Miniature Camper Trailer
This camper is a fun project that can be made primarily with things found around the house, a little bit of time, and elbow grease. I loved using my creative license to make this my own. Enjoy!
Materials:
- Cardboard
- Cardstock
- Paper
- Wooden craft sticks/coffee stirrers
- Paper clip
- Fabric
- Batting and/or stuffing
- Wood glue
- Thread and needle
- Pencil
- Fine point black sharpie
- Ruler
- Craft knife/exacto knife
- Pliers
- Paintable Caulk/filler putty
- Wood stain and rag
- Paint and brushes
- Black and silver puffy paint
Making the Camper
- Trace floor, walls, ceiling, and hitch on cardboard and cut out with craft knife.
- For curved surfaces like the ceiling and wheel wells, either bend cardboard periodically or use scissors to cut the bottom layer of the cardboard.
- Glue together and secure until dry with painting tape.
- When dry, measure and cut out windows and door. Keep the cut out section of the door.
- Fold up cable box and glue shut.
- Fill all the holes with putty or caulk and paint when dry.
Making the Wheels
- Trace eight circles and two long thin strips on the cardboard and cut out with craft knife.
- Cut the center out of two of the circles to make “O” shaped pieces.
- Glue three solid and one “O” shaped piece together to form the wheels.
- Cut the bottom layer of the cardboard on both strips similar to the inner wheel wells.
- Glue the long strips around the wheels and secure with painting tape until dry.
- Fill holes with caulk.
- Paint black and add detail with silver puffy paint.
Making the Floor
- Stain the top and sides of wooden craft sticks with a rag.
- Glue the wooden sticks to a piece of cardstock cut to the shape of the floor so it looks like a wooden floor. It is fine to leave extra ends sticking out.
- When dry, cut extra ends off with the craft knife or saw. Sand the edges.
- Glue the whole thing to the floor of the camper.
Making the Benches
- Trace back, sides, and seat of the benches on cardboard and cut out with craft knife.
- Glue pieces together and secure until dry with painting tape.
- Fill holes with caulk and paint when dry.
Making the Table
- Stain the top and sides of craft sticks with a rag.
- Glue wooden sticks to pre-cut piece of cardstock the size of the tabe.
- Trim corners and extra ends with craft knife or saw and sand edges.
- Trace table legs on cardboard and cut out with craft knife.
- Glue legs together to make it thick enough not to bend and fill holes with caulk.
- Glue leg to the bottom of the table.
- Paint bottom of the table and leg.
Making the Bed
- Trace headboard and “mattress” on cardboard and cut out with a craft knife.
- Fold and glue the pieces together.
- Cut out notch for wheel well.
- Fill in holes with caulk and paint when dry.
Making the Kitchen
- Trace cabinet on cardboard and cut out with a craft knife.
- Fold and glue together, securing with painting tape until dry.
- Cut out notch for wheel well.
- Fill holes with caulk.
- Cut out a sink hole.
- Measure and cut white paper/cardstock to make the sink.
- Fold and glue together.
- Paint glue on the outside of the sink so it becomes rigid.
- When dry, glue sink into the hole on the top of the counter.
- Fill any gaps with caulk.
- Trace cabinet doors, oven door, and stove burners on cardstock and cut out with scissors.
- Paint and glue onto front of cabinet and top of counter.
- Trace black rectangle around the stove burners with fine point sharpie.
- Use puffy paint to add drawer pulls onto the front of the cabinet doors and drawers and to make stove dials.
- Unfold the paper clip and rebend it into a faucet and towel rod.
- Poke these items through the cardboard in their proper places and secure with a drop of glue on the back.
Making the Door
- Trim a small amount off the door cut out so it fits in the hole loosely.
- Hill holes with caulk.
- Cut a rectangle of paper, fold in half, and glue to left side of the door.
- When dry, paint door.
- Glue other half of rectangle to the edge of the doorway.
- When dry, paint. Use puffy paint to add a doorknob.
Making the Bed Spread, Cushions, and Kitchen Towel
- Measure the seats of the benches and cut fabric ¼ inch bigger on each side for seam allowance.
- Sew three sides inside out, turn right side out and stuff with batting scraps or stuffing.
- Fold open side in and sew shut.
- Sew grid pattern through the whole cushion to look like a regular seat cushion.
- Measure top and sides of bed and cut fabric ¼ inch bigger on each side for seam allowance.
- Sew three sides inside out, turn right side out and slide batting into the pocket.
- Fold open side in and sew shut.
- Sew back and forth across the comforter to look like a comforter.
- Fold corners in and tack by hand to fit the bed.
- Cut a small rectangle of fabric, fold in thirds, fold in half over the towel rod, and glue or tack it so it does not fall off.
Making the Decorative Ladder
- Cut two of the extra craft sticks into short pieces. Sand edges.
- Glue small sticks between two full-length sticks.
- Paint when dry.
Making the Book and Notebook
- Measure and cut small rectangles of white paper for the book pages.
- Stack two or three rectangles and fold in half. Repeat with all the papers.
- Thread a needle and sew 5-7 of the folded rectangle sets together.
- Pull thread snug and tie when done.
- Cut two pieces of cardstock the size of the front of the book and three the size of the end of the book.
- Glue two of cardstock rectangles the size of the end of the book together and then glue them to the end of the book.
- Glue the other three pieces of cardstock on the paper for the cover of the book.
- Trim the corners and fold edges over.
- Glue the pages of the book onto the cover.
- Measure and cut small rectangles for notebook pages.
- Poke several holes through the end of the papers with a needle.
- Cut two pieces of cardstock the same size of the pages for the covers.
- Poke the same holes in it.
- Thread needle and sew the pages and cover together.
- Pull snug and tie when done.