Types

• You may have fond memories of having a cardboard car as a child. A child can wear a cardboard car around his waist while he walks around. Cardboard cars can also be put down in a particular place inside your home to hold other toys and items of interest. Older children can use tougher cardboard to make a cardboard car with wheels that can actually roll down a sidewalk or driveway. You can also make cardboard cars to be used as model cars. Making a cardboard car begins with determining the style of cardboard car you want and what it will be used for.
  
  

Toys

• Creating a toy for your child to wear around her waist while walking around can be as simple as drawing an outline on an ordinary cardboard box you already have, such as the type of box a piece of furniture or a computer monitor is shipped in. Use a box cutter or scissors to cut out the appropriate shape, being sure to cut the bottom out. Choose a cardboard box large enough for your child to comfortably play in. You can use paint or markers to decorate the outside of the cardboard box before you cut it out. Add straps or handles to make it easier for your child to wear the cardboard car around her waist.
  
  

Storage

• Cut a car shape out of large cardboard but leave the bottom of the cardboard box intact to make a storage container. You can decorate the inside and outside of this style of cardboard car. The size of the cardboard box you begin with should be one large enough to store all of the toys you wish to store inside it. Wait until any paint you use to decorate your cardboard car dries before storing toys in it.
  
  

Models

• Cardboard cars intended for use as model cars require more effort to paint and construct. This style of cardboard car is significantly smaller than the others. To make a model car out of cardboard, create detailed plans for construction before you begin. You can decorate a model car with felt, ink, paint or markers. Have a picture of the real-life car you're modeling to help as you go through the process.
  
  

Function

• Cardboard cars made for children to ride inside often have some wooden or plywood components. The upper portions of the cardboard car are often made with thick pieces of cardboard or two or more pieces of cardboard glued together. Use wooden rods, plywood and other more stable materials for portions of the cardboard car, such as the wheels and the base.