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Easy home made toys #5: Cardboard box bus

11/20/2014

4 Comments

 
Cardboard Box Bus - Step by step instructions by Pasta & Patchwork
When we took the castors off the Bean's bed (why would you want a toddler bed to move willy-nilly?!) I immediately wanted to make some sort of vehicle for him with them. It seemed a shame to waste free wheels, after all! And so this pull-along cardboard box bus was born. 
I love it (toot toot there goes my own horn), partly because it's thrifty and mostly recycled, and partly because it's a nice little reminder of all things British. Since the Bean is obsessed with all things be-wheeled, he's pretty pleased with it too.

It's really very easy to make and won't break the bank even if you have to buy some new castors (available from any DIY shop). Do use a good, sturdy cardboard box though - this one has been sat in, dragged about sideways, turned upside-down and sat on... You get the picture. I got mine from a pile outside my local supermarket.
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Cardboard box bus

You will need:

A very sturdy cardboard box

coloured paper (red, blue, orange) and white paper

black marker pen

ruler

1 metre of sturdy rope

4 castors, ideally recycled

clear sticky tape

strong tape such as parcel or gaffer tape, in any colour

glue

scissors or a paper knife

Method:

1. Using the knife or one blade of the scissors, make four small holes in the bottom of the box, where you want the wheels to be. The circumference of the holes should be smaller than than of your castors to ensure a snug fit.

2. Push the castors through the holes carefully so as not to rip the cardboard, then secure with lots of strong tape both on the outside and inside of the box. Make sure the wheels can still turn. 
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3. Cover all four sides of the outside of the box with red paper. 
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4. Reinforce the corners with coloured tape.
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5. Cut (or tear, depending on your levels of patience) ten squares out of the blue paper for the windows. Stick five on either of the long sides of the bus. 

6. Cut two rectangles of blue paper for the front and back window and attach.

7. Cut four small squares of orange paper for the head- and taillights, attach two on the front and two on the back.

8. With a black marker pen and a ruler, draw around the windows to make them more realistic-looking.
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9. Make a small hole at the front of the bus, near the top, and thread through the rope.

10. Cut one large and one small rectangle out of the white paper, and give your bus a number and destination.
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11. Done! Hand over to toddler to pull about and fill with stuff as they see fit...
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Did you like this cardboard box bus? Have a look at my other Easy Home Made Toys!

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4 Comments
Gina Caro link
11/20/2014 06:34:46 am

What a fantastic idea! I bet he loves playing with it. Thank you for joining in with #ThriftyThursday

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Donna link
11/20/2014 10:19:22 am

This is so cute and so crafty!! What a great use of a cardboard box x

Reply
Mum in a nutshell link
11/20/2014 12:44:22 pm

I love this, I hate throwing out cardboard boxes as they're so useful. We usually just make dens but this is a much better idea. Thanks for sharing on #ThriftyThursday

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Carie link
11/20/2014 04:45:50 pm

Oh that's fantastic!! I'll bet he loves it :) my two girls love a good cardboard box but as that deep affection tends to turn into arguments about whose it is they do end up in the recycling fairly quickly (the boxes not the children!)

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