How to Build a Toy Box Car

Building the Body

• 1

  Draw the profile of the car on one side of the box. Indicate where the hood is, where the windows are and the locations of the doors. For simplicity, draw the doors from the top of the box. Ask your kids for feedback and to show you the design and features they want on their car, and draw them on as well.

• 2

  Draw flaps on the sides of the box. Make lines about 2 inches above the lines of the car, and join those lines to the outline of the car.

• 3

  Draw an X on the spaces you'll cut out: the space above the hood and the windows.

• 4

  Duplicate that design mirrored on the other side of the box. You need to be fairly exact, so that the hood can fold into place without looking crooked.

• 5

  Cut out the X-marked panels on both sides. Don't cut the top, front and back of the box, and leave the flaps in place. Cut the back and bottom of the door on both sides.

• 6

  Score the tabs and doors. Push in and draw against the line on the cardboard with a flat, blunt object. Open the doors along the scored edge. Fold the tabs into the center of the car.

• 7

  Reinforce the insides of the door hinges with duct tape. Open the door 180 degrees and stick some tape along the folded edge.

• 8

  Dab glue over the tabs. Fold the front of the car over those flaps and press them into place to form the hood and windshield.

Decorating the Car

• 9

  Mark the center of all five paper plates.

• 10

  Set aside one paper plate and have your kids decorate the other four as tires.

• 11

  Have your kids decorate the remaining plate as a steering wheel.

• 12

  Paint or glue construction paper to the exterior of the car with your kids, and then decorate the car with any stickers or other decorations your kids want on the car.

• 13

  Pierce the five wheels with split pins. Push the split pins through the side of the car at the four bottom corners where the wheels should be, and through the inside of the windshield for the steering wheel.