I love crafting with my little girl. Even if what we make isn’t as intricate as the store-bought toys, she seems to love them way more. Maybe it’s because Mommy made them, or maybe it’s because she had a hand in creating them (like her bright red police car). Either way, in this house, we love making our own toys.
Our latest DIY addition is a parking garage for all her cars. I’m a newbie when it comes to DIY crafts and this one is perfect since it doesn’t require any precise measurements. It took way less time than I had expected and watching my toddler come up with all sorts of different ways to play with it makes it time well spent.
This craft takes approximately 40 minutes.
Here’s what you’ll need:
One large cardboard box
Small cardboard pieces
Hot glue gun
Exacto knife & ruler
Tape
Step 1: Cut out a big piece of cardboard.
Step 2: Since your big cardboard piece will most likely have folds, cut out a smaller piece and tape it to the back to reinforce your base piece.
Step 3: Take one long piece of cardboard and split it into four smaller pieces. Roll them into pillars and use tape to secure them.
Step 4: Find a smaller box with sides if you can to make the top part of your parking structure. Cut open half of one side to use for the ramp.
Step 5: Use a pencil to mark where you’ll be putting your pillars and secure them to your base with a hot glue gun.
Step 6: Find a long piece of cardboard and connect it to the top part of your parking structure and to the base. This will be your ramp.
Step 7: Use smaller pieces to add sides to your ramp. Trust me, you’ll need these when your kid starts pushing all their cars down at the same time.
Step 8: Smooth out the bottom of your ramp and secure it to your base with tape. This will help the cars from skipping when they get to the bottom.
Step 9: Then add sides around the entire base to keep the cars from falling off. And voilà, you’re done! Add in some parking space and decorate it however you like.
Pro Tip:
Flatten out those nice kuaidi boxes and keep a stack handy. They’re made from such durable cardboard material and are perfect for DIY crafts at home.
Did you enjoy making this with your kids? Search #jingkidsCrafts for more kitchen table crafting ideas.
Images: Mina Yan
