Train

All aboard for crafting fun. Visit the ATV garage and learn how to make a train toy.

Oatmeal container
White sticky foam
Black sticky foam
Paper or plastic cup
Tall plastic spice container
Glue
X-acto knife
Tape
4 Silver pipe cleaners
Scissors
3 Small tin loaf pans
Foil
Black marker

REMEMBER THAT IT'S IMPORTANT TO ALWAYS WORK UNDER ADULT SUPERVISION. SOMETIMES WE USE THINGS THAT CAN BE HARMFUL, LIKE SCISSORS, SO DON'T EVER ATTEMPT TO MAKE THESE CRAFT PROJECTS ALONE.

1. Start by making the engine cabin of your train. Take a paper or plastic cup and draw a line around the middle of it. Then draw two half-inch slots connecting that line to the lip of the cup on either side. Cut around the slots with scissors to make tabs. These tabs will allow you to insert the cabin into to the rest of the engine later.
2. Cut out a 2” by 1” rectangle of white sticky foam, peel off the back, and stick it to the front of your engine cabin for the windshield.
3. Next, take one of your tin loaf pans and measure in two inches from one of the ends. Cut off the rest of the siding, leaving that two inch end and the bottom of the pan in tact. The end will be the cow-catcher for your engine and the bottom of the pan will be the tab used to attach it.
4. Turn your oatmeal container onto its side and remove the cap. Trace the top of your spice container onto the side where the bottom of the container is. Cut the shape out with an X-acto knife to make a hole in the container’s side. The oatmeal container will be the engine and the spice container will be inserted into the hole as its smokestack.
5. Draw and cut a slot into the front of your engine (the bottom of the oatmeal container) for the tab of your cow-catcher.
6. Cut slots into the top of your engine behind the smokestack hole for the tabs of your cabin.
7. Cover your engine in tin foil and secure it with tape. Don’t forget to make slots and a hole in the foil where you cut them into the engine.
8. Attach the cow-catcher by sliding its tab through the slot in the font. Fold the tab over inside the engine to keep it in place.
9. Screw the smoke stack down into its hole on top of the engine.
10. Attach your cabin by inserting its tabs through the slots for it behind the smokestack.
11. Place the lid back onto the oatmeal container (on the back of the engine) and cover it with tin foil to match the rest of the engine.
12. Draw two big squares onto black sticky foam and cut them out. Round off the corners with your scissors to make circles. These will be the engine’s front wheels. Draw and cut out four smaller circles for its back wheels.
13. Line up one large wheel with two smaller wheels on each side of the engine. Once you have them arranged at the appropriate distance apart, measure and cut out two lengths of silver pipe cleaner and glue one over each set. Now your wheels have their piston. Let these dry for half an hour.
14. Peel off the backs of your sticky foam wheels and stick them on each side of your engine.
15. Take out two more loaf pans for the train’s coal cars. Cut out four more small wheels from your sticky foam for each car in the same way you cut out the engine wheels.
16. Peel off the backs of the wheels and attach them your loaf pans.
17. Cut out eight little squares from your yellow sticky foam, peel off the backs, and stick one onto each coal car wheel to add some accent.
18. Time to attach all of the cars and engine. Poke a hole through the back of your engine and thread another pipe cleaner through, securing it with tape. Poke holes through the front and back of your first coal car and thread the pipe cleaner all the way through both holes. Poke a hole through the front of your second coal car and thread the pipe cleaner through it, cutting off any excess and securing it by taping or twisting the end inside the car.