Idea 18: Gas O’Saurus Full Service Station

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Crafty Time

By Dave Pierik, Shelton-Mason County Journal

Gas O’Saurus Full Service

Happy Tree City is a car lover’s kind of town, so it needs a full service gas station. Let’s build one from scratch! Time: about 6-10 hours or so total, will vary depending on how detailed you want to get. Cost: about ^$1 worth of glue, paint and craft sticks (cardboard is free!)

Tools: ruler & marker, scissors, paintbrushes.

Materials: Corrugated and thin cardboard, regular sand, popsicle sticks, bamboo skewers, flat and round toothpicks, plastic straws, masking tape, paper signs, school glue, acrylic paints, clear plastic (from window envelopes, for window glass), small round beads.

1. Walls and floor

Use thin cardboard for walls to make details like windows easier, and corrugated cardboard for a strong floor and roof. The garage base and roof are 6”wide x 4” deep. The height is 3 ½” tall. The back wall is 5 ¾” wide x 3 ½” tall. Two side walls are 3 3/4” wide. For the office, fold a 4” wide x 3 ½” piece in half so the back wall is 2” wide. Glue and clamp with masking tape. The gas base and roof are 3” x 6”.

2. Lifts and pumps

Measure and cut the office front wall, 2” wide x 3 ½” tall with a cutout for the door and window. Glue and clamp. On the gas side, cut 4 bamboo skewers to 4”. Measure and mark ½” from the long edge and 1 ½” in from the short edge. Poke pole ends into the marks, glue in and let dry. Cut 1” from both sides of 4 popsicle/craft sticks for gas pumps and car lifts. Brace to make an “H” and glue a straw piece to one.

3. Mechanics’ creepers

For boards, cut 3 cardboard rectangles, ¾” wide x 1” long. Pillows are ½” square, glue on. Lift with toothpicks and glue small beads for wheels. Let dry, and then carefully remove excess glue. Base coat black then paint boards and pillows red, dry-brush with white to bring out detail. Cut down round toothpicks, poke into the walls and glue in for shop wall mounts for these cool mechanics’ creepers.

4. Windows, doors & paint

Cut out holes for windows, glue on ¾” x 1 ½” tall thin card doors for interior, sides and back. Base coat walls white, floor grey and roof black. Using thicker clear plastic cut a ¾” x 1 ½” door for the front office door. Glue on and cut sections of round toothpicks for hinges, and flat toothpick for the door handle. Cut a straw lengthwise and glue to the edges of the roofs. Glue garage roof and door on last. Add signs.

5. Fun final touches

Glue windows on, finish details and enjoy! You can invent a fun brand and mascot like I did with Gus, the friendly Gas O’Saurus T-Rex bagpiper.

For questions, tips and information (including the Happy Tree signs art featured here), please email dave@masoncounty.com with your feedback. Visit the Journal office to see the display!