How to Make a Christmas Train
Trains are as integral to Christmas as plum pudding and mistletoe. Whether it is a steel-tracked model train whizzing around the base of the Christmas tree or a wood-block train on the mantle, a train represents the transportation of people, exotic foods and gifts from faraway places to help celebrate the joy of the season.
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Things You'll Need
- Printable train design pages
- Wood blocks
- Jig saw
- Bright red and green high-gloss, enamel-based paint
- Silver and gold paint or glitter glue
- Cotton batting
- Scissors
- 1-inch trim brushes
- Watercolor and detail brushes
Instructions
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1
Choose a printable train design. Elsa and Stephane Gigandet of ScrapColoring.com have "... a smoking steam locomotive and two wagons, crossing the country on rails through open lands." KidsFront.com has an interesting goods train consisting of a locomotive, boxcar and coal car. FreePrintableFun.org has a train with 18 boxcar outlines, two locomotives and two cabooses.
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Trace your printable design onto white paper to make templates. Cut at least one locomotive, boxcar and caboose template for your train. If you are making a "family" train, cut one boxcar per child.
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3
Glue or tape the templates onto wood blocks. Use a jig saw to cut the outlines of the train pieces from the blocks.
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4
Sand train car, locomotive and caboose using coarse through extra-fine sandpaper.
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5
Label the locomotive and caboose "Mom" and "Dad" using a No. 2 pencil. Outline each child's name in pencil, on the sides of the boxcars, using a cartoon font.
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Give each locomotive, boxcar and caboose three coats of high-gloss enamel-based paint. Use bright red and green for the train itself and gold or silver paint or glitter glue for the lettering. Allow to dry overnight.
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Tips & Warnings
Cut cotton batting to cover the mantel, coffee table or under the tree. Place train on the batting so that the names are visible. Add other items, such as sisal trees and decorations from Dicken's Villages to create a pleasant holiday scene.
