DIY PJ Masks Headquarters

Having a specific space to put a toy once they're done playing with it helps encourage kids to clean up after themselves. This is especially true when the storage solution can be part of their play, which is what I had in mind when I designed this "PJ Masks" headquarters.

On the TV show, the heroes' logos open up to allow their vehicles to exit, but I decided that trying to attach "doors" would be cumbersome and difficult. I designed this project for these specific toys, so you may have to make adjustments if your kids have a different size or style of toys.

MATERIALS
- three cylinder-shaped cardboard cans/containers with lids
- black foam core board
- black duct tape
- red, green and blue paper
- red, green, and blue acrylic paint
- white glue, glue gun, glue sticks
- pencil, ruler, marker
- scissors, exacto knife

1. Thoroughly wash and dry the three cans and lids.

2. Draw the openings onto the cans (or sketch on paper first, cut out, and trace onto the cans). Carefully cut out the shapes. Check to make sure that the toys fit through the openings and make any necessary adjustments.

3. Paint inside the cans and around the edge of where you cut out the opening. Allow to dry.

(Since the paint that I used easily scratched off my containers, I also lined the insides with paper wherever the toy might touch that was easily visible. You can skip this if you want.)

Trace the bottom of a can onto each color of paper twice and cut out the circles slightly smaller (six total, two of each color).

Measure the inside height and cut a strip of each color paper that width.

4. Line the inside of the can bottom, side and lid with the paper. Trim the paper to the correct size and glue in place.

5. Glue the lids on the cans and glue the three cans together. I used my glue gun.

Cover the top and sides of the can tower with black duct tape.

6. Cut an 8" diameter circle of black foam core board. Cut it in half, then in half again.

Glue two quarter-circles on top of the other two, forming two double-thick quarter-circles.

7. Cut two blue, two red, and two green 2" by 1.5" paper rectangles with the corners rounded on one short end. 

8. Cut four small triangles out of black foam core board. Glue together in pairs. Glue/tape to both sides of the top can along the outside edge.

9. Glue the rounded rectangles onto the foam core quarter-circles. Glue gun the quarter-circles to the sides of the middle can.

DONE. "PJ Masks all shout 'hooray', 'cause in the night we saved the day!"

Lego NEXO KNIGHTS Sword

To pair with the Lego "NEXO KNIGHTS" shield that I made for my son, I also designed and built a sword. These instructions can be adapted to make all sorts of designs.


MATERIALS
- cardboard: flat pieces, scraps, 1" tube
- scissors, exacto knife
- white glue
- glue gun and sticks
- grey/silver duct tape
- colored duct tape
- ruler, pencil

1. For the blade and tang (section that goes inside the handle/hilt), mark and cut out four pieces of cardboard that are 16" in total length, 3" wide for 10" of length (blade) and 1" wide for 6" of length (tang). Mark the center at the end of the blade and 1.5" down each side, connect to form two triangles, and cut away the triangles to form a tip on the blade.

2. Glue the four pieces together.

3. Wrap all the sides and edges of the blade and a bit of the tang with grey duct tape.

4. Cut the 1" tube to 6" long. Trim a bit of the edge off the tang so that the tube will slide over it.

5. For the cross-guard, cut three pieces of cardboard 2" wide by 5" long and trim away a 1" by 1/2" triangle from all four corners. Cut a hole in the center that is just big enough for the tang to fit through (approximately 1" x 1/2"). Check to make sure the tang fits through.

Glue the three pieces together. Cover in grey duct tape.

Slide the cross-guard onto the tang and glue in place.

6. Cut 2 pieces of cardboard approximately 1/2" wide and 5.5" long. Glue one to each side of the tang. Let dry.

7. Cover the 1" tube with colored duct tape. Put glue on all sides of the tang and slide the tube over top. Let dry.

DONE.

Lego NEXO KNIGHTS Shield

Ever since my son watched "Lego NEXO KNIGHTS", he has been running around the house slaying monsters, rescuing people, and performing other knightly duties. To help him in his quests, I designed and built him his very own shield.

You are welcome to use the following ideas and techniques to build your own style of shield.

There are tonnes of NEXO KNIGHTS shield crest pictures online that you can print off or copy if you don't want to design your own crest. There are also coloring pages on the official Lego webpage that you can print off and have your kid(s) color and design their own crest.

MATERIALS
- cardboard: flat pieces, scraps, tubes (approximately 1" and 1/2", if you can find)
- colored paper: yellow, your main color, accent color
- scissors, exacto knife
- white glue
- spray glue or paper glue stick
- glue gun and sticks
- grey/silver duct tape
- clear contact paper (mactac)
- pencil, ruler

1. Cut 4 cardboard rectangles that are 12" x 8". Mark the center of one 8" side. Measure and mark 3" from that end along both 12" sides. Draw lines from the 3" marks to the center mark, forming two triangles. Cut away the triangles to get the shield shape. Repeat for all four rectangles.

2. Glue the four shield shapes together on top of one another with white glue. Put something heavy on them to keep them flat while they dry.

3. Cut a yellow rectangle that is 12" x 8". Mark the center of one 8" side. Measure and mark 3" from that end along both 12" sides. Draw lines from the 3" marks to the center mark, forming two triangles. Cut away the triangles to get the shield shape.

Cut a rectangle from your accent color that is 11" x 7". Mark the center of one 7" side. Measure and mark 2 5/8" from that end along both 11" sides. Draw lines from the side marks to the center mark, forming two triangles. Cut away the triangles to get the shield shape.

Cut a rectangle from your main color that is 10" x 6". Mark the center of one 6" side. Measure and mark 2 1/4" from that end along both 10" sides. Draw lines from the side marks to the center mark, forming two triangles. Cut away the triangles to get the shield shape.

4. On the back of the main color, mark lines 1/2" from the outside edge on the top and long sides. Mark lines 1/4" from the outside edge on the two angled sides at the bottom.

Around the long sides and top, mark squares and rectangles in 1/2" increments within the 1/2" border you marked. The pattern can be symmetrical or random. Look at pictures online for inspiration. Once you're happy, cut out some of the squares and rectangles from the edge. Cut away the 1/4" area you marked along the two angled sides.

Add your design in the center. I drew mine on the back and cut out the pieces, allowing the accent color to show through. You can draw on the front, apply stickers, or glue on printed pictures.

5. Use paper glue or spray glue to attach the main color shield onto the accent color shield and the accent color shield onto the yellow shield.

Cover the front of the layered paper shield with clear contact paper. I had some with squares embossed on it that gives the shield a digital look.

6. Wrap the edge of the cardboard shield with duct tape.

Glue the layered paper shield to one side.

7. Cover the opposite side of the shield with duct tape.

8. From scrap cardboard, cut 18 rectangles that are 1" x 1.5". Fold the rectangles in half width-wise (to look like little books).

From the 1" diameter cardboard tube, cut two pieces 1/2" long.

From the 1/2" diameter cardboard tube, cut two pieces 1" long.

9. Cover the outsides and edges of 14 of the little rectangles with duct tape.

10. Cut two corners off of each of the remaining four little rectangles. They should look like little shields with a vertical fold down the middle.

Use duct tape to attach one little shield piece to one little rectangle piece (so that they look like a little hockey stick shape), covering the outside and edges with tape. Repeat for a second little shield and rectangle pair.

Use duct tape to cover and attach together the remaining two little shield shapes into a V-shape, covering the outside and edges with tape.

11. Center one of the 1/2" diameter cardboard tube pieces inside one of the 1" diameter cardboard tube pieces. Fill between them with scrap cardboard. Fill inside the 1/2" diameter cardboard tube piece with scrap cardboard. Repeat with the other two tube pieces.

Cover both tube pairs with duct tape.

12. Using a glue gun, attach the pieces from steps 8-11 around the edges of the shield as follows:
BOTTOM POINT: V-shape
ANGLED CORNERS: hockey stick shape
LONG EDGES: rectangle flush with the top of the edge, three rectangles between that one and the angled corner
ANGLED EDGES: two rectangles between the angled corner and the bottom point
TOP EDGE: tube pairs at both corners

13. Cut three 1" wide strips of cardboard: 4" long, 6" long, and 8" long. On the 8" piece, fold the ends up 1" from the end and down 2" from the end. On the 6" piece, fold the ends down 1" from the end. Glue the 6" strip on top of the 8" strip and the 4" strip under the 8" strip, so that the middle 4" is three layers of cardboard, the next inch on both sides is two layers of cardboard, and the inch at both ends is a single layer of cardboard. (I used binder clips to hold the strips while the glue dried.)

Cover in duct tape.

14. Glue and tape the handle to the back of the shield.

DONE! Raise the shield to the air in victory.

Stay tuned for a tutorial on making a matching sword.

DIY TRANSFORMERS Rescue Bots Blades the Helicopter Pinata

My son loves the TV show "Rescue Bots" and has requested a "Transformers" birthday party this year. After some inspiration from Pinterest, I took on the ambitious project of building a helicopter pinata that looked like the character "Blades".



Materials
- images of "Blades" for reference
- balloon
- strips of newspaper/flyers
- lots of white glue (or a mixture of 1 part warm water, 1 part flour)
- two bowls/dishes (one for the glue, one for balancing the balloon while you cover it)
- tissue paper: white, orange, blue
- strong string
- candy (individually wrapped), small toys, etc. for filling pinata
- foam core board or sturdy cardboard
- acrylic paint: white, orange, blue
- optional: printed "Rescue Bots" logo, other metallic decal/stickers
- optional: orange plastic bottle lid

1. Inflate the balloon until it is firm but not so much that it might pop. Ensure it is tied tightly. Prepare to get messy (cover your work surface with plastic or newspaper if you like). Put some glue in one dish and balance the balloon in the other. Dip the newspaper strips into the glue and remove the excess with your fingers. Lay the strips onto the balloon, overlapping slightly. Keep them as smooth as possible. Cover as much of the balloon as possible with the first layer. I let each layer dry in between but some tutorials recommend just doing all the layers at once and then letting the whole thing dry for a longer time - your choice. I did 6 layers, alternating the direction of the strips with each layer. Once the balloon is covered with all the layers and is dry, you should just have a small hole around the end of the balloon. If the balloon hasn't already began to deflate on its own, puncture it with a pin or needle and allow it to slowly deflate. Remove the deflated balloon. Sections of the pinata may be pulled inwards by the balloon if it is stuck to the glue - use a pencil, ruler or stick to push the section back out.




2. Paint the entire pinata white. Use a pencil to lightly mark the areas that will be orange (the top 1/4 of the balloon, when on its side) and blue (WINDSHIELD: the front half of the balloon, far end from the opening). Paint these areas orange and blue. Allow all the paint to dry. Do a second coat if necessary.



3. Cut two inch strips of tissue paper (all three colors), snip along one long edge approximately every 1/2 inch and about 1 inch deep. You can snip several strips at once. Don't worry about precision. Starting at the back of the balloon (hole end), glue the strips of white tissue paper with the fringe edge towards the back (hole end), from just over the edge of the orange on one side around to the other. Overlap the strips approximately 1 inch, working your way towards the front of the balloon. Make sure you don't use too much glue and leave the fringe edge loose. Cover all the area you painted white and put one row of white over the blue. Continue with the blue tissue paper until you have all the blue covered and one strip over the front of the orange. Proceed to cover the orange area with the orange tissue paper strips in circles from the blue/white up to the center of the top.



4. Carefully poke two small holes approximately 1.5 inches on either side of the very top of the pinata. Thread a three-foot (1 meter) long string through (I used a stiff wire to guide it). I put a circle of white foam core board covered in white tissue paper on the top of the pinata, between the holes. (Cardboard will work too. Paint it white before applying the tissue paper.)



5. PROPELLER: Cut two long strips of foam core board or cardboard the same size (approximately 2 feet long and 3 inches wide). Glue them together. Once the glue is dry, paint them orange. Once the paint is dry, cover the entire thing with orange tissue paper strips. Once it's dry, poke a small hole in the exact center. Thread both ends of the string from the top of the pinata through this hole. Poke/drill a hole through the orange bottle lid and thread both ends of the string through it. Tie a large knot to secure the strip of foam core board/cardboard and lid down to the top of the pinata. (You can skip the lid or use a different color lid.)



6. Glue a "Rescue Bots" logo on the blue near the front underside of the pinata (optional). FLOATS: On the bottom of the pinata, poke two small holes approximately three inches on either side of the center. Cut 8 strips of foam core board or cardboard (paint white) about 1 foot long and 3 inches wide. Glue them together as two sets of four. Paint the top side orange.Cover the sides/edges with white tissue paper strips (hanging down). Cover the top with orange tissue paper strips. Once dry, poke a small hole in the exact center of each.








7. Thread the ends of the string from the bottom of the pinata through these holes (orange side towards the pinata). Tie large knots in the ends of the string to secure the pieces of foam core board/cardboard to the bottom of the pinata. Trim away the excess string.





8. Poke a small hole on either side of the hole at the back end of the pinata. Fill the pinata with candy, toys, etc.




9. Use some scraps of foam core board/cardboard that will fit through the hole. Poke holes through them and thread a foot-long piece of string through them. Put this assembly inside and pull the string ends through the holes in the pinata. (See picture.)



10. TAIL: Build a tail out of three layers of foam core board/card board (painted white), referring to pictures of "Blades". Make the end that will be attached to the pinata the same size as your hole. (You may have to trim the hole bigger for the tail to be strong enough and the right scale.) Paint the orange areas orange. Cover with white and orange tissue paper strips. Add the circular parts, covered in white tissue paper. Once assembled and dry, poke a small hole through approximately 3/4 inches from the end that will attach to the pinata. Thread one end of the string from the back end of the pinata through the hole. Apply glue to the edge/end of the tail and poke it inside the hole against your scrap assembly inside. Tie the ends of the string together tightly, pulling everything together to secure it. Add stickers to the center of the circles on the tail if you want.



11. Fill in around the tail with half-circles of foam core board/cardboard (painted white) and white tissue paper, covering the hole and the string/knot.





12. DONE! Whew! This took me a long time to assemble. Take your time, refer to your pictures of "Blades" often, and use longer strings than you think you need. 

NOTE: If your kid(s) want to help, depending on their age(s), they can fill the pinata with candy or perform any of the other steps that you feel they are able to, but be cautious about having them poke the holes or doing other cutting.

Also, you can alter the color scheme, logos, and tail design however you want and build any other kind of helicopter using this method. The key is reference photos so that you end up with something that looks like what you had in mind.