What age group is this costume for?
Preschool and Younger
Elementary School

Estimated time required to make this costume:
3-4 hours

Difficulty level:
Quick and easy - no sewing required

Items you will need: (Hit your return key to start a new line)
1 big, rectangular, cardboard box
1 same width (or smaller) square cardboard box
black spray paint
scrap paper (optional)
colored spray paint (color of car)
casual clothes
STRONG glue
marker pen or pencil
X-acto knife (or scissors)
cling wrap or plastic page protectors (optional)
long, thick, strong, cloth straps

Instructions:
Lay the big box down so the biggest sides are on the top and bottom. Cut a square hole through the middle of the top the size of the child's chest, make sure there is space between the corner and the hole, keep the extra piece for wheels. Cut a square hole in the middle of the bottom the size of the child's waist. Again, be sure there is space between the corner and the hole and save the extra piece for wheels.

Next, cut car window-shaped holes in the sides of the small box, a long windshield in the front and a hole the same as the top of the big box on the bottom. Again, be sure there is space between the corner and the hole and save the extra pieces for wheels.

Now align the hole on the top of the big box with the one on the bottom of the little one and glue them together with the cloth straps in between, running VERY loosly on each side of the hole from between the big and small box in the front, out, across the hole on each side and the back, in between the big and small boxes in the front. Make sure it is glued in very well or it will fall apart.

When the glue dries, spray paint the whole thing with the colored paint. Tape scrap paper an inch from the window and windshield holes on the outside and cover up the windows from the inside. Then spray paint the inch between the edge of the hole and the paper black. Take off the paper now.

Cut out five circles, glue four of them on the sides like wheels and put the last one inside the car like a steering wheel.

If you want to get fancy, use some scrap cardboard, spray paint it black and make windshield wipers and use cling wrap or paper protectors to cover the windows.

Have your child put on everyday clothes and slide under the car and put the straps over his or her shoulders.

Other information to consider:
Try making a train with several kids by make more than one car and hooking them together somehow. Or make a big car with lots of windows and make it yellow for a school bus. Or even try painting white ladders on for a fire truck.