This play market, fashioned out of a recycled refrigerator box, will be the talk of the town.
| Prep Time: Afternoon or Evening | |
| What you need: | |
| Refrigerator box
Utility knife Twine Packing tape Yardstick and pencil Extra cardboard and boxes Paper towel tubes Masking tape Acrylic paints and brushes Paint roller (optional) One 10 by 23 by 5 inch box (optional) Assorted cereal or cracker boxes (optional) | |
| Seasons: Year round | |
| Materials: cardboard, paints | |
| Instructions: | |
| 1. | Open up the top and bottom of the box by removing the packing tape. Using the utility knife (a parent's job), cut all the way down one of the corner seams. Turn the box inside out (this puts the printing on the inside, making the outside easier to paint later on). Poke holes down both edges of the cut corner seam and, as shown, lace it up with a length of twine. Reseal the box top and bottom with packing tape. Cut a 21 by 16 inch window in the box's front, about 36 inches from the bottom, and a |
| 2. | To make the sloped roof, cut a 30 by 45 inch piece of cardboard and score it approximately into thirds, as shown. Cut four 8-inch lengths of paper towel tubes for roof supports. Use masking tape to attach two supports to each side edge of the roof. Lay the cardboard over the supports as shown and tape in place. |
| 3. | Now it's time to decorate. Use the roller to apply large areas of paint to the box or use the brushes for more detailed work, such as stripes, trim, flowers or signs. |
| 4. | To make the fruit bin, cut the flaps off an approximately 10 by 23 by 5 inch box. Poke two holes, as shown, in the rear corners of the small box and two holes just under each corner of the store's front window. From inside the store, thread a short piece of twine out through the wall, through both holes in the bin, back through the store wall, then knot both ends of the twine. Repeat for the other end of the bin. |
| 5. | Use this same technique to make bins or shelves inside the store. For a mailbox or cash drawer, simply tape cereal or cracker boxes to the walls. |
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