Pull Toy Instructions


  1. Cut animal shape out of mattboard, poster board, thin cardboard or wood using the outline pattern.
  1. Cut out the two animal images (one for each side of the cardboard).
  1. Glue the animal images to both sides of the cardboard.
  1. Cut wood base from 1/16 inch thick wood or mattboard. Piece should be 3/8 inch by 1 1/4 inch for most toys. You may cut it shorter or longer for some toys. Sand corners and paint with acrylic paint. Drill hole 1/16 inch from one narrow end and centered between the two long sides.
  1. Cut two (2) 1/4" pieces from narrow straw, round coffee stirrer, or narrow shrink tube.

The following instructions are for wheels punched from craft foam or clay wheels. Instructions for making clay wheels are on a separate page.

  1. Cut two 1/2 inch pieces of a round toothpick for axles.
  1. Using super glue gel, glue straws to underside of painted base and axles to two of the wheels.
  1. When the glue is dry, push the axles through the straws. Glue the last two wheels to the axles.
  1. When the glue is dry, flip the base over onto the wheels and glue the animal figure on top of the base.
  1. Tie a piece of thread through the hole in the base and tie a small seed bead onto the end.

If you don't want a working toy, you can skip the straws and just glue the axles to the base.

Clay Wheel Instructions

  1. Flatten a ball of clay to about 1/16 inch thick.
  1. Cut out 1/4 inch wheels. Use Kemper cutter, plastic straw, or metal tube. I used a piece of plastic straw with a cardboard lollipop stem inside it. You can also use a piece of dowel inside. This is to gently push the cut piece back out.

.

I sandwiched the clay between two ceramic tiles to flatten it and then cut the wheels on the same tile. I leave them on the tile to bake them.

  1. Press a flat cut end of a round toothpick or some other narrow round item with a flat end into the center of each wheel to create an indention. This is just for decoration.
  1. Let clay dry or bake in oven according to clay directions.

Foam Wheel Instructions

Punch wheels from craft foam using a 1/4 inch paper punch. Punch out center using an 1/8 inch paper punch or paint dot in center for axle. If you punch out the center, you may need to make the axles a little longer than 1/2 inch.

Bead Wheel Instructions

For bead wheels, use large seed beads. You will have to substitute plastic covered wire or thick wire for the toothpick axles. I used fancy paper clips for the wire. I cut the wire with a wire cutter. For the axle tubes (straws), I used the plastic part of cotton swabs. I cut the swabs with paper scissors and an xacto knife.

You glue the tubes (straws) to the base and the wheels to the axle the just the same way described in the pull toy instructions.