Joel received a cozy coupe for his first birthday and after telling family members how I struggled to assemble it, someone made the comment, “Well, the box is the best part anyway.”
I noticed Hayley was playing inside the box and pretending it was a rocket. I decided, why not turn it into a real rocketship?
I searched around on Pinterest and only came up with a few crazy, elaborate cardboard rockets that I’d have to dedicate an entire day to building, no thanks. There was one simple picture, but no step by step instructions. So I decided to try and replicate what they did on my own.
Here’s what I came up with…
The things you’ll need:
-A tall rectangular box (like I said, we used a cozy coupe box, but something even bigger would be so awesome)
-scissors
-hot glue gun and glue sticks
-kids paint and brushes (or any object you can paint with)
-pen or marker
-paper or foam plate
-a small bowl (like one you’d use for cereal)
-a drop cloth
First thing you want to do is check to see if one of the sides of your box has a seam. If it does separate the sides of the box at that seam.
If your box doesn’t have a seam just cut straight down one corner, then open up the box and lay it flat.
Pick one side to be the bottom of the rocket and remove all four flaps from that side. (don’t get rid of them)
Cut a doorway into any one of the four walls. Make sure it is large enough for your child to crawl in and out of. Again, don’t get rid of the extra cardboard.
Next your going to want to stand the box up onto the side that you chose to be the bottom. Arrange the box so that it is inside out.
Now you will glue the two open walls together so that you have a closed box again. This will take patience. Make sure you pinch the walls together until they are completely dry as you work your way down.
Next, you will focus on the top flaps. Take the flaps that are to the right and left of your doorway. Point them inwards towards each other at an angle,where if you were to extend them upward they would eventually come together to a point.
While holding the right and left flap in that position, take your front and back flap and press them against the right and left flap. (You may have to do one side at a time)
Draw an angled line where the flaps meet and cut the angles off. Do not get rid of them.
Take your front flap. Starting an inch or so above the door way trace a circle using your bowl and pen (or marker) and cut out a window.
Now you can glue the top flaps together to form an open roof.
Take two of the original four bottom flaps you removed (Not the four little angles you just removed from the top).
Glue them on top to create a point. Use a third bottom flap to cut out little triangles to fill any open space.
You’ll have to do your own measuring for this because every box will be different.
Take the four angles you removed from the top flaps and arrange them to the bottom of your box, cardboard side, facing out. Then glue them on.
Almost finished!
Now take your paper plate and once again trace a circle on to the center of the plate and cut it out. Glue the plate bottom side down (or top side down if you prefer) over the existing window.
The rocket is assembled! Now use any extra cardboard to cut out stars or planets or buttons to glue onto the outside and inside of your rocket and paint the rocket!
Voila!
lreithm2 