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How to make a cardboard chimney for a pitched roof

Fold one cardboard blank into an open-top chimney with angled feet that sit flat on a miniature roof.

Open free Studio Open A4 templatePrepare materials and tools ↓
Open-top cardboard chimney with sloping feet for a miniature house roof

Prepare your materials and tools

A4 templates Cut 1 piece from 2 mm single-wall corrugated board.

  • Reused boxLook for clean, dry 2 mm single-wall corrugated board.

    See usable box types

    Look for 2 mm single-wall corrugated board. Lay the full-size template on a flat panel before cutting.

    • Amazon or delivery boxUse a flat side away from tape, old folds, and crushed corners.
    • Grocery shipping boxChoose a clean, dry panel with one wavy layer and no ventilation holes in the cut area.
    • Clean pizza boxCheck the lid for one wavy layer and matching thickness. Use an area free of grease and moisture.
    • Small moving boxLook at the edge first. Use it only if it has one wavy layer and matches the kit thickness.
  • Craft knife & matUse a mat under the board while cutting.
  • Pencil, ruler & scorerUse a blunt scorer for folds and calipers to check board thickness.
  • A4 templatesPrint at 100% and check the 100 mm ruler before tracing.
  • White PVA glueUse a thin coat and test the bond on an offcut.

Try the corner fold on a scrap of the same board. Use a blunt scorer and keep all six creases on the connected blank.

A chimney on a pitched roof needs a sloped base to stand upright. This pattern puts the four walls, seam flap, and both roof feet on one connected blank. The angled feet fold inward so they can sit on the roof surface.

Cut, fold, and glue the chimney

  1. Trace the wrap. Choose a clean, flat area of a delivery box with one wavy layer and a measured thickness of 2 mm. Print the A4 template at 100% actual size, check the 100 mm ruler, and trace CH.
  2. Cut and score. Cut the solid outline. Use a blunt scorer to crease the three corners, the seam flap, and both angled feet. Test the pressure on an offcut so the board folds without tearing.
  3. Dry-fold the walls. Fold each corner to 90°. Tuck the narrow seam flap behind the first wall. Check that the rim stays open and the corners look square.
  4. Glue the seam. Open the wrap just enough to brush a thin coat of white PVA onto the seam flap. Studio shows the contact face in blue. Press the flap to the inside of the first wall and hold it until it grips.
  5. Fold the feet inward. Both undersides should rest on the same plane. Let the seam set, then dry-fit the chimney and check that it stands upright with both feet flat.

Use a scrap roof panel at the same pitch to practice the fit. If either foot lifts, check the fold and the roof angle before adding glue.

Fit the part to a cardboard house

Reserve a clear 39.14 × 21 mm patch on the roof surface. This chimney seats on a 9:8 rise-to-run pitch (48.37°).

Keep the roof panel intact. Apply PVA to the underside of both feet when the host guide calls for installation.

See the full connection spec · Read the cardboard house guide