How To Make A Rubber-Band Powered Car in Fifteen Easy Steps

Materials:
10 popsicle sticks
4 CDs
15 cm X 15 cm piece of cardboard
1 straw
1 wooden skewer

2 small binder clips

1 paper fastener
Rubber bands (one long or 2-3 short)
Two balloons

Shared Materials: Hot glue gun/glue sticks, masking tape

Step One: FIRST PIECE (1st axle)
Use the hot glue gun to glue three popsicle sticks together like this (there should be about 3 cm of
stick on either side of the pair of sticks pointing the same way):

3 cm

0.5 cm
Step Two: SECOND PIECE (2nd axle)
Use the hot glue gun to glue six popsicle sticks together like this (note which sticks are on top, and
which are on the bottom). Note distances sticks extend past glue points.
1.5 cm

1. 0 cm

2.0 cm overlap

Step Three:
Cut three pieces off the straw: two 2.0 cm pieces, and one 5 cm piece.

5cm

2cm

2cm

Step Four:

5cm

Glue the pieces of straw to the popsicle stick structures, like this:

2cm
2cm

Step Four:
Cut the cardboard into EIGHT 3cm x 3cm squares. Use a pencil or a nail to poke a SMALL hole in
the center of each square.
3 cm

3 cm

Step Five:
Cut the skewer into a 14 cm piece and a 9 cm piece.

14 cm

Step Seven:
Use the hot glue gun to glue
ONE cardboard square
onto the center of EACH CD.

9 cm

Step Eight:
Put a blob of glue on one end of the 14 cm skewer. Then, push the skewer through the hole in the
cardboard on ONE of the CDs.
CD

Skewer

Cardboard
Square

Step Nine
Glue a SECOND cardboard square to the other side of the CD. Make sure the skewer is all the
way through the hole. Add extra glue on each side to make sure the CD/wheel is attached to the
skewer/axle.

Repeat Steps 8 and 9 with one CD and the 9 cm skewer

Step Ten
2cm

Run the 14 cm skewer

through the two pieces
of straw on the larger
popsicle stick structure

2cm

Step Eleven
Use another cardboard square to attach the second CD/Wheel to the skewer/axle. Make sure you
use enough glue!

2cm
2cm

Step Twelve

5cm

Repeat Steps 10 and 11 with the CD/Wheel attached to the 9 cm skewer/wheel.

Step Thirteen
Wrap the two prongs of the paper fastener around the 14 cm skewer/axle. Then, cover the fastener
with glue. Finally, place a blob of glue on the axle between the wheel and the straw holding the
axel (see arrows in diagram below). MAKE SURE YOU DONT GLUE THE AXLE TO THE
STRAW!

Blob of glue
2cm
2cm

Blob of glue

Step Fourteen
Tape the rubber band to the popsicle stick at the front of the larger popsicle stick structure

2cm

Tape

Rubber Band

2cm

Step Fifteen
Use the two binder clips to join the font and back halves of your car together.

5cm

Join frame of
car with binder
clips here
And here. . .

2cm

2cm

Very Last Part!

Stretch 2 balloons. Cut 1 balloon, so you have a ring. With two people (easiest), stretch
balloon over edges of back wheel (see example at front of room). Repeat for other back
wheel.