How to Make a Cardboard Box Oven (During Camping)

Have you ever faced the situation when your camping buddy has a birthday and you guys don’t have a cake for that?

As hard as baking a cake sounds, it can only be done only in an oven. That is the trickiest part. Yes, a Dutch oven can become handy in situations like these. But it is heavy as the name implies.

What you can do is make a makeshift oven out of something you never wondered about. And that is our friendly old cardboard box.

A cardboard box not only helps us pack and transfer goods but also can act as a whole lot more. Just like a makeshift oven.

But how to make a cardboard box oven that won’t burn from the fire? We are going to show you the steps and instructions in this article.

How to Make a Cardboard Box Oven  

A cardboard box can come in handy during any camping. You can use them for storing stuff, they are great for insulating things and more importantly, can be turned into an oven. It might sound a bit exaggerating but we are going to tell you how you can turn your simple cardboard box into an oven. But you will need a few things along with the cardboard box.

The Things You Will Need to Build a Cardboard Box Oven

Here are the things you will need to turn your simple cardboard box into an oven.

• 2 medium-size cardboard boxes. ( both are the same size)
• Aluminum foil roll.
• Aluminum foil tape.
• Charcoal briquets. 
• Disposable aluminum pans.
• Camping tripod or 3/4 empty aluminum cans.

Cardboard Box Oven Assembly

You will have to follow some steps to turn your cardboard box into an oven. It doesn’t require much time or effort but the insulation is the key.

Step 1: Cut One Half of the Cardboard Box Cover

You will first take one of the cardboard boxes and cut the larger cover from its body. Don’t throw it away, but attach it to the other half. With aluminum tape, you can do it with ease. This will be your oven door. 

Step 2: Cut the Other Cardboard Box Into Five Pieces

Now we start with the fun part. Cut the secondary cardboard box into five pieces. They are going to be the walls of your oven creating the insulation. Which will keep the heat inside.

Step 3: Wrapping everything in shiny foil

When you are done cutting everything, it’s time to wrap them up in foil. Every corner and piece should be under the shine side out of the foil. And to make sure they are good enough, use the foil tape to sure them in place.

Do the same with the intact box and wrap it in foil and the foil tape. 

Step 4: Time to Assemble

When everything is wrapped up and secured, place the cut-up pieces inside the cardboard box and secure them with the foil tape. They will be the insulation to retain heat inside the oven. 

Step 5: Fire up Some Charcoal Briquets

Any charcoal will do but briquettes burn slower than normal charcoal. As you want them to burn slower and retain the heat for a long period, we suggest briquettes than normal homemade charcoal. 

Fire them up outside the box on the camping fire and when they are all white outside, they are ready to use.

Step 6: Put the Briquettes in the Oven

Using the disposable aluminum pans as the vessel for your briquettes, place them inside the cardboard box oven. You have your heating element inside. And now you can go crazy with the oven.

Step 7: Put Your Dish Inside the Oven to Cook

As everything is ready, put your dish into the oven to cook. You can use a cooking tripod or even aluminum cans as holders for your cooking pot. 

Remember to use a rock or something to hold the oven door close. A little bit of it might be exposed which is a great thing. Because you also need ventilation like any other oven.

Now you have your makeshift camping oven made out of cardboard boxes. You can use them for quite a long time if stored perfectly.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I make a cardboard box oven?

To make a cardboard box oven you will need two cardboard boxes of medium size. One of which you will need to cut into 5 identical pieces of the other cardboard box, so those will fit inside of it. Wrap everything in aluminum foil, and secure them with aluminum tapes. Do not leave any exposed cardboard box or it will catch on fire. Use briquettes as your heating element on a disposable aluminum tray and you will have a cardboard box oven. 

Can I make an oven from a cardboard box?

Yes. You can build or turn a cardboard box into an oven. Though you will need some aluminum foil, aluminum tape, briquettes, and some disposable aluminum trays for better measure. As cardboard boxes are flammable, you have to make them fireproof before you can use them. This is where the foil comes in handy.

How do I make a box with foil in the oven?

To make a box out of aluminum foil, you have to use a few layers of foil. As foils are thin and lightweight, they won’t be able to work as a box on one sheet. So a layer of sheet and then curve the edges and give them the box or bowl shape you want. And you will have your box made out of foil that can go in the oven.

Can I bake a cake in a cardboard box?

You cannot put a cardboard box inside an oven to bake, protect, or anything in between. Let alone baking a cake on a cardboard box. It will cause an oven fire that might end up engulfing the house itself. So stay away from baking a cake in a cardboard box. But if you want to bake a cake in an oven made out of cardboard boxes, then you can do it with ease. 

Conclusion

Cardboard boxes are essential elements in our life. You cannot go without it, and you cannot even let them clutter your house. So turn them into a cardboard box oven for your next camping trick. All the things it requires can be found in the home depo store or laying around your kitchen. But remember to secure them with aluminum tape otherwise a fire hazard is waiting to happen with any paper-made gadget.