WALL-E Costume From Recycled Cardboard (The Day We Misunderstood "Wally")

This is the story of how my 7-year-old son, Dani, and I misunderstood the school's Carnaval theme and built a recycled cardboard WALL-E robot costume... only to find out everyone was dressed as Wally (Waldo)! A teacher's amazing kindness saved the day and turned a potential meltdown into the proudest moment of the parade. This project was made almost entirely from recycled materials at the Made Makerspace in Barcelona.

1. Cardboard
2. Hot Glue
3. Paint
4. Foam
5. Plastic bottles
6. 3d printer for Wall-e Name (not nesesary)

Carnaval in Barcelona is a huge event, but our year was defined by a single letter. It all started when Dani, who was 7, fell in love with the Pixar movie WALL-E. When he came home saying the school theme was "Wally," we heard "WALL-E" and went into full maker mode! We had two weeks to create a unique costume. We had a strict rule: repurpose and recycle—cardboard was the main material. Our friend, the architect Toni, warned us that a robot costume was too complex for a whole school, but we were too excited to listen. We had the support of our entire Made Makerspace community, and a huge thank you goes to Anam (@familyof4cosplay), the cosplay master, who taught us how to achieve the authentic, weathered, rusty look.

We started with a large cardboard box that would serve as the main body. This step was crucial for Dani's comfort, ensuring he had enough room to move and breathe. He helped cut the large opening for his head and the side holes for his arms. We reinforced the structure with extra cardboard strips and, of course, a lot of hot glue!

The tracks are what make WALL-E iconic. We built the wheel frames out of layered cardboard and attached the large side panels. For the gears and hubs, we recycled the back ends of plastic bottles and other round pieces. The treads themselves were made from cardboard strips , a some type of foam we cuted and glued to look like individual track segments. This detail took time but was worth it for the rugged robot aesthetic.

Achieving WALL-E's dirty, used appearance was the most fun part. After assembling the main components, we primed and painted the entire body a bright yellow. Then, following Anam's advice, we applied black, brown, and bronze weathering layers—scuffing and sponging the paint to simulate rust, wear, and tear. This technique instantly elevated the cardboard box into a genuine-looking robot shell.

The head is the most complex and recognizable part, and we focused on both accuracy and comfort. We shaped large cylindrical cardboard pieces for the binoculars. For the eyes, we used glossy plastic cutouts. To make the head wearable for Dani, we put soft foam inside for padding and secured it with an inner cardboard band, as you can see in the photo, ensuring it stayed in place comfortably.

Our secret touch for realism: the metallic-looking rivets around the eyes and body were just tiny drops of hot glue! Once painted with a bronze or silver metallic color, they look incredibly realistic.

We also cut a separate piece of cardboard, painted with black and yellow caution strips, to represent WALL-E's arms/shovels. These were intentionally separated from the main body and secured to Dani's arms using double rubber bands so they would stay in their place. This movable piece adds a lot of charm and dynamism to the whole costume, as you can see in the pictures.

The day finally arrived. Dani wore his amazing costume, and everyone on the street shouted "Hi WALL-E!" (The attention was great for his confidence!) When we arrived at school, we saw the problem: The security person was dressed in a striped shirt, and the poster confirmed it was a Wally (Waldo) theme. I panicked and ran to find a striped shirt, while Dani started to feel embarrassed, seeing a sea of red and white arrive. Then came the hero: Dani's teacher, Noemi (who is also a school psychologist). She rushed over, declared herself a huge WALL-E fan, and told Dani that his costume was the best she had ever seen. She gave him the highest honor: he would lead the class parade! Her wonderful, empathetic act changed his mood instantly. Dani proudly declared he wanted to wear his WALL-E costume, not the Wally shirt. Thank you, Noemi, for saving the day! This costume was truly a labor of love that gave us a story we'll never forget.