How to Build a Caravan

Necklaces, brooches and earrings of this caravan are now available in my shop. Please take a look.

For a new project I’m working on, I just created a small caravan. It took me a while to work out the details, but in case you ever want to build one yourself, here I summarised how to make one in 7 easy steps.

1) Sketch out the basic shape on foamboard.
2) Put all parts together. You can either use glue or I prefer small pins which will create a good solid structure.
3) Cover the window openings with paper, using PVA to glue them in place.

4) Cover the foamboard with paper.

5) Create the window frames and tires, saving time by using a circle cutter for the tyres.

Just a bit more decorating fun and you are done:

6) Make a bumper bar out of paper and glue it onto a thin strip of mountboard. Now glue the mountboard onto your caravan which will give you a lovely little shadow and adds some extra three-dimensionality to your work.
A 4mm hole punch helps to create perfectly round lights in no time, which will make a great addition to your bumper bar.
Using strips of paper, create a simple tow-bar and glue it onto the opposite site of the van.

7) This leaves just the door. I took inspiration from the traditional Airstream models, where part of the door opens separately revealing a flyscreen behind it. Again I used mountboard covered with paper to get this extra bit of three-dimensionality. My flyscreen is drawn straight onto paper. The flyscreen door is stuck in place with a fine strip of double sided tape (see first two pictures). Add some darker paper to black out the windows and Voila! – your caravan is finished.