Busy little builders will love this DIY excavator construction wall decor. It makes a fabulous 3D addition to a transportation themed kids room or baby nursery.
Pair the excavator with these other DIY kids vehicles — dump truck, cement mixer, and bulldozer — and you have everything you need for an attention getting wall display. Scroll down for patterns and complete instructions on how to create it!
supplies:
- scissors
- excavator pattern DOWNLOAD HERE
- pencil
- wood pieces (4 large wood circles, 1 small wood circle, 2 wood buttons, 1 wood cap)
- square wood dowel (3/4 inch diameter)
- round wood dowel (1/2 inch diameter)
- 14 inch x 14 inch birch wood painting panel
- very strong wood glue, such as Titebond III
- strong clear adhesive (such as J B Weld Clear Epoxy or Gorilla Clear Epoxy)
- 220 or 320 grit sandpaper
- jigsaw or band saw
- MDF (medium density fiberboard) or birch plywood in three different thicknesses (1/2 inch, 1/4 inch, and 3/4 inch thick)
- primer
- paint
STEP 1: DOWNLOAD PATTERNS & CUT OUT
First, download the excavator pattern and cut out the pieces. Check your printer settings and make sure that the print scale is set to 100% so that the patterns print out at the correct size.
Next trace around the patterns onto MDF (medium density fiberboard) or smooth birch plywood, noting the thickness needed for each piece. I used MDF as it has a smoother surface and is usually cheaper than birch. When finished tracing, use a jigsaw or band saw to cut out the vehicle pieces.
An alternative to cutting the pieces yourself, is to do an online search for a local business with a CNC router (such as WoodCraft) who can cut the vehicle parts for you. Businesses like this typically will have a supply of wood already on hand so all they need is your set of patterns.
The lower portion of the excavator needs to be cut from MDF or plywood that is 1 inch thick. To make the one inch thickness, just glue together 2 pieces that are 1/2 inch thick as shown in the photo below. So 1/2 + 1/2 = the 1 inch thickness you will need for this piece.
STEP 2: GATHER REMAINING SUPPLIES
In addition to the pieces that you cut from MDF or plywood, you’ll also need the items shown below: a 14 inch square wood panel, 4 wood circles, 2 wood buttons, a wood cap or (or substitute a 1/2 inch button), small wood rectangles, a 3/4 inch wood square dowel cut to a length of 14 inches (same width as the wood panel), a 1/2 inch round wood dowel, and a thin skinny strip of wood (such as a wood coffee stir stick or long popsicle stick).
Take the 1/2 inch diameter round wood dowel and cut a 1 inch piece off the end. This piece will become the exhaust stack for the excavator. It will be glued on top of the excavator back section.
When you combine the wood pieces that you cut from MDF or plywood along with the wood pieces that you purchase, everything will look like this:
STEP 3: PRIME & PAINT
Use wood glue to begin attaching some of the pieces together. Glue the excavator cab, back section, and lower section together. Then glue the small dowel (exhaust stack) and small rectangles to the excavator back section. Next glue the two arm sections together and add the small button or wood cap over the joint where the two pieces touch.
Apply primer to all of the pieces (unless you’re using paint samples that combine paint & primer together). When the primer is dry, sand if needed using a 220 or 320 grit sandpaper.
Next, paint!
STEP 4: ASSEMBLE
After the paint is dry, assemble the wheels and gears on the lower section of the excavator as shown below.
Then assemble the rest of the excavator pieces, clouds, and road on top of the wood panel to create your 3D excavator wall decor. Use a strong glue such as Titebond, J-B Weld Clear Epoxy or Gorilla Clear Epoxy to attach everything together.
DIY kids excavator wall art—finished and ready to decorate a kid’s room with a construction theme or a transportation nursery!
artUcreate is an Etsy, Michael’s, and Amazon Associates LLC affiliate.
