

All the little aspiring photographers in your life will love both crafting and playing with these upcycled cameras. We left one side of the box open for storing “photos” but small trinkets and mementos from your summer adventures would also fit inside perfectly! You could even hot glue a piece of wide ribbon onto each side to make a quick strap. Keep reading to see all our trips and tricks below!

• Folk Art Acrylic Paint
• Paintbrushes
• Empty macaroni boxes (or similar)
• Scrap cardboard
• Scissors
• Hot glue gun
• Assorted wooden beads
• Assorted lids

Step 1
Unfold your macaroni box and paint the plain inside whatever color you like. Let dry.

Note: You can use almost any empty cardboard box here, but macaroni boxes are a great size. The mini cameras in the photos were made from boxes holding bars of soap.

Step 2
Add some fun details onto the box! We did simple stripes on this camera, and polka dots, flowers, and wiggly lines on the others. Let dry.

Step 3
Use the hot glue gun to reassemble the box. If you want to use the box as storage for your “photos” make sure to leave one side open.

Step 4
Pick out the lens you want on the camera and give it a coat of paint in a contrasting color.

Step 5
Once the lens is dry, glue it onto the front of the camera. Glue other lids and/or wooden beads onto the camera to look like buttons, dials, and other details. The round flash-looking bit on the side of this camera is actually the base of a plastic wine glass (if you made these dolls, you’ll likely have some of these leftover!)

Step 6
Paint some photos! Cut the scrap cardboard into small rectangles, making sure that they fit into the macaroni box. You can even paint a white edge for a polaroid-inspired look! Put the photos into the side of the camera and you’re ready to get snapping!

Happy crafting!!