How to Make a Thomas the Tank Engine Centerpiece

The engines on the Island of Sodor help wherever they are needed, because they all wish to be Really Useful Engines.

Thomas the Tank engine has been a well-known figure in children's literature since his debut in the Railway Series in 1946. Though all of the engines on the Island of Sodor are popular, none compare with the sought-after title character Thomas, with his cheerful smile, blue color and number 1 on his side. Create your own Thomas the Tank Engine centerpiece with a few household items, such as tin boxes, wrapping paper and craft paint.

Things You'll Need

• 2 medium tin boxes with lids
• 1 small tin box with a lid
• 2 empty toilet paper rolls
• Blue wrapping paper
• 1 piece of gray construction paper
• Permanent marker
• Black wrapping paper
• 1 thimble
• Tape
• Blue mini muffin wrappers
• Red craft paint
• Yellow craft paint

Instructions

1. Prepare all materials. Wrap the tin boxes and their lids (separately) and one of the toilet paper rolls in blue wrapping paper. Fill the boxes with goodies and put the wrapped lids on top. Trace the circular end of the other toilet paper roll onto the gray construction paper, cut out the circle and draw Thomas's face on it with a permanent marker. Cut the second roll of toilet paper into three equal cylinders. Discard two cylinders and wrap the third in black wrapping paper. Wrap the thimble in black wrapping paper.

2. Place the two medium boxes end to end on the table where the centerpiece will be displayed. Secure the ends together with tape. Decide which end will be the front of the train.

3. Tape Thomas's face to the black wrapped cylinder and then tape the black and blue cylinders together. Hide the tape by holding the cylinders next to each other at first, with the circles side by side. Make a hinge at the top, near Thomas's face, by securing one end of a piece of tape to the inside of one cylinder and the other end to the inside of the other cylinder. Continue to tape from the inside until your fingers no longer fit; then close the hinge and tape the cylinders the rest of the way shut on the bottom side, near Thomas's chin. Secure the cylinder to the top of the tin boxes, placing Thomas's face right side up and near the edge of the front of the train.

4. Tape the thimble to the top of the black part of the cylinder for Thomas's engine stack. Secure the small tin box just behind the blue-wrapped cylinder.

5. Flatten the mini muffin wrappers and secure three to each side of the bottom boxes for the train wheels. Cut some strips of black wrapping paper and connect the wheels with these. Tape one strip from the top of the first wheel to the bottom of the second wheel on each side; then tape another strip from the top of the second wheel to the top of the third wheel on each side.

6. Use red craft paint to edge Thomas and then use the yellow paint to make a large number 1 on both sides of the small tin box.

7. Distribute goodies from inside your Thomas centerpiece to your guests before they go home.

References

• Little Shindigs: All Aboard!
• Magicref: Thomas the Tank Engine