Craft a Vintage Camper for The Tree

The finished retro camper ornament.

       Retro campers are not only popular these days for camping in, they are also very popular in textile design, home decor, children's books etc. so I've decided to make one for the Christmas tree as well!

 Supply List:

• acrylic paints: blue, black, white, grey
• tiny beads or buttons shaped like flowers
• one recycled pop bottle cap
• thin wooden craft sticks
• cardboard
• template for camper

 Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. First, you will need to download and print my template for the camper. The link is above in the supply list.
2. Trace around the cut template on top of cardboard with a pencil.
3. Cut out the cardboard and begin to brush on a light coat of white school glue to the backsides of thin craft sticks. 
4. Line these up, side-by-side, allowing for some of the longer lengths of the sticks to hang off to the side of the cardboard template. 
5. Clamp down the craft sticks and allow the glue to dry.
6. Clip off the excess wooden parts with utility scissors. (see photo below)
7. Once you have covered the entire cardboard piece with craft sticks, sand the edges.
8. Glue on more craft sticks vertically to make the door of the camper. 
9. Glue on thin slices of cardboard to make a frame for the window and door. 
10. Cut extra craft sticks short for the awning of the window frame and the wheel well.
11. Cover the bootle cap with masking tape and then layer glue and brown wrapping paper on top. 
12. Paint the wheel and hot glue it under the wheel well from the back side of the ornament, just beneath a short craft stick. (see photos below)
13. Hot glue a tow bar made from left over craft sticks and paint this gray and black.
14. Now add more paint details like: curtains inside the window and another window inside the door panel. 
15. Hot glue on floral beads below the window awnings to look like there is a flower box there.
16. Paint the window awnings in stripe pattern.
17. Hot glue on twine for a hanger.

The first part of this craft begins with a template and with gluing on long narrow craft sticks.
You can see that I used clamps to prevent the craft sticks from warping while these dried.

Left, the finished wooden, retro camper prior to painting. 
Right the wheel is a bottle cap that has been painted. 
See also the details added to my camper's window.

Left, is the backside of the ornament. You can see how I attached a bottle cap wheel.
Right, the ornament is ready to hang on a Christmas tree.