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20 DIY Carnival Booth Ideas (Plus Easy Ready-Made Booths to Buy)

by: Chica
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20 DIY Carnival Booth Ideas (Plus Easy Ready-Made Booths to Buy)
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One of the fastest ways to make a school carnival, church festival, or backyard party feel like the real thing is with colorful carnival booths. Whether you're hosting classic carnival games, serving snacks, or selling tickets, a themed booth instantly transforms an ordinary table into an eye-catching attraction.

In this roundup, we've gathered some of the best DIY carnival booth ideas from around the web.

Whether you want to build a carnival booth from scratch or simply buy one that's ready to set up, this collection includes both DIY tutorials and ready-made options to help you create a fun, professional-looking carnival.

What can you use to make a DIY carnival booth?

You don't need expensive equipment to build a great-looking carnival booth. Many of the best designs are made from simple materials like:

  • Cardboard boxes
  • PVC pipe
  • Lumber
  • Pop-up canopies
  • Folding tables
  • Foam board
  • Fabric and tablecloths
  • Corrugated plastic signs
  • Painted plywood

Some can be build in under an hour, while others are sturdy enough to reuse for several years at large annual events like school or church carnivals.

Before you review all the carnival booth options, consider the type of material you want to build the base of your booth with. This can greatly affect the cost, look, and durability of your booth.

Booth Material Cost Looks Durability Best For
Cardboard $ ★★☆☆☆ One event Backyard
Fabric / Plastic $$ ★★★☆☆ Several Events Backyard
PVC $$ ★★★★☆ Years School
Lumber $$$ ★★★★★ Many years Church

Choosing the best DIY carnival booth to make

Selecting the right DIY carnival booth to make for your event can depend on factors such as cost, time and effort, visual impact, and reusability.

Questions to ask when making a DIY carnival booth

  • Which DIY carnival booths are easy to build?
  • What material is this DIY carnival booth made of?
  • Is this DIY carnival booth affordable for my budget?
  • How long will it take to build this carnival booth?
  • Does this DIY carnival booth look professional?
  • Will this work for my school, church, or backyard party?
  • Is this carnival booth reusable?

To help you choose the best DIY carnival booth for your needs, I've ready through them all and graded each one on the following:

  • Build Difficulty: Easy / Moderate / Advance
  • Materials: Cardboard / Wood / PVC / Fabric / Metal
  • Cost to Build: $ / $$ / $$$
  • Build Time: Under 30 min / 30-90 min / 2+ hours
  • Visual Impact: Low / Medium / High
  • Best for: School or Church Fundraiser / Backyard Party / All Events
  • Reusability: One Event / Several Events / Built to Last

DIY Wooden Carnival Booths

If you've got the budget and time to build them, wooden booths will provide the most professional look to your DIY carnival. They're typically sturdy enough to re-use for multiple events, making them excellent candidates for school carnivals or church festivals. And if you choose your plans carefully, you can find folding booths that will make storage even easier.

1 Upcycled Pallet Carnival Stall

→ View at BackyardDIY.com

This carnival stall made from an upcycled pallet from Backyard DIY is as quick to assemble as it is effective, with the pallet doing most of the hard work. Just add side rails to support the canopy on top and some braces to make it stand upright. Then paint to suit your theme!

At a Glance:
Build Difficulty: Easy
Materials: Wood
Cost to Build: $
Build Time: 30-90 min
Visual Impact: Medium
Best for: All Events
Reusability: Several Events

2 Fabric-Wrapped Pallet Booth

→ View at BackyardDIY.com

This full-box pallet booth frame from Backyard DIY is an upcycling gem with a solid and sturdy box made from pallet wood and a few 2x4s. Wrapping the main elements with striped fabric makes it next level.

At a Glance:
Build Difficulty: Moderate
Materials: Wood and Fabric
Cost to Build: $#
Build Time: 2+ hours
Visual Impact: High
Best for: All Events
Reusability: Built to Last

3 Foldable Event Stand

→ View on YouTube

This clever folding event stand from Calvinist Cadet Corps can be made with minimal lumber and still look professional. And it's foldable design makes it easy to store again for next year.

At a Glance:
Build Difficulty: Moderate
Materials: Wood
Cost to Build: $$
Build Time: 30-90 min
Visual Impact: Medium
Best for: All Events
Reusability: Several Events

DIY Cardboard Carnival Booths

When budget is of utmost importance, choosing cardboard booths for your event can be the best option, especially if this is a one-time carnival. These budget versions work best for backyard carnivals and carnival-themed birthday parties. Once you have the cardboard base, you can decorate with paint or printable booth facades to make them really pop.

4 Decorated Cardboard Voting Booths

→ View right here on our blog!

Our very own carnival booths made from cardboard voting booths were the hit of the carnival-themed party Jo had for her daughter. She started with simple fold-up cardboard voting booths and decorated them with wrapping paper and bulletin board border trim.

At a Glance:
Build Difficulty: Easy
Materials: Cardboard
Cost to Build: $$
Build Time: 30-90 min
Visual Impact: High
Best for: Backyard Party
Reusability: Several Events

5 Painted Refrigerator Box Ticket Booth

→ View at Buckets of Grace

This painted refrigerator box ticket booth from Buckets of Grace is a great example of creative reuse! Decoration was easy with red spray paint and white duct tape, but you could also use giftwrap if you want bolder patterns. The giant box easily has room for a ticket vendor to stand inside, or you can cut the window larger and use it for a game booth.

At a Glance:
Build Difficulty: Easy
Materials: Cardboard
Cost to Build: $
Build Time: 30-90 min
Visual Impact: High
Best for: Backyard Party
Reusability: One Event

6 Printable Carnival Booth Backdrop

→ View on Etsy

This printable carnival booth backdrop from MaisonDArtistry is a quick and easy way to make booth fronts. Get the SVG images printed at whatever large scale you need, and attach them to cardboard for sturdiness. Use them flat on the wall or attach to boxes to create makeshift booths for games.

At a Glance:
Build Difficulty: Easy
Materials: Cardboard
Cost to Build: $
Build Time: Under 30 min
Visual Impact: Low
Best for: Backyard Party
Reusability: Several Events

7 Cardboard Box Ticket Booth

→ View at SheKnows.com

This cardboard ticket booth from SheKnows is made from simple supplies like a cardboard box and wrapping paper tubes. Decorated with colorful paper and a sign, it's a great booth that can be adapted to different sizes and uses.

At a Glance:
Build Difficulty: Easy
Materials: Cardboard
Cost to Build: $
Build Time: Under 30 min
Visual Impact: Low
Best for: Backyard Party
Reusability: One Event

8 Cardboard Box Game Booth

→ View at YourHomeBasedMom.com

This budget-friendly cardboard box game booth from Leigh Anne Wilkes is so easy anyone can do it. Just cut the front and top off a box, angle the corners, and paint it a fun color. Add duct tape on the edges for an accent (and to clean up those cut edges) and put it on a table. Done!

At a Glance:
Build Difficulty: Easy
Materials: Cardboard
Cost to Build: $
Build Time: Under 30 min
Visual Impact: Low
Best for: Backyard Party
Reusability: One Event

DIY Carnival Booths from PVC Pipes

Using PVC pipes to building your DIY carnival booth's frame is a great option when storage is the most important feature to you. The pipe fittings make re-assembly easy, and when you take it down at the end of the event, the pipes take up little storage room. Adding fabric curtains and panels brings these simple frames to life with color.

9 PVC Tabletop Canopy

→ View on YouTube

This PVC tabletop canopy from Event Answer is brilliant in its simplicity and overall impact. Designed to fit perfectly on a standard 6' table, it can easily be customized with different colors and collapses down for easy storage and transport.

At a Glance:
Build Difficulty: Moderate
Materials: PVC and Fabric
Cost to Build: $$
Build Time: 30-90 min
Visual Impact: Medium
Best for: All Events
Reusability: Several Events

10 PVC Expandable Booth Frame

→ View on Etsy

These PVC booth frame plans from WoodlarkDesigns are super simple in structure but also very effective visually. The design allows for easy expansion to have multiple booths, and the fabric panels add the color to suit the occasion.

At a Glance:
Build Difficulty: Easy
Materials: PVC
Cost to Build: $$
Build Time: 30-90 mins
Visual Impact: Medium
Best for: All Events
Reusability: Several Events

11 PVC Pipe Fishing Booth Frame

→ View at AHeartFullOfJoy.com

This versatile PVC booth frame from A Heart Full of Joy is perfectly suited for a fishing game booth, and easily hides your secret fisherman from view. The same frame could be switched around and used as a front-facing booth as well.

At a Glance:
Build Difficulty: Moderate
Materials: PVC and Fabric
Cost to Build: $$
Build Time: 30-90 min
Visual Impact: Medium
Best for: All Events
Reusability: Several Events

Decorating Existing Tables into Carnival Booths

Sometimes all you need to create the look of a carnival booth is to decorate a table with some colorful fabric. This can be a very low-budget way to bring a fun carnival atmosphere to your backyard carnival without having to invest in professional-looking versions.

12 Tabletop Striped Booth Backdrops

→ View on YouTube

This simple carnival party setup from Marissa Explains It All features the easiest booth backdrops ever — just attach striped wrapping paper to white presentation boards. Add signs and put on tables and you're there!

At a Glance:
Build Difficulty: Easy
Materials: Cardboard
Cost to Build: $
Build Time: Under 30 min
Visual Impact: Low
Best for: Backyard Party
Reusability: One Event

13 Card Table with a Skirt

→ View at YourHomeBasedMom.com

This card table wrapped with a skirt from Leigh Anne Wilkes maximizes bang for the buck. An inexpensive striped table skirt around a card table and you're all set for displaying your carnival games. (If your table isn't red already, just cover it with a red plastic tablecloth.)

At a Glance:
Build Difficulty: Easy
Materials: Plastic
Cost to Build: $
Build Time: Under 30 min
Visual Impact: Low
Best for: Backyard Party
Reusability: One Event

Ready-Made Carnival Booth Kits

When lack of time or creativity are the most important factors affecting your choice of DIY carnival booth style, ready-made kits are the perfect solution. Order online and before you know it you've got a ready-to-assemble booth that you can set up on the event day.

14 Portable Table Frame with Canopy

→ View on Amazon

This portable, foldable table frame with canopy has a metal frame that's easy to set up and break down. It comes with the curtain and canopy, and all fits into a dedicated storage bag.

At a Glance:
Build Difficulty: Easy
Materials: Metal and Fabric
Cost to Build: $$
Build Time: Under 30 min
Visual Impact: Medium
Best for: All Events
Reusability: Built to Last

15 Red and White Striped Table Skirt

→ View on Amazon

This red and white striped table skirt is the easiest and fastest way to transform your ordinary table into a carnival stall. Just put your game on top and you're ready to go!

At a Glance:
Build Difficulty: Easy
Materials: Plastic
Cost to Build: $
Build Time: Under 30 min
Visual Impact: Low
Best for: Backyard Party
Reusability: One Event

16 Pop-Up Canopy Tent

→ View on Amazon

This pop-up canopy tent has an open front, allowing the guests to walk right up to the game(s) inside, and the top offers some much-needed shade. The steel poles and polyester panels provide a bold look, and it sets up quickly with no tools required.

At a Glance:
Build Difficulty: Easy
Materials: Metal and Fabric
Cost to Build: $$$
Build Time: Under 30 min
Visual Impact: High
Best for: Church or School Fundraiser
Reusability: Built to Last

17 Enclosed Pop-Up Canopy Tent

→ View on Amazon

This large pop-up canopy tent has an enclosed front, which is helpful for keeping guests at a distance while participating in skill-based games. It can also serves as a great concession stand. And with easy setup and a sturdy frame, it is a great reusable piece that makes a big impact.

At a Glance:
Build Difficulty: Moderate
Materials: Metal and Fabric
Cost to Build: $$$
Build Time: Under 30 min
Visual Impact: High
Best for: Church or School Fundraiser
Reusability: Built to Last

18 Cardboard Ticket Booth

→ View on Amazon

This kid-sized cardboard ticket booth is fully decorated and ready to assemble, making it a quick and easy addition to a kid's carnival party.

At a Glance:
Build Difficulty: Easy
Materials: Cardboard
Cost to Build: $$
Build Time: Under 30 min
Visual Impact: High
Best for: Backyard Party
Reusability: One Event

19 Cardboard Voting Booth

→ View at ElectionSource.com

These cardboard voting booths are the perfect size and format for a carnival game booth, and are a blank canvas just waiting for your decorations!

At a Glance:
Build Difficulty: Easy
Materials: Cardboard
Cost to Build: $$
Build Time: Under 30 min
Visual Impact: Medium
Best for: Backyard Party
Reusability: One Event

20 Single-Stall Pop-Up Tent

→ View on Amazon

This smaller pop-up tent is the perfect size for holding exactly one game. Line a few up (maybe alternate between red and white canopies!) and you'll soon have a midway ready for guests. The back wall is a great opportunity for hanging a decorative backdrop for your game.

At a Glance:
Build Difficulty: Easy
Materials: Metal and fabric
Cost to Build: $$
Build Time: Under 30
Visual Impact: Medium
Best for: All Events
Reusability: Built to Last

More DIY Carnival Ideas

If you're looking for more DIY carnival ideas, check out these other posts here on our blog.

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20 DIY Carnival Booth Ideas (Plus Easy Ready-Made Booths to Buy)
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Chica and Jo

Hi there! We are Chica and Jo, best friends who love to create whenever we can. From fun DIY projects to elaborate parties to delicious recipes, you're sure to find ideas that will inspire you. Take a look around and follow us @chicaandjo to see what we're up to today.

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