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How to Make a Miniature Toy Tractor Out of Wood

Miniature wooden toys can provide children with hours of entertainment. In addition to the sentimental value of a homemade toy, miniature wood toys are durable and strong. Children can enjoy playing with a homemade wood tractor for years, even handing it down to a younger sibling before retiring it to a shelf until they have children of their own. If you want to give a classic and thoughtful gift to your child, help him make a simple toy tractor that fits neatly in his backpack.

Things You'll Need

Thin wooden board, 2-by-4-inches
Hand saw
150-grit sandpaper
Green and yellow paint
1 size D wood nails
Hammer
2 mason jar lids
Electrical tape
8-10 small wood screws
6-inch piece of string

Instructions

- 1
  Use a hand saw to cut a thin wood board, about 1/2-inch thick and two inches wide, into three 4-inch long blocks. Sand the edges of the wood smooth with a piece of 150-grit sandpaper. Paint each block green or yellow. Give the paint an hour to dry.
- 2
  Hammer one size D wood nail through a mason jar lid. Slide the lid up to the head of the nail. Hammer the nail through the bottom center of one of the pieces of wood, about 1/2-inch from the bottom edge. Slide the wood up against the mason jar lid.
- 3
  Hammer the nail through a second piece of wood. Slide the second piece of wood to about the middle of the nail.
- 4
  Hammer the same nail through a second mason jar lid. Flip the unit over and pound the pointed end of the nail flat against the side of the wood piece so that it does not stick out.
- 5
  Cut a small piece of electrical tape and place it over the nail end. Paint the tape green to match the wood piece. Slide the mason jar lid and wood piece flush against the bent nail head to finish the tractor cab.
- 6
  Thread eight to 10 small wood screws into the center of the third piece of painted wood to create a drag for the tractor. Leave the center screw 1/4-inch up from the wood surface.
- 7
  Tie a 6-inch long piece of string around the center screw. Make a knot in the string to secure it around the screw. Tie the other end of the string around the nail in the center of the cab and make a knot there. Push the tractor around, allowing the drag to pull behind it, making rows in the dirt.

Wooden Toys