[Aerynne]

Wow- that would be really, really hard! It would simultaneously thrill me and drive me crazy (probably more crazy than thrill)! How many box projects would you say she has currently, and how big are they?

I guess first of all the "what is the point of making it if I'm just going to get rid of it" could be the starting point for a conversation. "Well, dd, what IS the point of making things? Nothing lasts forever, so why do we make things?" (insert talk about the beauty of making things and how making things changes US for the better)

But even given that I wouldn't expect her to throw things away happily. Still, when commenting on her projects and complimenting her, I'd focus on process more than product. "It looked like you were having so much fun making that!" "How did you come up with the design?" "I loved how hard you were concentrating when you were making that" Those comments might fall flat without "What a lovely ___" also- comments about the product- but I'd be sure to throw in compliments about the process. Additionally, when you make something (even if you're not crafty, I'd apply this anywhere from gardening to cooking to fixing something that is broken)I'd comment on how much you enjoyed the process (if you can honestly say that you did) and otherwise in general focus on process over product in as many things as you can (art you see, books you read- "I wonder how he came up with the metaphor of ___", music you listen to, etc)

You said she doesn't sleep in her bedroom. What is in there? I would say this is a child who needs a finite space but who needs a BIG finite space for her stuff. Can you fill her walls with Ikea Kallax shelves but when they are full, they are full. Although I would be tempted to, I wouldn't differentiate her homemade toys from purchased toys in any way if possible, in how or where they are stored, etc, since she actually plays with them.

Another possibility is the idea of getting her more durable materials to work with, like wood and fabric, and having her make things to sell. If she's got that talent and is ready for that next step then that would be GREAT. If she's not ready for that step yet, then she will be some day. Whenever she does get to that point, you might have a whole lot of projects just from her replacing her cardboard stuff with wood.

You might also buy her some other, more durable materials for making smaller projects. Does she have a dollhouse? She could make all the furniture but then it would be small.

You could also limit her to making one 3-d project per week. That way she would have the whole week to dream it up and think about it.

When she does select something to get rid of, I would take a picture of it and put it in an album for her.