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How to Build Toy Planes

A toy plane, built from a cardboard box, will allow a young child to take an adventure in creativity. The box, large enough for the child to wear around the waist while standing, is transformed with simple supplies into a propeller plane that will take a youngster on many exciting flights of imagination. Most of the supplies for this toy plane can be found around the house, and building the plane could be a perfect rainy-day activity.

Things You'll Need

Medium sized cardboard box
Masking tape
2 sheets poster board, 28-inch by 24-inch
Pencil
Scissors
Metal paper fastener
Poster paint
Paintbrush
Ribbon
Stapler

Instructions

- 1
  Reinforce all seams and bent edges on the cardboard box with masking tape for added strength.
- 2
  Cut off the top of the cardboard box with scissors.
- 3
  Cut two propellers from the poster board measuring 12 inches by 5 inches, with the corners rounded.
- 4
  Cut two front airplane wings from the poster board to measure 28 inches by 12 inches
  
  Cut two back wings from the poster board to measure 18 inches by 12 inches.
- 5
  Attach the two front wings to the front sides of the box with masking tape. Tape both the back and the front of the wings to the box so the wings extend at a 45 degree angle from the box sides with the flat sides of the wings parallel to the box top.
- 6
  Tape the two back wings to the back sides of the box by the same method.
- 7
  Paint the entire airplane with the poster paint color of choice. Let the paint dry thoroughly.
- 8
  Attach the propellers to the front of the airplane with a metal paper fastener after poking small holes in the cardboard airplane front and the center of the propellers with the end of the scissors.
- 9
  Staple long pieces of ribbon to the sides of the airplane near the top edges to fit over the child's shoulders as "suspenders" that will hold the airplane in place while the child is standing.

Construction Toys