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:

1. Cardboard
2. Cardstock
3. Paper
4. Wooden craft sticks/coffee stirrers
5. Paper clip
6. Fabric
7. Batting and/or stuffing
8. Wood glue
9. Thread and needle
10. Pencil
11. Fine point black sharpie
12. Ruler
13. Craft knife/exacto knife
14. Pliers
15. Paintable Caulk/filler putty
16. Wood stain and rag
17. Paint and brushes
18. Black and silver puffy paint

Step 1: Making the Camper

1. Trace floor, walls, ceiling, and hitch on cardboard and cut out with craft knife.
2. For curved surfaces like the ceiling and wheel wells, either bend cardboard periodically or use scissors to cut the bottom layer of the cardboard.
3. Glue together and secure until dry with painting tape.
4. When dry, measure and cut out windows and door. Keep the cut out section of the door.
5. Fold up cable box and glue shut.
6. Fill all the holes with putty or caulk and paint when dry.

Step 2: Making the Wheels

1. Trace eight circles and two long thin strips on the cardboard and cut out with craft knife.
2. Cut the center out of two of the circles to make “O” shaped pieces.
3. Glue three solid and one “O” shaped piece together to form the wheels.
4. Cut the bottom layer of the cardboard on both strips similar to the inner wheel wells.
5. Glue the long strips around the wheels and secure with painting tape until dry.
6. Fill holes with caulk.
7. Paint black and add detail with silver puffy paint.

Step 3: Making the Floor

1. Stain the top and sides of wooden craft sticks with a rag.
2. 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.
3. When dry, cut extra ends off with the craft knife or saw. Sand the edges.
4. Glue the whole thing to the floor of the camper.

Step 4: Making the Benches

1. Trace back, sides, and seat of the benches on cardboard and cut out with craft knife.
2. Glue pieces together and secure until dry with painting tape.
3. Fill holes with caulk and paint when dry.

Step 5: Making the Table

1. Stain the top and sides of craft sticks with a rag.
2. Glue wooden sticks to pre-cut piece of cardstock the size of the tabe.
3. Trim corners and extra ends with craft knife or saw and sand edges.
4. Trace table legs on cardboard and cut out with craft knife.
5. Glue legs together to make it thick enough not to bend and fill holes with caulk.
6. Glue leg to the bottom of the table.
7. Paint bottom of the table and leg.

Step 6: Making the Bed

1. Trace headboard and “mattress” on cardboard and cut out with a craft knife.
2. Fold and glue the pieces together.
3. Cut out notch for wheel well.
4. Fill in holes with caulk and paint when dry.

Step 7: Making the Kitchen

1. Trace cabinet on cardboard and cut out with a craft knife.
2. Fold and glue together, securing with painting tape until dry.
3. Cut out notch for wheel well.
4. Fill holes with caulk.
5. Cut out a sink hole.
6. Measure and cut white paper/cardstock to make the sink.
7. Fold and glue together.
8. Paint glue on the outside of the sink so it becomes rigid.
9. When dry, glue sink into the hole on the top of the counter.
10. Fill any gaps with caulk.
11. Trace cabinet doors, oven door, and stove burners on cardstock and cut out with scissors.
12. Paint and glue onto front of cabinet and top of counter.
13. Trace black rectangle around the stove burners with fine point sharpie.
14. Use puffy paint to add drawer pulls onto the front of the cabinet doors and drawers and to make stove dials.
15. Unfold the paper clip and rebend it into a faucet and towel rod.
16. Poke these items through the cardboard in their proper places and secure with a drop of glue on the back.

Step 8: Making the Door

1. Trim a small amount off the door cut out so it fits in the hole loosely.
2. Hill holes with caulk.
3. Cut a rectangle of paper, fold in half, and glue to left side of the door.
4. When dry, paint door.
5. Glue other half of rectangle to the edge of the doorway.
6. When dry, paint. Use puffy paint to add a doorknob.

Step 9: Making the Bed Spread, Cushions, and Kitchen Towel

1. Measure the seats of the benches and cut fabric ¼ inch bigger on each side for seam allowance.
2. Sew three sides inside out, turn right side out and stuff with batting scraps or stuffing.
3. Fold open side in and sew shut.
4. Sew grid pattern through the whole cushion to look like a regular seat cushion.
5. Measure top and sides of bed and cut fabric ¼ inch bigger on each side for seam allowance.
6. Sew three sides inside out, turn right side out and slide batting into the pocket.
7. Fold open side in and sew shut.
8. Sew back and forth across the comforter to look like a comforter.
9. Fold corners in and tack by hand to fit the bed.
10. 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.

Step 10: Making the Decorative Ladder

1. Cut two of the extra craft sticks into short pieces. Sand edges.
2. Glue small sticks between two full-length sticks.
3. Paint when dry.

Step 11: Making the Book and Notebook

1. Measure and cut small rectangles of white paper for the book pages.
2. Stack two or three rectangles and fold in half. Repeat with all the papers.
3. Thread a needle and sew 5-7 of the folded rectangle sets together.
4. Pull thread snug and tie when done.
5. Cut two pieces of cardstock the size of the front of the book and three the size of the end of the book.
6. Glue two of cardstock rectangles the size of the end of the book together and then glue them to the end of the book.
7. Glue the other three pieces of cardstock on the paper for the cover of the book.
8. Trim the corners and fold edges over.
9. Glue the pages of the book onto the cover.
10. Measure and cut small rectangles for notebook pages.
11. Poke several holes through the end of the papers with a needle.
12. Cut two pieces of cardstock the same size of the pages for the covers.
13. Poke the same holes in it.
14. Thread needle and sew the pages and cover together.
15. Pull snug and tie when done.