For Bug’s birthday party I put together a cardboard box construction site. I created this bulldozer design so that small toddlers can easily get inside without having to be lifted in and out by an adult. Click HERE for the dump truck tutorial.

What you need:
I got all my boxes for free from a neighbor that recently moved!
– 1 Large box (18x18x24)
– 1 Medium box (18x18x16)
– 1 Small box (16x12x12)
– 2 wrapping paper tubes
– box cutter, pencil, yardstick
– hot glue
– paint (I like the $3 sample latex paints from Home Depot/Lowes)

1. Start with the main body section. Hot glue one end of the Large box closed.

2. Measure 12″ from the glued end. Using your yardstick as a straight edge and a box cutter, cut from one side of the box to the other. Also cut a line perpendicular through the flap on the open end.

3. Lift up the part you cut, slightly overlap the flaps and hot glue together.

A quick tip on cutting cardboard – using the yardstick to stay straight, gently score the box several times, not cutting through.

Then, bend the scored line and cut inside the crease on the other side for a clean edge.

4. Cut the top of the back flaps at a small diagonal.

5. Angle the back flaps in slightly. Mark line with a pencil on the bottom flap. Use box cutter to score the line (don’t cut all the way through). Fold the scored part up and hot glue to back flap. This will keep all the back flaps securely in place.

6. Now let’s make the front blade. Hot glue one end of the Small box together. On the long side mark a line 4.5″ from glued end. On the short side (12″ side), draw a bulldozer blade shape and cut out. SAVE THIS PIECE.

7. Take that piece, flip it over, and trace the same line on the opposite side. Cut out that side and the straight line along the top. SAVE ALL THESE PIECES FOR LATER.

8. It should look like this. Flip the bottom flap into the blade and secure with hot glue.

9. Now for the roller tracks. Cut all the flaps off of the Medium box. SAVE. Cut the box evenly in half long-ways.

10. Roll one of the flaps you cut off the Medium box and glue into a cylinder. Glue another rounded flap around the first cylinder to make it taller. Set both cylinders inside the long half-box and glue together.

11. Remember those two pieces you saved from the scoop?

To give the tracks some rigidity, glue them to the back & inside top of the track. Also cut the straight piece from the top of the blade cut-out in half. Glue one half-way under the bottom of the track. This will slide under and be glued to the bottom of the bulldozer body.

Make two tracks!

12. For the blade lift cylinders, cut this shape out of both wrapping paper tubes, about 8″ from one end. This will allow them to fold down nicely.

13. To attach the tubes to the bulldozer body, trace the tube circle where you want them to be on the top of the bulldozer. Cut an “X” shape through the circle.

Generously apply hot glue around the circle and in the middle of the triangles. Place the tube on top and push the triangles up inside the tube. Run a bead of hot glue around the outside too.

Lookin’ good, lookin’ good.
Now all it needs is paint! It’s easiest to paint all the parts separately before hot gluing them together for good.

Amazing what some color can do!

Easy to crawl inside!

Using another large and 2 small boxes, I also made a dump truck. That step-by-step is HERE.

Paint a few smaller shipping/diaper boxes and you’ve got a complete construction site for your little crew.

If you make one, come share a photo of it on our Facebook page! »»» facebook.com/greyhouseharbor