When the snow arrived last week, we found ourselves without a sled. With the amount of snow, we get each year it never occurred to us to buy one for JDaniel. Thankfully I remembered using cardboard sled during a Let’s Pretend session at the library in the fall. Once I had gathered the materials it was so easy to put together.
Materials:
- 4 or 5 feet of rope or clothesline
- A cardboard box
- A pencil
- A yardstick
Directions:
-
- Fold a cardboard box flat (Having 2 layers adds strength to the sled)
- Using a yardstick mark seven inches from the front of the box on the left and right sides with a pencil. (This will be where the rope enters the sled from the handle.)
- Using a yardstick mark seventeen inches from the front of the box on the left and right sides with a pencil. (This will where the handle begins.)
- Using a yardstick mark twenty-two inches from the front of the box on the left and right sides with a pencil. (This will be where the handle ends.)
- Using a yardstick mark twenty-four inches from the front of the box on the left and right sides with a pencil. (This will be where the rope comes back up from the underside of the sled so that it doesn’t drag and slow the sled down.
- Using a knife or scissors carve a hole of about two inches just inside each of the marks.
- Fold the rope in half in front of the sled to ensure you will have the same amount of rope threaded through both sides of the cardboard.
- Beginning on the left-hand side thread the rope down through the first hole.
- Thread the rope up through the second hole and then down through the third. Leave enough of the rope sticking up between the second and third holes to create a handle.
- Thread the rope up through the fourth hole and tie a loose knot to keep the rope in place.
- Repeat steps 8-10 on the right side of the sled.
- Adjust the tension of the rope under the sled to keep the rope as tight on under section as possible while still having comfortable handles and enough rope for the handle to pull.
- Tighten the knots above the fourth holes when the rope is as you would like it.
This post is linked to ABC and 123: Show and Tell and Show and Tell Saturday.
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Necessity the mother of invention right? Great sled! When we were little we would use trash bags bc they were so slippery. But boy did they hurt the bum!!
Cardboard sleds are the best!
woohoo I love it! I could have used this tutorial in college.. we never had sleds!
Hi! Visiting from a post by Our Homeschool Fun. Have a wonderfully blessed day!
You made it pretty darn sturdy too. That’s so great!
Way to use your creativity!
Very fun!!
I sent you an e-mail, D–your original got sent to my junk mail, for some mysterious reason!!
Way to think outside the box! (Pun intended. I crack myself up.) Looks like he had fun!
Hi, I am stumbiling on you from http://www.madamedeals.com
Great idea. We’ve had snow where I live for the first time in years and my girls have loved going to school by sledge.
Too cute! Now I’m wishing we had snow so I can make a cardboard sled for E too!
looks like he had a lot of fun sledding!!!
p/s. thanks for stopping by. If you make the snowman pancakes let me know, would love to see a pic!!!
Way to be creative! Stumbling from STT (and following you!).
Kristin 🙂
Keenly Kristin
Look at you go girl! That is so cool and right up my price 🙂
It looks like fun!!
Never heard of a cardboard sled…that’s terrific.
Where we live you have at least 10 sleds per home.
Moms are some of the smartest most creative people on earth!
I love it!
And you can always recycle with other boxes!
That’s a great idea. I love it. All we need some snow now.
In college some kids would use the lunch trays as sleds. I think a box is even a better idea.
FUN! I remember cardboard sleds and one time my neighbor pulled us behind a lawntractor on the hood that had been removed from a car. LOL
This is awesome! It would have been super helpful when we were in Italy!
When I go sledding I use a grain shovel.. Sit on the shovel with handle in front of you..hang onto shovel and pick up your feet.. Easy to carry back up the hill.
You are very smart mama..cardboard box… good idea..Did you go to the Reedy River? Did you have lunch at the Hot Dog Place on Mainstreet? They have the best hot dogs.. Bought Ben a T-shirt from there..
Have a great time in the snow.. it won’t last in South Carolina..
ta ta for now from Iowa….
Thats great that you remembered that! I probably wouldn’t have thought of that. I had never thought to buy my son a sled either because it would rarely, if ever, be used. Luckily we had my husband’s body board thing from his days of visiting Myrtle Beach when he had time off from the Army. Lol, is that even the right word for it? Its one of those short things you lay on in the ocean to ride waves. It was slick styrofoam and lightweight, and my son doesnt weigh much, so with the layer of ice on top of the snow he really flew down the hills. I was terrified. haha
Great idea…!
Terrific idea!!New follower via Twitter & GFC~Shari~Following you from the Thursday’s Friends & Giveaways Hop
http://www.1grown2togo.blogspot.com
I think this would be more fun than a store-bought sled!
Looks like a fun ride!
This is a great idea! I wonder if it works on sand dunes too?! I’ve featured this post on my round up of Project Recycle and Create – Cardboard Boxes! http://peaklepie.com/cardboard-boxes-project-recycle-create Thanks again!
We used to make sleds like this when I was a kid!