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Mother-of-two Nazdar Tayib, a 34-year-old engineer, builds everything from kitchen sets to pirate ships, and she shares tutorial videos online for others to enjoy.
Nazdar also creates school buses, BBQ grills, cars, washing machines and anything else her five-year-old son and two-year-old daughter desire.
“I know some parents can’t buy things for their kids, like a playhouse or play kitchens because they’re expensive, so why not make it from cardboard?,” said Nazdar, of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.”I think it’s more fun to make it with your hands and your kid will love it.
My son asked if I could make a pirate ship for him, so I made a pirate ship.”They said, ‘can you make a food truck for me?’
So I make a food truck.” Nazdar began making her no-budget creations two years ago and last year she started a YouTube channel, Boxy world, to help other parents save money and get creative.
“I have one fan who said, ‘I’m so glad I found your channel because my son loves pirate ships and when I saw yours, I made one’,” Nazdar said. “She made my day. I was so happy to see how people learn from my creations.
“Each toy is cleverly designed to fold up neatly for storage. “You can fold them, take them apart, and save them for later,” Nazdar said. “I put them all in my big closet and just ask my kids which one they want to play with.”
Kids get bored very quickly, they play with them for a while and then they get bored.”So cardboard is great because it’s free or inexpensive and really easy to find.
“I just buy some tape and washable paint, or sometimes I don’t paint them at all. It really doesn’t cost me a lot.”Each item takes her approximately four hours to make, and she encourages other parents to give it a try if they can find the time. “If you want to start, your kids are going to love it,” she said.
“My kids really enjoy playing with them, and my son even helps me paint sometimes.”It’s a fun experience.”
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