The Best Popsicle Stick Crafts

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pink and red popsicle invitation — Emily Kate Roemer

Popsicle sticks do so much more than serve as a vessel for sweet, icy treats. In fact, the slim wooden stick is a focal point in a number of our favorite family-friendly crafts. Adults and kids alike will love making one-of-a-kind creations under the sun, and it all starts with a clean Popsicle stick.

We're showing you how to transform a simple wooden stick into an architectural find when you build a Popsicle stick house. Gone are the days of ordinary dollhouses thanks to this DIY. Let kids' imaginations run wild with this craft; it has all the makings to accompany their favorite toys, and you can build it to replicate your own home—like with a chimney or a colorful roof. Top it off with some custom furniture for the lawn, like an outdoor lounge chair, to give it an extra home-y feel.

If you're planning a small summertime celebration, we have the perfect craft for you. Invite guests to your bash with Popsicle-inspired party invitations that won't melt away. Popsicle stick crafts even work outdoors, too. Create our Farmhouse Bird Feeder; it's made of items you already have lying around your house—like a milk carton and paint. You'll love spending time outdoors watching the birds enjoy their newly minted home that the whole family pieced together. But the crafts don't stop there. Popsicle stick fun lasts longer than the summer months thanks to our crafty use of the wooden sticks for Christmas ornaments. The seasonal décor will help you ring in the holiday season with ease—just don't forget the glitter paint for a sparkly, festive finish.

Whether you want to make the most of leftover wooden sticks or are looking for easy and enjoyable DIYs, ahead we're sharing crafts the whole family will love.

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Farmhouse Bird Feeder

Get the Farmhouse Bird Feeder How-To

carton bird feeder surrounded by leaves — Kara Whitten

Welcome birds into your yard with a custom bird feeder made straight from Popsicle sticks. You can grab the other essentials to craft this farmhouse-style feeder from your house, too: a milk carton, paint, and a few succulents.

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Popsicle Stick House

Get the Popsicle Stick House How-To

This is the perfect family-friendly craft. Complete with a roof, chimney, and window box, the stick house is a favorite among kids and adults alike.

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Welcome Sign

Don't forget to welcome toys to Stickville. Greeted with a simple sign made from Popsicle sticks and construction paper, visitors will never want to leave.

Shop Now: Korlon Wooden Popsicle Sticks, $8, amazon.com; Crayola Construction Paper, $3.47, walmart.com.

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Snack Shop

Made with an extra-long roof and walls, the snack shop is a perfect place for toy animals to grab an ice pop on a hot day.

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Easy Living Chair

Toy bears can kick back, relax, and enjoy an ice pop (from the snack shop, of course) after a long day.

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Tree Hotel

For tourists and those who want to get away from it all, there's the lovely tree hotel, which, high up on a branch, boasts the greatest views of the stick city.

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Moovin' Truck

Cows can deliver milk to civilians with a truck made from Popsicle sticks on an axis, a milk carton, and wooden spools.

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Road Sign

A city of Popsicle sticks can be tough to navigate. Make sure there are road signs in the village to help point trucks in the right direction. For the signs, break the Popsicle sticks in half and use wood glue to attach the pieces to a regular-size stick. To finish this craft, use a marker to write the street names.

Shop Now: Crayola Super Tips Washable Markers, $6.97, walmart.com; Gorilla Wood Glue, $3.44, amazon.com.

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Sailboat

Made of sticks laid in a grid, this boat offers smooth sailing. Pick lucky toys to take as passengers on a ride. For the boat's bottom, glue the sticks, slightly spaced (they expand in water), onto the support sticks. Leave a space in the middle for the mast to fit snugly and glue the sticks across the top. For the mast, overlap the two red sticks and glue them together. Cut the newspaper into a sail and stamp on the name; cut slits in the sail. Put the sail on the boat to complete the DIY.

Shop Now: Martha Stewart Crafts Glue Sticks, $5, amazon.com.

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No-Melt Popsicle Invitations

pink and red popsicle invitations — Emily Kate Roemer

Custom-made party invitations will complete your small celebrations this summer. To begin, print the clip art onto a sheet of vellum. Spray adhesive on a blank sheet of vellum and adhere it to the reverse side of the printed sheet. Rip two strips of pale-pink glassine (to cover the top third of each pop shape), and one strip of dark-pink glassine roughly twice as wide as the pale-pink one. Secure the strips to the vellum with spray adhesive and write in your party details. Then cut out the pops. Sandwich the Popsicle sticks between the cut-outs, and glue them together. Repeat for more invitations. Print the clip art for the "sprinkle" envelope labels on the self-adhesive paper; write in the addresses and add to the glassine envelopes.

Shop Now: JAM Translucent Vellum Paper, 8.5" by 11", $20, walmart.com; AmazonBasics Multipurpose Scissors, $10, amazon.com.

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Felt Firecracker Popsicle Garland

Get the Felt Firecracker Popsicle Garland How-To

firecracker popsicle garland next to strawberries

Fireworks are awe-worthy when they launch in the sky, but this felt firecracker is sure to grab everyone's attention no matter the occasion. Make sure to string up this garland each summer for a friendly reminder of your favorite red, white, and blue Popsicle.

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Popsicle Ornaments

silver glitter popsicle stick ornament — Riche Holmes Grant

Add some Popsicle stick fun to your holiday décor with this simple DIY. To begin the craft, use a paintbrush to paint the top and the sides of each stick with metallic paint. When you're finished, rinse the brush and pat it dry. Lay the sticks flat and let them dry completely. Next, paint a layer of glitter paint on the top and the sides of each stick. Lay them flat and let them dry. Then use a glue gun to add jewels to the ends of each stick. Place one additional jewel in the center of one of the smaller sticks (this stick will go on top). Make the bottom layer using two sticks that form a "T" shape. Use the glue gun to connect the sticks at the point of intersection. Press and hold until the glue sets. Repeat using two sticks in each layer that form a crisscross shape. Glue each layer to the one below it until you have a total of four layers. Complete the craft by looping the ribbon between the layers and tying at the top to hang your new Popsicle stick ornament.

Shop Now: Martha Stewart Crafts Multi-Surface Acrylic Craft Paint, $30, amazon.com; Gorilla Mini Hot Glue Gun, $12.07, walmart.com.

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Stencil Pie

Get the Stencil Pie How-To

popsicle sticks creating a pattern on pie crust — Johnny Miller

Making a creative dish to serve up to your family will be as easy as pie with this recipe-turned-craft. Round up your Popsicle sticks to create a custom stencil crust to pair with the pie filling of your choice.

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Paint Swatch Sticks

Long after the last coats have dried on your new paint job and latest craft, you can still have easy access to the color names and numbers for touch-ups. Simply use Popsicle sticks to keep track of each paint type. Save the wooden stirrers you used to mix the paint, let them dry, and then write the names and numbers of the colors on the ends of the sticks in permanent marker. Use a length of twine to bundle the sticks by room.

Shop Now: Sharpie Fine Point Permanent Marker, $7, amazon.com; Martha Stewart Crafts Multi-Surface Acrylic Craft Paint, $30, amazon.com.

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