How to Make a Spanish Ship for a School Project

Illustrate your school project to your teacher and classmates by making a Spanish ship out of a milk carton and household items. Use your ship to depict what life was like onboard or explain how Spanish ships traveled. Your ship can travel along a map and will give a three-dimensional effect to your school project. Create a Spanish ship for your school project and you may become head of the class.

Things You'll Need

• Cardboard milk carton
• Ruler
• Scissors
• Craft knife
• Long straws
• Mounting putty
• Construction paper: white, red, brown and black
• Tape
• Glue gun
• Glue sticks
• Markers
• Small cardboard jewelry box

Instructions

Make Your Spanish Ship's Body

1. Place the milk carton on its side. The pinched end will be the front of the ship. Mark 2 inches down the sides of the milk carton, including the pinched end.

2. Cut off the side of the milk carton at the 2-inch marks. You will use the 2-inch, cut-off portion for the inside floor of your Spanish ship.

3. Flip the cut-off piece over. Measure and mark 5-inches down from the center of the pinched end of the milk carton. Cut a small opening for a straw to slip through. The straw will hold up the ship's sail.

4. Place the 2-inch, cut-off section of the milk carton, with the inside down, on top of your Spanish ship. Cut the top, pinched edge off of the 2-inch cut-off milk carton section, so the section will fit inside the ship.

5. Stick a piece of mounting putty to the bottom of the ship. The mounting putty will hold the straw in place.

6. Stick the straw into the mounting putty. Push the mounting putty up and around the straw to hold the straw firmly in place.

7. Slide the cut milk carton section, with the outside of the milk carton facing up, down onto the straw through the small opening. Slide the milk carton section down inside your Spanish ship.

8. Place a bead of glue around the milk carton straw opening and the straw, to hold the straw securely in place.

9. Cover your Spanish ship with brown construction paper. Draw black lines on the brown paper to depict wood.

Make the Ship's Sail

1. Cut out a 6-by-6 inch piece of white construction paper. Place a mark 3 inches in from the edge of the top and bottom of the white construction paper.

2. Measure down 1 inch from the top and 1 inch up from the bottom. Mark each location. Cut a small opening at each marked location. The openings will be used to slip the sail onto the straw "mast".

3. Draw a 4-by-4 inch cross on your red construction paper. Cut the cross out.

4. Place the sail on your work surface, with the small openings at the top and bottom. Locate the center mark on the sail.

5. Center the red cross on the sail. Glue the red cross in place.

6. Slide the sail onto the straw, so the straw is on the wrong side of the sail. The sail cross should face the front of the ship.

Make the Ship's Cabin

1. Cover your small jewelry box with brown construction paper.

2. Glue the box to the floor of your Spanish ship.

3. Cut out 1-by-1 inch black construction paper squares for your cabin windows. Glue in place.

4. Cut out a 3-by-2 inch black construction paper door. Glue in place.

Tips & Warnings

• Add a small red flag at the top of your Spanish ship's white sail. Use tape to secure the sail to the straw mast.

• The glue and tip of hot glue guns can burn skin.

• Consider using a low-temperature glue gun to avoid melting the plastic straw.

References

• DLTK'S Crafts for Kids: Milk Carton Spanish Galleon