How to Make a Cardboard Elephant

Prepare your cardboard. If you're using a box, carefully open it up and lay it flat. Wipe the cardboard to remove any dust or debris that could alter the look of the finished product.

Draw an elephant. Use a pencil and sketch out an elephant outline. Draw it on the back of the cardboard so that the pencil lines don't show when you cut out the elephant. A pencil also allows you to fix mistakes and fine-tune your elephant outline.

Paint the elephant. Using colors of your choice, paint the elephant. An authentic look requires gray for the body, white for the eyes and tusks and a dark gray or black for the toenails. Use a picture of an elephant for accuracy. Several coats of paint will make the elephant stand out, especially if you're using it for theater scenery. Allow the paint to dry between each coat and before cutting out the elephant.

Cut out the elephant. Using a box cutter, slowly cut along the outline of the elephant. Push to pop the elephant out if the knife doesn't cut completely through the cardboard. For thinner cardboard elephants, use kitchen scissors.

Create a stand for the elephant. If you want the cardboard elephant to stand on its own, cut out a triangular base from cardboard--similar to the stand that picture frames contain--and tape or glue it to the back. Test and make adjustments as necessary. An alternative is to use heavy cardboard tubes, which can be found at shipping stores, and tape or glue them firmly to the back of the elephant.