We’ve done projects in the past that are meant to clear out the craft bin; this project is similar, except was meant to clear out the tool box! Now’s the chance to use all those spare parts you might have lying around (think: paper clips, brads, washers, corks, screws, and bits of yarn).

As a base for Travis’s pals, we used spare pieces of wood from a relative’s woodshop. If you don’t have wood scraps, rinsed out metal cans work great, too; just add tape around the rim to cover any sharp edges.

Travis worked on the layout for each “sidekick”, deciding where the spare parts should go. He particularly wanted to use a cork as a big nose for one!

I then handled the assembly since it involved hot glue. If your child wants to tackle the project solo, use glue dots instead.

These sidekicks were ready to play!