Who wants to have a boat race?  You can with this fun recycled juice box craft. These juice box sailboats will provide hours of fun and also teach a bit of science along the way.

Are you looking for more interactive crafts and fun activities you can do with your kids?  Check out these Amazing Indoor Crafts and Activities for Kids – parents will have fun with these as well.

Decorated Juice Box Sailboat

Juice Box Sailboat

My kids are always playing their own version of the game “Sink or Float”. We fill up a plastic bin with water in the backyard and they run around looking for things to test. For example buttons, postcards, leaves, rubber bands, small rocks, popsicle sticks, keys, bouncy balls, Pez dispensers, etc.

Did you know juice boxes float? Turns out they make excellent little boats. If you read Parents magazine, you may have already seen these boats in their August issue. I am proud to share them again here.

What makes this a great Craft?

Do you have lots of juice boxes? Well, this is the perfect way to give them a new life.

This craft is great for any age and is easy to make and have fun while making it. It is also budget-friendly as half of the items needed are recycled materials that would normally be thrown in the trash.

In addition, kids learn about the weights and balances needed to keep things afloat. When floating it down a stream or in a tub of water they will soon learn that they can keep it from tipping over by adding weight to it.  They can shift the weight around until they find the perfect spot to keep it from tipping over.

Materials needed to make Juice Box Sail Boats

This craft might take some pre-planning because you will need to start saving juice boxes.  I think you find small milk cartons might work also. Here’s what you need:

  • pair of scissors
  • empty juice box without the straw (recycled)
  • small wooden skewer
  • Tyvek envelope (recycled; use one sent to you in the mail)
  • colored tape (masking tape, Washi tape, or duct tape)

Juice Box Sailboat supplies: juice box, wooden skewer, Tyvex triangle for sail, colored tape

How to make a sailboat out of a Juice Box

To make your own juice box boat, follow these easy steps.

  1. Cover an empty juice box’s straw hole with tape.
  2. Cut a 4″ high by 3″ wide triangular sail from a Tyvek envelope (I used an old USPS Priority Mail envelope).
  3. Decorate the sail with colored tape and make a little flag. Have fun and add a monogram or number to mark the sail.
  4. Push a small wooden skewer through both sides of the box so that it sticks out underneath about an inch or so.
  5. Use tape to attach your sail to the skewer leaving about 1/3″ of space at the top.
  6. Above the sail attach the flag.

Four Juice Box Sailboats ready to sail

We’ve made several versions of these boats this summer. We take them down to the little creek that runs through the regional park nearby and see how far they can sail without tipping over. (If your boat seems especially tippy, cut a narrow slit in the top and slide in a few pennies.) Happy sailing!

This post was shared by Brooke Reynolds of Inchmark.  For more crafty inspiration visit Inchmark!

What other crafts can I make with recycled items?

Recycling materials help keep trash out of landfills and gives them a second purpose for fun or for function.  After you have made this boat craft be sure to try one of these crafts.

TIP: When my kids were little I filled one of my lower drawers with empty cereal boxes, containers, paper towel rolls, etc, and some tape.  At anytime my kids could open the draw and build amazing sculptures and have lots of fun.

Recycling and upscaling reusable items is a huge part of Earth Day. If you want your kids to learn more about Earth Day they might enjoy these coloring and activity sheets.

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Juice Box Sailboats

This is a fun interactive arts and craft project made from a recycled juice box and Tyvex envelope.  These sail boats will provide hours of fun.
Keyword Juice Box Crafts, juice box sailboat, Sail boats, Sailboat crafts
Prep Time 30 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 1 sailboat
Author Cindy Hopper

Equipment

  • Pair of Scissors

Ingredients

  • empty juice box without the straw recycled
  • small wooden skewer
  • Tyvex envelope recycled; use one sent to you in the mail
  • colored tape masking tape, Washi tape, or duct tape

Instructions

  • Cover an empty juice box's straw hole with tape.
  • Cut a 4" high by 3" wide triangular sail from a Tyvek envelope (I used an old USPS Priority Mail envelope).
  • Decorate the sail with colored tape and make a little flag. Have fun and add a monogram or number to mark the sail.
  • Push a small wooden skewer through both sides of the box so that it sticks out underneath about an inch or so.
  • Use tape to attach your sail to the skewer leaving about 1/3" of space at the top.
  • Above the sail attach the flag.

About Cindy Hopper

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Comments

  1. Diane, it is the flimsy mailing envelope that you can’t rip or tear. It is more plastic, not paper.

  2. Is there another name that the envelope goes by. Maybe it’s because I live in Canada, but I don’t believe I have ever heard of these envelopes. I would love to make these with the children in my After School Program!

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