Ahoy there! Cardboard Dad recently celebrated his birthday marine style, surrounded by creative friends and handmade playthings. Looks like he was in his element to me!

I’m sure many of you will have already admired the work of my online friend Evgeny Kudryavtsev, aka “Cardboard Dad”. I came across his handmade toys and games a couple of years ago and was really impressed by his simple, graphic designs. Understandably very popular in Russia, Evgeny has embraced social media with great enthusiasm, allowing him to gain international recognition as a blogger.

I’m following Evgeny across the internet and loving the new direction his work is taking. After giving up his 9-to-5 job as an architect, Cardboard Dad is thinking big, devoting all his time to cardboard creativity, and suddenly everything is on a different scale. I love it!

I hope you’ll be impressed as I am, and perhaps inspired to make something for and with your own children – DIY toys really are the best!

Of course Cardboard Dad’s little princess needs a dragon carriage!

Evgeny’s young daughter Irina is a very lucky girl! Her father loves creating cardboard playthings for her. Nothing seems too big or too difficult to make, as this recent dragon parade carriage and princess costume demonstrate. Awesome!

Cardboard Mouse City Designed by Cardboard Dad

This is so cute! As part of a recent commission for German publisher Fordevind, Evgeny crafted this mini mouse-sized cardboard city, beautifully decorated with bright colors and graphics, which I’m sure any child – or mouse – would love to play with. He hopes it will inspire his readers to create their own. Make sure you look at all those wonderful details and I bet you’ll be tempted!

Irina Rides Her Cardboard Rocker by Cardboard Dad

Rockers never go out of fashion! It has taken a while for Evgeny to perfect this new design (please see his facebook page for more information about availability). Like everything else, it was tried and tested by Evgeny’s daughter, certifying hours of fun for all.

Cardboard House Scene by Cardboard Dad

The beauty of DIY cardboard toys is that you can decorate them as you please!

Cardboard Dad With His New DIY Rocket Toy

Evgeny has just opened a small online shop selling his own designs. His first DIY kits are a cardboard house and rocket, both obviously customizable. I wish him every success with his latest endeavor. Whisper the word “cardboard” and you will see a twinkle in his eye – that’s real creative passion and one very talented daddy, don’t you think?