Turn a cardboard box into a pretend car – with a steering wheel that really turns!

It started with finding a set of car keys to a car we no longer own. Daddy said that they could be Jonathan’s keys. A few days later, Jonathan found a cardboard box and wanted Daddy to make him a car to go with his keys! (If only real life were that simple!)

Cardboard Box Car

This car was really simple to make. The wheels are paper plates that we glued to the side of the box.

Cardboard Box Car

The steering column is a paper towel roll. My husband cut a round hole in the dashboard for the paper towel roll. Then he took another paper towel roll and made a cut in it long ways. Then he rolled it a little tighter and taped it. Now it fits inside the first paper towel roll! We glued that to a paper plate for the steering wheel.

Cardboard Box Car

Steering wheel:

Cardboard Box Car

The steering wheel is not attached to the steering column – it just sits inside it, and it turns!

For headlights, my husband cut down some plastic cups and glued them over circles of yellow construction paper.

The front grill is duct tape on cardboard, and the bumper is a strip of cardboard covered with foil. We glued a few bottle caps on to the dashboard, but they don’t turn.

Cardboard Box Car

Perfect for pretend play or a “drive in” movie!

Cardboard Box Car

Happy Driving!

More Ideas for Playing with Cars:

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  1. E Sep 23, 2020

    Thank you!. Just made a car with my toddler using your steering wheel method and he loved it!

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