DIY Homemade Toys: Tug Boat

Making homemade toys can bring simple joy to your family. Try these DIY steps to make a tug boat for the bathtub.

By Jim Makowicki
Updated on December 17, 2021
article image
by Adobestock/Ermolaev Alexandr
It’s hard to imagine a more perfect subject for a homemade toy than a tug boat. Working tug boats look just like toys as they tow long barges or push huge commercial liners into moorings. My design has exaggerated features — a chunky hull and oversized cabin and smokestack — and is painted in bright colors to accentuate the playful image. Tug boats were always a highlight of my childhood visits to Staten Island, New York. Now they can be the highlight of your 3-year-old’s visits to the bathtub.

Parts List

Hull

1 Hull: 1 by 3-1/16 by 7-1/2, Pine

1 Back Post: 3/16 diameter peg, 3/4 long with 5/16 diameter head, Birch

Cabins

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