toy sailboat plans

18 Homemade Toy Boats Plans You Can DIY Easily

Is your kid looking forward to his next watercraft science project? Or, do you want to build them a fun toy boat that floats for the best bath experience for them? Whatever be your reason, we’ve got your back!

Find 18 DIY toy boat craft ideas in this post. From wooden toy boat DIYs for adults to completely kid-friendly projects for your child to replicate, we’ve got all the fantastic resources. Enjoy!

Table of Contents

1.   Make Fantastic Electric DIY Boats – 4 Ideas!

2.   diy wooden boat – balloon-powered, 3.   four fun ways to diy a toy boat, 4.   diy sponge boat for kids, 5.   diy a wooden toy boat using scrap wood, 6.   here’s how you make a diy toy boat, 7.   cost-effective shampoo bottle toy sail boat, 8.   woodworking for kids – diy a simple wooden toy boat, 9.   making simple toy boats – 4 simple ideas, 10.  diy water bottle toy boats, 11.  make a rubberband powered popsicle sticks boat, 12.  diy a toy sailboat for your next science project, 13.  a simple pop pop boat using household materials, 14.  7-step wooden toy boat tutorial, 15.  a candle powered homemade boat – 10 minutes easy diy, 16.  diy elastic band powered toy boat, 17.  how to make a cardboard pirate ship, 18.  simple rubberband powered wooden toy boat.

A DC motor, switch, battery, and wood scrap piece or a PVC board – once you have these supplies ready, follow this tutorial by BONG MAKER to DIY fantastic motor-powered toy boats. You’ll not only learn one method of DIYing a toy boat but four in this tutorial.

We must say, a true genius and fun project for your next DIY session!

Balloon-powered toy boats – how crazy is that? Be it to please your inner child or your kids, this DIY wooden boat tutorial by Adventure In a Box will pass with flying colors.

You’ve provided all the information you’ll need for the project in this tutorial. All you need is readily available supplies, woodworking tools, and mediocre handyman skills.

Check More Details

This kid-friendly DIY toy boat tutorial by Yuro Ostr is excellent if you’re looking for a fun project to do with your children. From a simple balloon-powered boat to an electric styrofoam boat, this tutorial features four fantastic ways to build a toy boat. Do check it out!

Here’s how you make a fun DIY sponge boat for your kids for their bath time. In fact, with a little guidance, they probably can make this on their own. How great is that?

All the materials and tools required are listed in this post, followed by a step-by-step tutorial and documented images of the DIY process for your ease.

The Youtuber from Scrap Wood City DIYed a fabulous toy boat using scrap spruce pieces and an oak dowel. Unfortunately, unlike other easy DIYs, this project requires you to have at least basic woodworking tools and skills. If you follow this tutorial, do share your experience with us.

If this is your time attempt at DIYing a toy boat, this post by Seniorcare2share is a must-read!

From a toy boat out of milk bottles to pool noodles, this post features plenty of fantastic ways of DIY toy boat building, along with a brief process overview of each of them. And the great news is that almost all of these ideas are easily replicable, even if you’re a DIY beginner!

Do you have some empty shampoo bottles lying around your house? Turn them into toy sailboats to create merry memories with your child! This DIY idea is truly brilliant yet affordable.

All the construction parts and supplies are listed at the beginning of the video. The Youtuber has shared more information regarding the project in the description box. Do give it a read.

This DIY wooden toy boat idea by Adventure In a Box is a fantastic project for your next parent-kid DIY session. And the best part is that the process is incredibly easy.

Nevertheless, you might require a few woodworking tools for this DIY. All the materials and tools required are listed in the post for your ease.

This DIY features a simple rectangular boat built by an adorable kid Anselm . But you can always add more components such as exhaust funnels, cabins, or other components to refine the DIY further.

We understand that not every parent’s woodworking skill is on point. So, we present you another tutorial video by Yuri Ostr that features four brilliant toy boat ideas , three of which use Styrofoam and the final one using a soda can.

The great aspect of this DIY is that all ideas are simple, easy to replicate, and very kid-friendly. If your child loves DIYs, make sure you involve them during these projects. They’ll have a blast!

Here’s how you make a toy boat out of plastic bottles! This is a brilliant yet easy kid-friendly DIY toy boat. All you need is cardboard, duct tape, two water bottles, a colorful cut-out triangle, and that’s it!

And the best part is that if your kid is old enough to handle scissors with care, they can completely DIY this toy boat on their own. Just a little supervision will be enough.

If your kids are into popsicle stick crafts, we guarantee they love this cool elastic band paddled popsicle sticks boat DIY by DaveHax.

Easy to build, fantastic to look at, and is efficient to play with – what more do you want from a DIY tool boat? This tutorial features a clear step-by-step elaboration of the project. What’s more, if you’re a DIY and hacks fanatic, you’ll find this channel truly fascinating!

Did you know you could DIY a simple sailboat using wine corks? This project by Science American is great for your science-enthusiast kid. And the best part about this DIY is that the procedure is absolutely kid-friendly.

For your ease, the materials required are listed at the beginning of the project, followed by the procedure. Furthermore, this post gives the DIYer an insight into the mechanism of a boat and why this DIY toy boat works like one. We must say, an informational read!

DaveHax , in this tutorial, instructs you on DIYing a candle-powered pop pop boat . All you need is an empty cola can, juice cartoon, two straws, and blu-tack.

Supervise your kids on their attempt to replicate this amazing DIY or make them one if they’re very young. The Youtuber suggests his viewers use epoxy glue instead of blu-tack and waterproof paint the boat for this DIY boat to last longer. We hope it helps!

For those familiar to woodworking and who own woodworking tools, we’d definitely recommend them to build a wooden boat for their kids, as it lasts way longer. Here’s a written tutorial by Teacherben on Instructables.

The project features 7 steps along with step-by-step images documented throughout the DIY journey. If you’re confident in your handyman skill, this project should be easy to replicate.

Ignited Innovative Indian has come up with a great tutorial video where he builds a pop pop candle-powered boat. The great news is that you can DIY this boat in under 10 minutes! This project is a great idea to keep your baby or toddler busy during their bath times.

What’s more, if you and your kid are a fan of easy and fun DIYs like these, we guarantee you’ll love more videos by this channel .

Here’s another child-friendly tutorial on a simple elastic band-powered DIY toy boat. All you is an empty plastic container, glue, scissors, elastic band, and 3 craft sticks!

A great aspect of this DIY is that it can literally be completed in minutes. This DIY undoubtedly is a great science project for your kid.

What do kids like more than a boat? A pirate boat! While this DIY can be relatively more time-consuming and demanding, it looks totally worth it!

Follow along Mr S as he DIYs a fascinating pirate boat in this tutorial. One has to be quite detail-oriented to make as beautiful a pirate boat as the Youtuber makes. The only downside to this DIY – the pirate boat doesn’t actually float as some other toy boats we’ve talked about in this post do!

Now, if you want to DIY your kid a durable wooden boat but lack the skills to build a complex one, this written tutorial by Queen Bee Of Honey Dos is just for you!

Find all the material required and instructions for this project in detail in this post. Simple, easy-to-DIY yet functional and fantastic! How great is that?

How to make a toy wooden boat? How to make a toy boat out of plastic bottles? We believe we’ve provided you with all the appropriate resources where you’ll get your queries regarding DIY boat craft like these answered.

Do you have any other DIY toy boat ideas? Or, which of these 18 toy boat DIY projects did you find the most fun to replicate? Let us know in the comments. We’d love to interact with you!

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Wooden mini yacht.

Build a Wooden Mini Yacht this weekend.

• Time Required!: A weekend
• Print this Project

By Thomas Martin

Thomas martin.

When my son was 3 years old, I made a small bathtub boat with him, using scrap wood and a piece of dowel. It lasted much longer and got more of his attention than any dollar-store bath toy, and about six years later we decided to try building a larger boat for the pool and local ponds we fished.

Here’s the result of our experimentation: a simple and worthy pond sailer that’s rigged and scaled like a real yacht. You can build it in a weekend using readily available materials and tools.

Project Steps

Prepare the sailcloth..

It’s hard to find waterproof fabric that’s easy to cut and won’t fray. You can make your own by stretching ripstop nylon loosely over a frame or 2 hangers, and spraying it lightly (in a well-ventilated area) with polyurethane.

First spray up and down, and then back and forth, until the fabric is well coated but not saturated.

Let dry overnight.

Mark and cut the parts.

Download the project plan and print it at full size. Following the plan, measure and mark the mast, jib boom, and mainsail boom lengths on the ¼” dowel. Trace the hull from the printed pattern onto the top and 2 ends of the cedar block; cut templates or use carbon paper. Draw the keel and masthead crane patterns on the brass strips, and draw the bowser (rigging clip) pattern 8 times on the thin plastic.

Cut and drill all the parts. Any fine-tooth saw will cut the dowel, or you can roll it under an X-Acto blade and snap the score. Heavy-duty shears or a hacksaw will cut the brass; be sure to file away the sharp edges afterward. You can saw or file down the hull’s shape, then use a hobby knife or thin chisel to excavate the slot for the keel. Drill all holes, plus pilot holes for the screw eyes (in the hull, just poke pilot holes in by hand with a thumbtack).

Finally, file, sand, and smooth all parts. The more time you spend here, the better — especially if you plan to use a clear finish over the wood.

Mount the keel.

On the underside of the hull, mask both sides of the keel’s slot with tape. Wearing gloves, and in a well ventilated location, mix and spread some 5-minute epoxy into the slot using a scrap stick or wooden match.

Slide the keel into position and hold it there while the epoxy cures. You can square it up using a business card on each side.

Use a gloved finger to smooth the epoxy along the joint line, and fill any voids with more epoxy.

Finish the wood.

Finish the hull uniformly, or for a big-boat look, paint the outside of the hull and stain the deck.

Sand the hull with 100-grit paper over a sanding block, and again with 150-grit. Apply a first coat of paint or varnish, and re-sand with 180-grit before each subsequent coat.

For a stained deck, first paint the hull upside down, then re-sand the top perimeter to remove any overspray. Rub stain into the deck and edge, let dry, and coat with varnish or polyurethane.

For the mast and boom pieces, bevel the cut edges for a more finished look, then sand with fine grit to remove any fuzz. Stain if desired, and cover with at least 2 coats of varnish or polyurethane sealer, sanding lightly between coats.

Assemble the mast and booms.

Cut a slot in the top of the mast and glue in the masthead crane. Once that’s secure, follow the plan to install all screw eyes: 4 to the mast, 1 on the fore end of each boom, 1 more on the mainsail boom (for the boom vang), and 4 to the deck. Screw these in until the shank of the screw is completely into the wood.

Insert the brass brad down through the hole in the jib boom and bend it into a clew hook.

Use needle nose pliers to open the mainsail boom eye, hook it onto the eye on the mast, and close it. This forms the gooseneck, the joint that lets the boom swing from side to side (far left in the photo). Press the mast down into the hole in the deck with the masthead crane centered afterward, and tap it gently down into its hole with a hammer.

Add the sails.

After the sail material is dry, trace and cut it to the plan patterns. Lay the boat on its side on a hard surface with the masts and booms in place and fit the sails to the areas for rigging. For the grommets, cut a small X at each sail corner, insert a grommet up through the hole, press the cloth down around it, and tap the grommet flat with the eyelet tool until it firmly grips the cloth.

NOTE: It’s a good idea to practice setting grommets first with a couple of sailcloth scraps and extra grommets. It’s time for rigging. Knot and cut a short length of dacron line, thread it through a bowser, and string the boom vang. For these and all other knots, add a tiny drop of cyanoacrylate glue immediately after tying; the line is slippery and won’t hold knots otherwise.

Use 5″ lengths of line to tie each sail grommet to its corresponding screw eyelet or drilled hole with a square knot. You’ll need about 10″ for the top of the jib sail, which threads through 2 eyelets before tying off to the uphaul bowser.

Referring to the plans, tie the 4 lower connections on the booms first, and then add the upper lines for tension, so there are no wrinkles in the sails along the booms. Thread a bowser onto the jib uphaul as indicated: for their final tensions, you’ll adjust the jib using the uphaul at the top, and the mainsail using the boom vang.

For the backstay, tie in a long length of line at the masthead crane and install a bowser, routing the line through the eyelet at the stern.

Tighten the backstay and the sails so that they’re fairly tight but the mast is not bowed forward or aft. Finally, add the 2 lines called sheets. For these, cut two 15″ lines. Tie each one through the hole in the aft end of a boom, thread it through the sheet eyelet on the deck just underneath, then through 2 holes in a bowser, through the other sheet’s eyelet, and finally through the last hole in the bowser, doubleknotting the line.

NOTE: It’s important to tie the bowsers exactly as shown on the plan to make them work. The sheets let you adjust the angle (trim) of the sails — slack for downwind sailing or tight for crosswind — letting you cross a pond or pool in any direction that isn’t too close to directly upwind.

This project first appeared in MAKE Volume 20 , page 56.

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Welcome to Avada Magazine! Today is : September 17, 2024

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4 gift ideas for your teenage boy that will make you the coolest parent, make your own toy sailboat.

Homemade toys can be some of the most fun! Today we are discovering all of the best ways to make your own toy sailboat! We have done all of the hard work now all you need to do is pick one from this list or make them all and see which design makes the best sailboat.No kit-sets are involved with these make your own toy sailboat crafts making them all that more satisfying. Bath, creek, pool or a bucket of water in the sunshine it is hard to beat some old time sailboat fun.

1. Cork & Toothpicks

The design of this sailboat is simple, it is quick to make but works amazingly well. If you have corks to spare then this is the toy sailboat for you! Click here to read the full tutorial. 

2. Triple Cork Sailboat

This sailboat consists of three corks secured together with a couple of rubber bands and finished off with a toothpick and paper sail. A simple design which is sure to be a champion floater. Follow this link to read the full tutorial. 

3. Sponge Bath Boat Toy

How long will it float for? That is a fun game! This sponge sailboat is beyond cute, especially with the adorable cork sailors. Click here to read the full tutorial. 

4. Balsa Wood Sailboat

Balsa wood makes an ideal base for a floating sailboat. This is one fun sailboat for older children to make or for little ones with lots of help. Head over to Handmade Charlotte to find out more.

5. Margarine Tub Boat

make a self-propelled tug tub boat from an empty margarine container. Children will love painting and decorating their boat. Even better is watching it propel itself around the bath! Visit Red Ted Art to find out more.

6. Milk Carton Sailboat

Upcycle an empty milk carton into an amazing sailboat. We love upcycled crafts! Click here to find out more. 

7. Twig Boat Craft

Keep it traditional and make your toy sailboat from twigs gathered from the garden. Make a paper sail alternatively try using a leaf for some true nature play fun. Follow this link to find out more.

Click here to view our 6 Pirate Kids Crafts.

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Wooden Toy Boat

Introduction: Wooden Toy Boat

Step 1: Make the Template

Step 3: Rough Cutting

Step 4: Shaping

I built a simple jig a while back so that my belt sander can either lay on its back or be turned on its side with a little platform for sanding straight edges. (I got the idea from seeing this post by John Heisz on the IBuildIt.ca forums.) My sander is a Maktec that it came with a mounting bracket to make this a lot easier to do.)

So with the sander turned on its side, I was able to smooth the edge into shape.

Next, I used a rounding-over bit with a bearing on my router table to soften the edge of the base a bit more. Then went back to the belt sander, this time with it on its back, to get the final shape of the bottom of the boat. I imagine that this could be also be done with a hand plane but it worked out pretty well this way, albeit with a lot of dust.

The router table, for anyone who is interested, just pops in and out of my Black & Decker Workmate. I was really happy to discover that a 2x4 sits in the gap perfectly, so it has been really easy to build a whole bunch of modules that can fit easily and securely on there.

Step 5: The Top

I printed a second template and cut out the middle to make the top of the boat. I put this on a piece on 1/2" plywood and cut it out with a jigsaw. I drilled a few holes in the middle to make things easier when cutting the curves. Then I put it back on the router table with the same round-over bit to smooth the inside.

I glued it to the bottom part and tacked it with a couple of nails, then did the outside edge of the top on the router table Since there was a bearing on the router bit, I didn't have to worry about taking off too much. With a little more sanding, it came out nicely.

Note that while putting the top piece on at this point made it easier to shape it, it made it much more difficult to paint. At the very least, I probably should have painted the inside edge, That way I wouldn't have had to muck about with the masking tape later on.

Step 6: Painting

With masking tape and some patience, I did the top. Then flipped the whole thing over and used a spray lacquer for the bottom. I'm not thrilled with the glossy look though. Next time, I would use matte for sure.

Step 7: The Mast

I used a drill bit about the same diameter as my dowel and pressed the end of dowel against it to get a bit of a curve so they would fit together without a gap. Then I started with a tiny pilot hole and worked up through a couple of drill bits so make sure I wouldn't split the dowel with the screw. I used a countersink so the screw would sit nicely in the hole and together with a little glue, it held really well.

I put a piece of masking tape on the drill bit when I drilled the hole to insert the mast. This helped ensure that I drilled to the correct depth. I didn't glue the mast in. I got a pretty good friction fit and it could be taken apart if needed.

I also drilled tiny holes in the ends of the dowels for thread to go through to hold the sail but as you can see, I ended up sewing a sail that slid over the mast after the first one came off a few times. Maybe next time, I will make the sail out of stronger stuff and use grommets in the corners.

This was a fun project to do and using what I've learned and a lot of what I still have to learn, I hope to make another one with my own kids (more hand tools, less power tools). I never actually tested this one in the water (it was meant to be ornamental) so it should be interesting...

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Sailboat Cove Wood Toy Plans (PDF Download)

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Description

Bargain Basement Sailboat Cove $4.00 (Reg. $12.95) Instant PDF download to your computer (2 MB) PDF file easily prints to 8-1/2" x 11" or A4 paper on any computer printer.

Instant Download PDF File: PDF file easily prints to 8-1/2" x 11" or A4 paper.

Plan Set Description: The Sail Boat Cove play set will provide hours of endless imaginative play for the kids in your life. Includes plans for all shown. Sail Boat is approx. 6-1/4" long. Color 8-1/2" x 11" pages with black & white pattern pages.

Required Tools & Supplies: Build using common woodworking tools including a scroll saw and hand drill. Looks great using common wood or build with hardwoods. Sandpaper and non-toxic stains or paints to finish.

About the Sailboat Cove PDF Plans: All you need is the free Adobe Acrobat Reader app to view and print pages from the PDF download. The Sailboat Cove PDF file easily prints to 8-1/2" x 11" or A4 paper. The PDF file includes full-size patterns, exploded views, assembly photos and step-by-step detailed instructions. The pattern pages in the PDF file are black and white precision line to help conserve printing ink.  See our section on  PDF Questions  for more information on how to download and print PDF files.

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November 1, 2018

Make a Toy Sailboat

A sailing science activity from Science Buddies

By Science Buddies & Ben Finio

Flip or float? Built a tiny boat that can really set sail--with the help of a little physics. 

George Retseck

Key concepts Physics Forces Weight Buoyancy Gravity Center of mass

Introduction It's time to set sail! Even if you don’t live near a lake or ocean, you will get to do some sailing in this science activity as you build your own toy sailboat. But first you have to make sure your boat doesn’t capsize! Are you up for the challenge?

Background Do you remember playing with toy boats in the bathtub—or have you ever been on a real boat? Boats can float because of buoyancy. At the same time they are pulled down by the force of their own weight (caused by gravity) they are pushed up by the buoyant force, which is equal to the weight of the volume of water they displace. (You can find a more detailed explanation of buoyant force in the “More to explore” section.) Some boats are made of materials that are less dense than water, meaning they have less mass per unit volume. These materials will always float. Other boats, however, are made of metals such as steel, which are much denser than water. So how do they float? They can because they’re hollow, so there is a lot of empty air space inside the boat’s hull. The average density of the boat (including both the metal and the air) is lower than the density of water.

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Boats don’t just need to float—they also need to stay upright and avoid capsizing, or flipping over. To do this they need a low center of mass, meaning their weight is concentrated toward the bottom of the boat, not the top. That might seem like it would be a problem for sailboats, which have very tall sails that stick way up into the air. How do they stay balanced with so much mass concentrated way up high? They do so with another part called the keel, which is on the bottom of the boat. (If you’ve only ever seen a sailboat from above the water, you might not even know the keel existed!) The keel is a big part under the boat, shaped like a fin, which serves two purposes. It holds the ballast, or heavy weight, that helps lower the boat's center of mass. It also helps prevent the boat from being blown sideways by the wind. In this project you’ll see how a keel can help keep a sailboat from flipping over and help it go straight.

Three wine corks

Two rubber bands

Several screws or nails

Waterproof material, such as craft foam, wax paper or paper milk carton to make a sail

Aluminum foil

Sink, bathtub or a large container you can fill with water (The container should be deeper than the length of your nails/screws.)

Preparation

Fill your container with water. Make sure the water is deep enough so you can vertically submerge your longest nail/screw.  

Line up three corks (side by side, not end to end).

Use two rubber bands to hold the corks together, forming a “raft.”

Poke a toothpick into the center cork, so it sticks straight up. This is your boat’s mast (the part that holds the sail).

Cut a square of your thin waterproof material to make a sail. It should be about six centimeters square.

Poke the toothpick through opposite ends of the sail (near the edges) to hold it in place.

You’ve made your first sailboat! Put it in the water. What happens?

Blow on the sail from behind. What happens?

Now make a skinnier boat by removing the rubber bands and the two outer corks. Keep the sail in place. Depending on how you attached the sail initially, you might need to rotate it 90 degrees.

Put your new sailboat back in the water. What happens?

Uh-oh! Your sailboat probably tipped over! That’s not good. To fix it, try adding a keel. Carefully stick a nail or screw into the bottom of the boat, directly opposite the sail.

Try putting the boat back in the water. Does it stay upright this time?

If your boat doesn’t stay upright, keep adding nails or screws (in a straight line with the first one) until it can float without tipping over.

Now try blowing on the sail again. What happens? Does your boat move in a straight line?

Right now, your keel is made of one or more nails/screws, but they are not connected to one another. Cut a rectangular piece of aluminum foil and tightly wrap it around the nails/screws to make a fin shape.

Put your boat back in the water and try blowing on the sail again. What happens this time? Does it go straight?

Extra: Try making a bigger sail and using part of a wooden skewer for the mast instead of a toothpick. How heavy does your ballast need to be to balance the boat with a bigger sail? Hint: Try attaching a horizontal nail/screw to the bottom of your keel to act as ballast. That way you don't have to keep poking more nails/screws into the cork.

Observations and results Your first sailboat was probably pretty stable because it was very wide (made from three corks). When you removed two corks to make it skinnier, however, your sailboat probably became unstable and tipped over. It’s similar to standing with your feet tightly together instead of spread out slightly—it’s harder to balance. When you added nails/screws to the bottom of your sailboat you lowered its center of mass and made it more stable. Individual vertical nails, however, don’t do a very good job pushing against the water—the water can flow right around them. That means the keel doesn’t do a good job making the boat go straight. If you blew on the sail, your boat might have curved off to one side or spun in circles. When you wrapped the nails in aluminum foil you made the keel more like a fin. It can cut through the water very easily in one direction, but it provides a lot of resistance against the water in the other direction. That makes it easier for your boat to move forward, and harder for it to move sideways. This is why real sailboats can be long, skinny and have tall sails—the keel prevents them from tipping over and helps them go straight!

More to explore What Is Buoyant Force? , from Khan Academy Buoyant Science: How Metal Boats Float , from Scientific American DIY Toy Sailboat , from Science Buddies Shipping Science: Building a Boat That Can Carry Cargo , from Scientific American Science Activities for All Ages! , from Science Buddies

This activity brought to you in partnership with Science Buddies

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DIY Wooden Toy Boat – Toy Nostalgia

Remember the days when toys were made of wood and had a solid construction. Well, if you are nostalgic about things like that, then you will love this DIY. A family friend of mine recently made some adorable wooden boats. He has so kindly shared the instructions with me , of which, I am now passing on to you. This DIY wooden toy boat would make a perfect gift for a little one, or it could be a great project to do with a slightly older child.

(This post contains affiliate links. That means that I make a very small commission from sales that result through these links. All affiliate items used on this blog are chosen from products that I know and trust. You can read my full disclosure here . Affiliate links identified by an * )

DIY Wooden Toy Boat – Toy Nostalgia …

Diy wooden toy boat….

One of these wooden boats would make the perfect addition to bath time, pool time, or just in a nice rain puddle. Ahh… the takes me back. It really is such a kid thing to do – playing with a boat in a dirty rain puddle. And now, you can give your little one that same joy. ;-) But first, let’s go over the details.

Materials…

• Base –   1″ x 6″ x 2.5″ piece of wood (any solid wood will work – pine, oak, etc.)
• Cabin –  1″ x 1″ x 1″ wood block (use some left over wood, or cut from a square dowel)
• Paddle Wheel – 2 @  1″ x 3/16″ x 3 1/4″ wood (slightly thicker than a popsicle stick)
• waterproof wood glue (such as Gorilla wood Glue or TiteBond)
• rubber band
• Sand paper or sanding block
• Non-toxic waterproof paint

(Martha Stewart recommends Liquitex Glossies paint * for painting toy boats. So, I feel comfortable in recommending these paints *).

DIY Wooden Toy Boat – Instructions…

Step 1 – On the 1″ x 6″ piece of wood, layout the pattern for the boat to resemble the above image. Before making any cuts, you need to drill the hole out for the rubber band to through.

The location of the hole should be approximately 5/8″ from the rear and 3/8″ from the bottom.  After, drilling the hole through, cut out the rear space, and cut the front at 45 degree angles.

Trace the 1″ square block above and centered over the cut out. This, is so that you avoid getting any paint in this area. Sand all corner down, then you can then paint the the boat bottom and block. (Do not paint the bottom of the block).

These boats were painted with some enamel paint purchased at Hobby Lobby. However, I know that many of you are going to want a paint that you know is non-toxic. I am sure that these are perfectly safe, but since I don’t really know the brand, I am suggesting a brand that is proven as safe.  I have listed Liquitex Glossies * as a good alternative. You can probably find these at your local craft store, or I have provided several links to Amazon *, where you can order it.

After the paint dries, glue the block (unpainted side) to the cabin (unpainted space). Clamp in place and allow to drive thoroughly.

To make the paddle wheel, cut a 3/16″ wide x 1/2″ deep slot in both pieces of the wood. Then, add glue and slip the two notches together. (I recommend shaping the ends of the paddle wheel before glueing them in place). Let dry and then paint.

The paddle wheel should fit together snuggly and be flush with each side. You can probably make the slot cut with an utility knife, because the wood is so thin. Work slowly and carefully so that you do not over do it. Make small adjustments until the two pieces fit the way that you want.

To wrap attach the rubber band, insert the ends through the holes. The takes each end and loop it back around the end of the boat. The rubber band should be small enough to create a firm, but not over tight stretch.

Final THoughts…

I hope that you all enjoy recreating this DIY wooden toy boat for or with your own children. And, I hope that you will join me in saying thanks to my friend, Dale, for sharing the this project with us. Maybe we will be able to get him to help out with  another project for us again, sometime.

– PIN IT –

About Rachel Lynn

Rachel is a home improvement expert with more than 20 years of experience in renovations, carpentry, and interior design and has more than 10 years experience in graphic and web design. She used the combination of her experience and knowledge to start her own digital media publishing company where she shares her knowledge across three different websites.

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Linda akin says

September 1, 2017 at 1:21 pm

These are just too cute.

Rachel Lynn says

September 1, 2017 at 1:34 pm

Please keep it clean. Comments that do not follow the Comment's Policy may be removed.

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Wooden Paddle Boat

July 29, 2014 by Nick Sy

Hey All, Nick here.

I have been thinking a lot about wooden toys lately.  I am not sure if it is because of the impact that Bethany’s Grandfather had on her family as a child (he was notorious for building toys for the grandchildren… like this dollhouse )  or the fact that toys now a days are just LAME!

I have spent countless hours looking for sweet wind-up bath toys like the ones I had as a tot… only to come up empty handed.  BOO!

So let’s go through this.  Shall we?

Once the templates were cut out, we drew them onto a 1” X 10” piece of scrap wood.  This is actually a piece from a shelf the Bethany’s grandfather made her.  The body of the boat has the 1 ” thickness, but the paddles and fin are made of wood that I planed down to 3/8”.  You could buy 1/2” lumber though and it would be close enough.

Then we cut all the pieces out on the scroll saw.

Then we routed the edges.  If you don’t have a router you can plane it with a block plane, sand it, or leave it crude.  It will function the same. I promise!  The router bits are a 1/8” and 5/8” quarter round.

You can see I didn’t cut out the centers of these yet.  I wanted to save that until after I routed to make it more rigid during routing.

I am going to share this step with you; because it was a part of the original design and looks awesome.  However it was found that having a spindle for the paddle to spin on really compromises performance.  I took mine out and use rubber bands.

When the girls get tired of playing with them I will but them back in for shelf value.

I drill a hole in the paddles just larger than a brass rod I had laying around (a metal hanger ought to work nicely).  I put the paddle together to ensure the straightness of my drilling pattern.

Then I drilled larger holes in the hull of the boat 3/8” down from the deck and 3/8” forward from the stern (rear of the boat).

Lastly I used a rat tail rasp and ground a groove all around the hull of the boat.  Providing a place for the rubber bands to rest.

Then it was time to assemble!  I glued and nailed the captains pit on using three nails, then flipped it over and glued and nailed the fin on.  I put the fin on straight using a square and the other at a slight angle (to go in circles).

I then put the paddle together and shoved the brass rod through.  It should spin freely. If it doesn’t don’t sweat it because after the first time in the water your going to remove the brass rod and use the rubber bands as the spindle.

I completed this project in an afternoon and used materials I had laying around the garage.

We made a little home video of Paisley giving it a whirl in our little pool. Please don’t mind how dirty the pool is! I just mowed!

If you have children or grandchildren and are up for a challenge, you should take some time work with your kids and enjoy the memories!  I know they will!

If you would like to make this boat, feel free to click the link here to download a PDF of the template I designed.  Modify it however you like, and send us photos!  We love to see your projects!

I can tell you that I already have plans in the making for another fun toy boat!

Stay tuned, and have a great day!

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July 30, 2014 at 10:11 pm

Adorable video.

July 30, 2014 at 6:42 am

How adorable was that video? Paisley is so “grown up.” I was laughing out loud. Bye, bye camera…too cute. Vikki in VA

July 29, 2014 at 10:23 pm

It blew my mind watching Paisley pick up that pool noodle to haul her paddle boat back to the edge of the pool! Extremely resourceful for a 3 yr old! And those boats! Something that will have to wait for my grandchildren I guess. Tks for the share!

July 29, 2014 at 1:06 pm

Thank you, Nick, for the wonderful boat plans. My grandfather and dad were great at making wooden toys, too. You are so right about the toys you purchase today. They are LAME…lucky if one of our grandkids gets to play with them once or twice before they break. My hubby has been wanting to find good wooden toy patterns so I know he says thanks too! Your video with Paisley is soooo precious! Thank you for sharing it as well!

July 29, 2014 at 1:01 pm

That video is ADORABLE. I love her little voice!

July 29, 2014 at 12:29 pm

🙂 GREAT JOB!!! Sooooo fun!

July 29, 2014 at 11:39 am

That’s totally adorable!

July 29, 2014 at 9:40 am

Totally cool, Nick! Awesome Dad award to you, for sure!

That video of Paisley made me laugh out loud. I love to hear their little voices talking so big! 🙂

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