A Christmas Train: A Tabletop Decoration

A Christmas Train: A Tabletop Decoration

This Christmas Train makes a beautiful tabletop decoration. The train consists of an engine, a coal car and a caboose. I put some cotton bellowing from the smoke stack in the engine to add some interest. It is 7 1/2 inches long when all of the cars are connected to one another. I added three presents to the coal car.  Each present is large enough to contain one Christmas Mint M&M.  My granddaughter was thrilled to open the tiny present and eat the treat when I gave her the train as a delightful addition to her home's holiday decorations.

Here is the PDF file. I  used Echo Park Santa Claus Lane paper from a 6 x6 Mega Pad which was a double sided paper.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vlSCzPB4df_BRMD8bpSm51J_fB2yrb1P/view?usp=sharing

Here is the .Studio file.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1c-rLMa2LRbffyfMZKW2dC1PAbckwEacA/view?usp=sharing

Here is the SVG. The design extends past the viewable area.  Zoom out to see the entire file.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/11gff0NmZoJDvoPr_pwm1zS80IMRnDzY4/view?usp=sharing

Cut out all of the pieces for the engine. Crease and glue the engine together.

Make the smoke stack. Insert and glue into the engine. Crease, fold and glue the curved engine pieces together.  One curved piece on either side. Glue on the engine light.

Crease the base as shown above. Glue and align the wheels onto the base.  The holes in the wheel should align with the hole in the base.

Glue the base to the undercarriage of the train. Align and glue the four big wheels.

Crease the roof tabs outward. 

Align and glue the roof to the engine.

Make the caboose with the same methods as used above.

The undercarriage is aligned as shown above.

Make the coal car using the same methods as before.

Completed coal car.  Make some presents to put into the coal car.

The hitch is made with a strip of folded paper as shown above. Insert the folded paper into the hitch by inserting it on a diagonal and turning to align it.  The tabs will be glued on either side of the square.  Insert the hitch from the previous car. The hitch needs to be inserted on the diagonal and then turned.  This motion will lock the hitch into place to connect the cars without slipping out easily.

Add a piece of a cotton from a cotton ball to the smoke stack to complete the train tabletop decoration.