How to Make Firefighter Centerpieces

Many kids love pretending to be firefighters.

Kids think firefighting is an exciting and heroic job. Many adults would agree that firefighters are heroic and perform a valuable service in the community. So, whether you are planning a birthday party with a firefighter theme for your child or a benefit for your local volunteer fire department, a firefighter centerpiece creates a focus on your event theme. You can create an attractive firefighter diorama centerpiece for your event using some inexpensive items you can make and purchase.

Things You'll Need

• Plywood or cardboard base
• Paint
• Paintbrush
• Plastic fire trucks
• Interlocking plastic bricks
• Hot glue gun and glue sticks
• Pill bottle
• Lamp nut
• Tubing
• Hex nut
• Cereal boxes
• Card stock
• Cellophane or red tissue paper
• Plastic landscape pieces
• Dolls

Instructions

1. Paint a 15-inch square plywood or sturdy cardboard to resemble a residential neighborhood. Include a road that meanders diagonally across the center of the space and green lawns. Place fire truck models on the road.

2. Hot glue four single dot interlocking plastic bricks on the side of a large medicine bottle at the north, south, east and west points. Glue the bottle on top of a larger side bottle cap to create the base. Glue a decorative capped lamp nut to the cap of the bottle. Paint the structure red or silver for your fire hydrant. When the paint is dry, attach a small flexible tube to one of the plastic bricks for your water hose. Slide a small hex nut over the end of the tube until a small amount of the tube pokes out the other side. Glue the nut into place with hot glue. Paint the nut and the end of the tube with bronze paint to resemble a fire hose.

3. Paint three individual-serving cereal boxes or other appropriate-sized box to resemble houses with doors and windows. Fold card stock into a tent shape to make an angled roof for each house. Two or four dot interlocking blocks glued to the roof can form a chimney. Glue pieces of red cellophane or tissue paper at the windows and on the roof of one of the houses to represent a house on fire. Place the houses on the base and glue into place.

4. Glue small plastic trees and flowers around the base of the houses and in the yard. Paint sidewalks from the front doors to the street. Add firefighter dolls on the lawn of the burning house fighting the fire.

5. Check the miniature section at the hobby shop or craft store for more items for your diorama. Look for ladders, buckets and other items your firefighters can use.