Turn everyday items from around your house into a fun DIY movie camera prop – complete with moving parts! Perfect for firing up your little ones’ imagination and love for dramatic play with a little recycled crafting.
I don’t know when you’ll be reading this, but as I write, we’re in the last weeks of meteorological winter. It’s pretty drab outside, and the standard indoor play options are looking fairly blah as well by this point. So it’s time to dig into the big (big!) bin of boxes and containers and random bibs and bobs to see what we can make.
We’ve organized our collection by theme, so you can use the links below to jump straight to a specific topic of interest in this article…
And out of the pile…a bit of recycled craft inspiration for young movie-makers. A little something to light up those imaginations like a marquee sign at a movie premiere…
For the future Nancy Meyers, Guillermo del Toro, Wes Anderson, Greta Gerwig, or [fill in your own favorite here], this vintage-style movie camera project is your ticket to hours of imaginative play and storytelling (and maybe even the beginning of a lifetime love for the magic of movies).
Watch the quick process video to see how we put our movie camera together
It’s also fun for fans of yelling old-timey movie commands at friends! This cardboard camera play prop gives future directors a chance to learn the lexicon and scream out a few classic director favorites as they man the camera – phrases like:
- “Quiet on the set!”
- “Places!”
- “CUT!”
- “…aaaand, roooo-llling!”
- “…aaaand, ACTION!”
- “…aaaand, SCENE!”
The best part? It features a hand crank that actually turns, making it feel just like the real deal! An interactive feature that gives it that *perfect touch* of authenticity.
To make your own cardboard movie camera prop you’ll need:
BASIC SUPPLIES:
- A shoebox
- Cardboard tubes, rings, spools, and circular cardboard cutouts
- A Nut and bolt
- Paints and a foam brush
- A Recycled water bottle
- Black paper plates and white construction paper
- Scissors (I like using this kind with cardboard)
- A Hot glue gun
OPTIONAL SUPPLIES:
- Miscellaneous recycled items like caps from bottles for the buttons, small boxes or lids for additional details, and any other small recyclable treasures that can dress up our camera.
- Decorative craft items like foil stars, stickers, stick-on letters, or other items kids can use to decorate their cameras
More than recreating *our* version of a movie camera, this project is all about using what you already have at home and making it your own. So, if you don’t have exactly everything listed, get creative with your substitutes! The most important part is to have fun and let your imagination direct this craft!
How to Make a DIY Movie Camera Play Prop
Gather recycled supplies.
I have a huge bin filled with cleaned recyclables I love digging into for projects like this. You can look for the items we used, or create something entirely your own – there are SO many ways to make a movie camera.
And FYI: This gives your little helpers a great excuse to go on a craft supply treasure hunt around the house for the perfect movie-making materials.
Prepare the shoebox camera body.
Decide where you’d like your hand crank to go.
I traced around the large cardboard circle that will become the rotating piece of our hand crank, then painted the parts of the shoebox that will show to cover up the writing and branding on our shoebox.
Once the paint is dry, your shoebox is now the body of your movie camera, ready for its features to be added.
Paint the pieces (optional).
Cover up writing on your recycled parts and pieces with a coat of paint.
Add a camera handle.
Cut a small hole in the bottom of your shoebox camera base. This hole should be big enough to fit a longer cardboard tube snugly.
This will be the handle you use to hold your camera upright.
Build the hand crank.
Stack the cardboard circle hand-crank base on your shoebox.
Using the sharp end of scissors, make a hole in the center of the cardboard circle, going all the way through the shoebox below it.
Once you’ve secured the hand-crank base, use a glue gun or tape to seal the shoebox shut.
Add the hand-crank knob.
Hot glue a cardboard spool to your rotating cardboard hand-crank base. Now you have a handle to hold so you can actually turn the hand-crank to “record” and film your movie.
Gently turn the crank handle to ensure it moves smoothly. If it’s a bit stiff, you can adjust the tightness of the nut and bolt.
Add the camera lens and other details.
Take the trimmed half of your recycled water bottle and find the perfect spot on the front of your shoebox camera to mount it. This will act as your camera’s lens.
Glue the bottle half securely in place, making sure it’s centered and firmly attached. If you want to get extra creative, you can paint around the lens to give it a more integrated look with the rest of the camera.
I also glued a few white construction paper circles onto black paper plates to create our two film rolls on the top of the camera.
Decorate and personalize!
Now, let’s find some recycled items that can mimic the various buttons, dials, and display screens found on a real movie camera…
For instance: bottle caps can turn into lens adjustment dials, small boxes can be used for display screens, and lids easily become control buttons. Arrange them on your camera body before gluing them to plan out the best placement.
It’s also time for any extra decorations. A strip of washi tape here, a stripe of paint there – whatever makes your kid’s heart sing.
Stickers are a particularly easy way to add decorative touches too, making the camera feel more special and personalized without any extra cutting and pasting.
You can add finer details to the camera with markers or crayons. Additions like a hand drawn display screen, adding labels to the buttons, or even designing a brand logo for their imaginary camera brand helps bring it to life.
Bonus: Add a real camera!
As a bonus, you can tape a smartphone or small video camera to the front using packing tape or velcro. Hit record before playtime begins, then watch your kiddos at work afterward – this kind of filming always captures some spontaneous gems.
And we’re ready to film that next blockbuster hit, kiddo! With the camera complete, it’s time for play, and as always, I have LOTS of ideas for you…
Using Your Movie Camera for Creative Dramatic Play
Using additional props along with the DIY camera is a great way to help develop storytelling skills, understand various roles and professions, and organize and express thoughts. These props can be as simple as random items found around the house, allowing for endless creativity and fun.
- Make a Movie: Encourage your kids to plan and “film” their own movie. They can write a script, create characters, and even direct family members or friends in their roles (what dreams are made of!).
- Additional Props: A director’s chair, cardboard clapperboard, costumes, script book, kids’ movie-making prompts, scene props, backdrops, a toy microphone, and pretend movie tickets with popcorn.
- News Reporter Adventure: Turn the living room into a news studio, featuring your kid as the star reporter. They can “report” on household or neighborhood events, cover imagined news stories, interview family members, or report on important events like a toy car race, the antics of a family pet, or a trip to the library.
- Additional Props: Microphone (real or pretend), notepad for jotting down news stories, and a small desk or podium.
- Travel Show Host: With the camera in hand, your kids can host their own travel show, exploring different rooms of the house or parts of the neighborhood as if they were far-off places.
- Additional Props: A world map or globe, travel bag with essentials, pretend passport, travel brochures, cultural artifacts, themed outfits, souvenirs, and a travel journal
- Pet Adventure Movie: Invite kids to create a movie starring their favorite stuffed animals or pets. They can narrate the adventure as they move the camera around.
- Additional Props: Stuffed animals and cardboard, old sheets, or rolls of paper to create simple backdrops or settings.
- Cooking Show: Turn the kitchen into a set for a cooking show, with your little one as the chef and host. They can pretend to film each step of making a real or imaginary dish.
- Additional Props: Plastic bowls and utensils, toy food, and a chef’s hat or apron.
- Music Video Production: Let your child direct and film a music video featuring their favorite songs. Siblings or friends can dance or play along with toy instruments.
- Additional Props: Toy instruments, dress-up clothes for costumes, and a “stage” area marked with tape on the floor.
- Superhero Movie Making: With capes and costumes, your kids can film a superhero adventure, “capturing” heroic deeds around the house or yard.
- Additional Props: Capes, masks, toy buildings or blocks for setting up scenes, and action figures for additional characters.
Each of these ideas encourages your kiddo to try a bit of role-play, learn new skills, and have a lot of fun expressing themselves creatively.
GETTING READY TO TRY this?
I love seeing all the ways people make these ideas their own! If you're sharing the results of one of our projects, mention or tag me with @barleyandbirch, or share it in the comments of one of our Pinterest project pins.
