How to Make a 3D Bus Out of Cardboard

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Things You'll Need

  • Tissue box or shoebox

  • Yellow construction paper

  • Pencil

  • Scissors

  • White glue

  • Sports drink cap

  • Black construction paper

  • Black marker

  • Red marker

Craft a school bus from cardboard using yellow paper.

If you have old cardboard lying around and you want a better, more eco-friendly use for it than sending it to the landfill, try making a 3D school bus. Construct the body of your three-dimensional bus using an old tissue box or shoebox. After that you can add wheels, windows and other components.

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Step 1

Try to use scraps of unwanted paper for the project.

Trace each side of your tissue box or shoebox onto yellow construction paper except the bottom, using a pencil. If you are using a shoebox, remove the lid and turn the shoebox upside down for the craft.

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Step 2

Cut out each piece of paper you traced with a pair of scissors. Glue each tracing to the appropriate side on the box with white glue.

Step 3

Trace the cap from a soda bottle or sports drink onto black construction paper for the wheels. Do this four times. Glue the wheels onto the bus.

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Step 4

Cut out two rectangles from the black construction paper that are 2-by-4-inches. These will be for the front and rear windows. Glue one at the front of the box and one at the rear.

Step 5

Cut out 11 squares that are 2-by-2-inches. These will be for the side windows and the bus' door. Glue five window squares evenly spaced across the top of one long side of the box. Turn your bus around to the opposite long side. Glue five window squares evenly spaced across the top of this side of the bus. Glue the remaining black square below the far left window square to create a bus door.

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Step 6

Shift the box to the short side closest to the bus door. This is the front of the bus. Using a black marker, draw two circular headlights at the bottom of the box on either side. Draw a rectangle between the headlights, approximately 2-by-3-inches, for the grill. Add vertical lines 1/4-inch apart in the rectangle.

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Step 7

Flip the box to the opposite small side. Draw a rectangle at the bottom center roughly 1-by-2-inches for the license plate. Add your favorite mix of numbers and letters. Draw two backlights with red marker at the bottom and either side of the box.

Tip

Use red construction paper or paint to build a double-decker London bus.

Use light blue or white paper if you are constructing a city bus.

Paints can be substituted for paper in this project.

Warning

Adult supervision is necessary when crafting with young children because of the scissors.

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