Making a washing machine out of paper

Making a washing machine out of paper All children show interest in household appliances, and the washing machine is no exception. Often, daughters and sons do not leave the machine, and parents have to either control the game with an “adult” machine, or find a replacement. In the latter case, we are talking about a children's version of the washing machine. You can buy toy equipment, but it’s cheaper to make a washing machine out of paper or cardboard with your own hands. Let's look at what you need and how to glue it in detail.

Simple toy out of the box

The simplest version of a paper washing machine is a duplicate made from a cardboard box. For this craft you will need any empty packaging of a suitable size, scissors, a stationery knife, glue, a marker and polyethylene. The former is easy to ask for at any grocery store, and the latter are always available in the house. It takes about 30-40 minutes to make a toy.

You can make a toy washing machine from an empty cardboard box in 30 minutes!

The washing toy is made according to the following instructions:

cover the box with paper or paint it (if you don’t like the original color);
draw the facade of the machine with a simple pencil;
mark the location for the future hatch (it is better to attach suitable sized plates to get perfect circles);
depict the dashboard (duplicate buttons, switches, icons, powder receptacle);
outline the outlines with a bright marker;
use a knife to cut a smaller circle of the “hatch”, acting as carefully as possible;
cut a large circle, leaving a “loop” in the middle on the left - 4-5 cm (this is how the door will open and close);
on polyethylene or a stationery file, outline a smaller cut out circle, then add 1.5 cm to the diameter and cut out a circle (this will be the glass of the hatch);
glue the “glass” to the hatch from the inside.

All! The toy washing machine is ready. There is enough functionality for children's fun: you can open the door, load laundry into the “drum” and press the buttons. This way, the child will be able to “do laundry” safely, imagining himself as his mother’s assistant.

Toy with drum and powder tray

For older and more demanding children, there is a more complex version of a toy washing machine - with a retractable tray, a rotating programmer and a drum. Manufacturing will require more time and materials, but the analogue will almost completely replicate the real technology. First, let's prepare the consumables:

cardboard box;
wide plastic bottle;
an empty baby juice pack;
lid from a plastic container;
two deep disposable plates;
wrapping or plain white paper.

The dashboard of a toy car should resemble an adult “tidy”.

You will also need scissors, PVA glue, felt-tip pens, tape, old rags or bags. Is everything collected? Then we begin to make a washing machine for dolls.

We cut off the neck of the bottle so that the remaining part fits in the prepared box.
We wrap the bottle with foil outside and inside.
We cut a hole in the box for the programmer and insert the cut neck of the bottle into it (close the lid from the outside with a drop of glue - it will hold on and rotate).
We attach a juice pack to the box and cut out a hole for the dispenser.
Cut out the bottom of the plates.
Between the plates we fix a plastic cover cut to the template - this is the hatch door.
We make a hole in the box for the drum and hatch.
We insert the drum bottle and secure it with rags, bags and tape.
We make two holes on the “hatch” and fix it to the body with wire.
On the other side of the plates we make a lock from a ring from a key fob.
We cover the product with paper (it is better to use self-adhesive wallpaper or cover the box with thick paint).
We transform a pack of juice into a powder receptacle (cut off the top part, glue the outer sides, make a recess-handle).
We fix the resulting powder receptacle in the box (be sure to glue larger pieces of cardboard on both sides so that the tray does not pull out completely from the machine).
We draw the dashboard of the washing machine (power button, timer, several modes and other keys).

As a result, you get an almost complete duplicate of an adult washing machine. The child will be able to repeat the entire washing process: add laundry, add powder, turn the program selector. What is important is that due to the wire fastenings on the door, a separate powder receptacle and a button-lid, such a toy will last a long time.

Play Big Wash with your child

It will not be difficult for a child to play with a new washing machine - constant observation of adults will tell the essence of “washing”. However, mom and dad can diversify the activity and introduce developmental moments into it. So, it is recommended to give the child the following tasks during the game:

sort laundry items for dolls by color before loading them into the machine;
start the “wash”, measuring the time on the clock;
load the machine with both hands;
“wash” the washing machine with a dry cloth;
hang clothes on the dryer, securing them with clothespins.

While playing laundry, your child will learn how to sort things, colors and timing, as well as learn to wait and care for equipment!

A cardboard washing machine will become an interesting and useful toy, the main thing is to help the child master its “functionality”. Then even a fake machine will allow your child to develop self-service skills, master sorting things, remember colors and types of fabric, and also learn to wait and measure time.