How to Build Lightning McQueen Out of Boxes

The completed car.

Lightning McQueen is the cherry-red race car from the popular Disney/Pixar film "Cars." You and your child can construct a wearable Lightning McQueen car from a few household items. The project could be a birthday party activity, a do-it-yourself costume for Halloween or simply an afternoon craft.

Things You'll Need

• Cardboard box (rectangular)
• Scissors
• Red construction paper
• Yellow construction paper
• Black marker
• Clear tape
• Glue stick
• 5 paper plates (sturdy)
• Black paint
• Paintbrush
• Computer with Internet access
• Printer
• Single-hole punch
• String
• Brass fastener

Instructions

1. 

   Cut all of the folding flaps off the box, leaving only the body.

2. 

   Tape red construction paper around the outside of the box, covering it completely. On yellow construction paper, use a bold marker to write "95"--McQueen's number in the movie--and draw a lightning bolt. Cut out these symbols and glue them to the car's side panel.

3. 

   Paint each of the five paper plates solid black. These will be McQueen's four tires and steering wheel.

4. 

   Print out a large picture of Lightning McQueen's face on letter-sized paper. There are plenty of suitable images online; just do a quick search-engine query for "Lightning McQueen." Paste the picture to the front of the box.

5. Glue (or tape) four of the black paper plates around the box. Space them apart to look like tires.

6. 

   Punch two holes near the front corners of the box (behind the face), and two just beside the corners in the back. Run a length of string through the holes on one side of the box, knotting the ends to secure them. Repeat for the other pair of holes. These two strings will serve as suspenders, allowing the car to hang from the shoulders of the "driver."

7. 

   Take the remaining black plate and poke the brass fastener through its center. Punch a hole in the box where the steering wheel will go, then push the fastener through the hole and spread the clasps. Twist the plate a bit to loosen it for easy steering.

Tips & Warnings

• If you organize this craft for a small group- say, at a child's birthday party--you can line up the kids for a "race" at the end. Follow these same steps to create any of the characters from "Cars" (Doc Hudson, Mater, Sally Carrera, etc.) Simply find construction paper that approximates their color and print out a high-resolution image of their face. If your printer is black-and-white, use colored pencil or crayon to add some color to the printout.

• If children are helping craft the car, supervise them closely when they handle the scissors.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• Official "Cars" Website, Including Pictures of Lightning McQueen