How to Make a Paratrooper Toy Soldier
The paratrooper is a type of soldier designed to get behind the enemy lines and cause damage to foes, and your toy soldier collection could also have one. Making a paratrooper toy, with a working parachute, is relatively easy. The only thing standing between your toy paratrooper and full parachute flight is a well-packed chute and a way to get into the air.
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Things You'll Need
- Newspaper
- Marker
- Ruler
- Scissors
- Plastic trash bag
- Hole punch reinforcement stickers
- Snap swivel, small
- Toy soldier
- Elastic band
Instructions
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Making a Parachute
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1
Draw a 2-foot diameter circle on a piece of paper. Find and mark the center point of the circle.
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2
Draw three evenly-spaced lines from one side of the circle to another to create six same-sized slices. Draw a line between the points where one line meets the circle and its neighboring line, so you form an evenly-spaced hexagon. Cut out this shape to make your template.
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3
Trace the template onto the plastic trash bag and cut it out.
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4
Mark 1-inch in from a corner of the plastic bag and cut a small hole in it. Place a paper reinforcer around the hole on the front and back. Repeat this process on the remaining five corners to make six reinforced holes.
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5
Cut an 18-inch piece of string, and tie it into place around the punched hole. Repeat this process with the remaining five holes.
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6
Tie the five strings onto the end of the snap swivel, at the non-clip end.
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7
Wrap the elastic band around the waist of your toy soldier.
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8
Clip the swivel onto the back of the elastic.
Packing the Chute
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9
Grip the parachute by the center point and lift the toy off the ground. Pull the parachute between a loop formed in your fingers to pack it.
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10
Fold the top 1-1/2-inch of the parachute down, then fold the next 1-1/2-inch section of the parachute. Repeat until you run out of parachute.
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11
Loosely wrap the parachute bundle in the string until it returns to the back of the paratrooper.
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12
Toss the paratrooper into the air and watch as the parachute unfurls and he lands safely on the ground.
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References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
