Self Standing Ice Cream Truck Prop

Make it fun with plywood and paint because sometimes you need a self standing ice cream truck photo prop and I’m here to share the how-to with you.  And this could be any kind of truck for whatever your event needs.

A DIY tutorial to build a self standing ice cream truck prop. Make this truck photo prop with portable stands using my plans.

I built this cute self standing ice cream truck with a striped backdrop wall just in time for an ice cream social party at school.  It’s sized just right for kids from preschool up to 8th grade and creates a really fun focal point for the event.

Truck Photo Prop

This ice cream truck could be any kind of truck depending on your event needs.

• ice cream truck
• off road adventure truck
• taco truck

 

Self Standing Base

I created the portable bases to act as stands for the plywood truck portion.  You simply slide the truck into the base between the two 2x uprights and you are ready to go.

Many years ago I built version 1.0 of the ice cream truck and it didn’t have a proper stand so this new version 2.0 is so much better with the portable stands.

Be sure to read down below before beginning for my tips and details on the build process.

Click here for printable PDF plans.

Plywood Truck

I cut the entire ice cream truck using a jigsaw from one piece of 3/4″ plywood.  Then I used a round over bit in my router to create a super smooth edge.  Be sure to think about any extra details like the awning before you cut out the truck shape.

On the back side I added flat steel bars at both ends in order to strengthen the 4″ wide portion of plywood and prevent any chance of wood cracking.

Base Support Stands

Follow my plans here to build the base support stands.  They are fairly simple and heavy but completely portable so you can set up your truck almost anywhere.

See how the plywood truck slides down in between the two uprights and is resting on that piece of 3/4″ board sandwiched in between the two 2x uprights?  There’s no hardware involved.

Thanks for joining me for this self standing ice cream truck project.  Please leave any questions in the comments below and be sure to follow me on social media for sneak peeks, tools and project inspiration: