How to build a Strawberry Shortcake Car!

Need to build a car?? No problem! Get the kids together and have some FUN!
This was my friend's daughter's kindergarten "transportation" project (I know, kinder project??) She asked me if I could help and I jumped at the opportunity! I love these sort of projects! She has three kids, so we got the whole family together and built a strawberry shortcake car!!

Here are some pictures and some tips if you ever plan on doing this--or have to do this for a school project haha. (Break it up and do one step each day--or in our case, one day out of the week for one month.)

STEP 1: STRUCTURE  |  Materials: Cardboard + Masking Tape
NO GLUE NECESSARY. I don't bother with glue because it's messy and takes too long to dry. Masking tape is strong enough to hold the car together until you can paper mache it. To do curves and bends, just score the cardboard AGAINST (perpendicular) the grain of the cardboard. Score it deep enough to cut the first and part of the middle layer but NOT the last layer of the cardboard.

I let them draw on it while I was constructing some of the harder sections of the car--so that's why there's purple marker everywhere haha. they're all artists ;)

STEP 2: PAPER MACHE  |  Materials: Liquid Starch + Newsprint Paper
Liquid Starch can be found in the Laundry Detergent aisle. (Blue bottle at Walmart!) Just tear newsprint paper (found at Michaels Craft Store) long ways (it'll be easier to tear one way than the other) and soak it in starch. Use your fingers to remove excess starch and cover the entire car!

  THEN IT DRIES WHITE--and gets super sturdy as well!

STEP 3: PAINTING  |  Materials: Tempera Paint or Acrylic Paint
Tempera/Acrylic paint is thicker than washable paints so you'll only need to paint one coat.
(After we painted it, we cut out strawberry seeds on cardstock paper and glued them on the seat area)

STEP 4: DETAILS  |  Materials: Whatever comes to mind!! Let your creative juices FLOW!
We did:
--License plates (front and back) with glitter foam sticker paper (just cut it out with scissors).
--Felt Strawberry with craft felt and pillow stuffing
--Wheels: Painted 4 ply strathmore (super heavy cardstock)
--Ribbon for the straps so that she can wear it
--Felt + Reflective paper for the "side mirrors"

STEP 5: THE PARADE!
The car was for Christin (if you haven't guessed already haha)--who also happened to be "Friend of the Week" in her kindergarten class, so she got to be line leader at the parade! She's so adorable!! AH!

They had a racing flag and the mayor came out to start the parade. I couldn't go because of work, but I wish  was there!!! All the kids with their transportation projects parading around the school?? Ah, sounds so fun!

Now that the project is all done, I'm just super glad that the kids had fun!! And now, when they see newsprint paper they think "paper mache!" haha soooo cute. I hope they'll forever remember me as the "fun auntie Hannah who made a strawberry shortcake car with them" ;)

Questions? Just leave a comment and I'll get back to you!