Things You'll Need
Instructions
Open the ends of the cardboard boxes and cut the sides open. Lay the cardboard flat on your work surface. Measure and trace a 5 inch wide by 12 inch long rectangle for the tractor engine and base. Measure and trace a 5 inch square on top of one long side on the rectangle. This "L" shape is one side of your cardboard tractor. Place the cardboard on a thick cushion of newspaper as a cutting surface. Cut out the tractor side using a craft knife and a ruler as a straight edge. Flip the tractor side over and trace its shape in reverse on the cardboard box. Cut out the other tractor side.
Measure and trace a 5 inch wide by 12 inch long rectangle for the tractor bottom and cut out. Line up the long edges of the tractor bottom rectangle with the long bottom edges of the tractor sides. Stand the sides at a right angle with the box advertising facing each other. Tape the long edges together with masking tape. Measure and trace a 5 inch wide by 10 inch long rectangle for the tractor back and cut out. Line up the long edges of the tractor back with the 10 inch sides of the tractor sides. Tape the edges together with masking tape.
Measure and trace a 5 inch square for the front of the tractor engine, the roof, and the front of the tractor cab. Cut the squares out. Tape the squares in place on the tractor. Measure and trace a 5 inch wide by 7 inch long rectangle for the top of the tractor engine. Cut the rectangle out and tape to the top of the tractor engine. Paint the entire tractor shape using the green acrylic paint and allow to dry.
Measure and trace four rectangles 3 inches wide by 4 inches long for the tractor windows and cut out. Using the compass, measure and trace two circles 4 inches in diameter for the front tractor tires and two circles 6 inches in diameter for the back tractor tires. Cut the tires out. Paint one side and the cut edges of the windows and both sides and cut edges of the tractor tires using the black acrylic paint. Allow the paint to dry. Draw a 2 inch circle in the center of one side on the front tractor tires and a 4 inch circle in the center of one side of the back tractor tires. Paint the inside of these drawn circles with the yellow acrylic paint.
Apply hot glue to the unpainted sides of the windows and center them on each side of the tractor cab. Apply hot glue to the back of each front tractor tire and attach on each side of the tractor engine front. Allow the tires to hang over the front edge 1 inch and the bottom edge 2 inches. Apply hot glue to the back of each back tractor tire and attach on each side, below the tractor cab. Allow the tires to hang over the back edge of the tractor 1 inch and the bottom edge 2 inches. Paint the empty thread spool using the silver acrylic paint and allow to dry. Center the spool on top of the engine, 2 inches from the front of the tractor.