How to Build a House with Popsicle Sticks

Building a house with popsicle sticks is an entertaining and simple craft project. There are many ways you can create your own piece, but the best approach is to start by constructing four square frames by attaching popsicle sticks together to form the walls. After creating the walls, you can make the roof by gluing the sticks together to form two triangles that resemble panels. And finally, the best part – decorating your house however you like!

Gather your materials. You'll need about 100 popsicle sticks. You can purchase popsicle sticks at craft stores. Glue is another essential material. A hot glue gun works best, but children should be supervised when using it. Additionally, you’ll need paper, scissors, and a utility knife.

• You can use regular craft glue if you don’t want to use hot glue.
• Always be careful when using a hot glue gun to avoid burns.

Lay down newspaper or brown packing paper on the table surface. Since you’ll be using glue, it’s best to lay down newspaper, an old tablecloth, or some other protective material to safeguard your work surface.

• Hot glue can be difficult to clean up once it sticks to the table, so extra caution is needed. Sometimes glue can even splatter out of the gun, so always place the glue gun on the covered table.

Create four squares using popsicle sticks. Place two popsicle sticks parallel to each other, with a distance equal to the length of a popsicle stick between them. Place two more sticks on top of the first two to form a square. Use glue to attach the sticks at the corners. Repeat this process to create three more squares.

• These squares will form the walls of your house.

Attach popsicle sticks to fill the wall frame. Lay the square flat, and glue sticks in rows to completely fill the square. Apply a line of glue to the two opposite edges of the square and place the popsicle sticks in position. Repeat this step to complete all four squares.

• Make sure to place the sticks tightly together, leaving no gaps in the walls.
• You may run out of space when you reach the final stick. If that happens, use a utility knife to trim the popsicle sticks to fit the frame.

Create the initial frame. Arrange three popsicle sticks into a triangle, overlapping at all three corners. It doesn’t matter which stick overlaps which. Use a small drop of glue to secure the sticks at each corner. Repeat this process to make another triangle.

• This basic roof design uses two triangles, but you can make a stronger roof by adding a third triangle between the two main ones.

Arrange the popsicle sticks to form one side of the roof. Drop a small amount of glue onto the flat surface at the top of each popsicle stick. Attach each stick to both triangles at the vertical angles. Repeat this process until the sticks fill the length of the triangle edges. Place the sticks close together. Hold each stick for at least 5 seconds to ensure the glue sets securely.

• Be gentle when attaching each stick to avoid pulling any previously attached sticks off the triangle.

Arrange the second side of the roof. Similar to the first side, you need to attach popsicle sticks to the opposite side of the roof. Be careful when handling the roof frame to avoid detaching any popsicle sticks.

Cover the open ends of the roof. Now you have a roof frame with open ends. If you prefer, you can completely seal the interior of the roof. Starting from the bottom edge of the triangle, glue a popsicle stick horizontally across the roof frame. As you add each popsicle stick, you will need to trim each one slightly as the triangle narrows towards the top.

• A fully covered roof will make your popsicle stick house look more realistic, as real houses are constructed this way.

Cut out window openings. To add more character to your house, you can cut out one or two window openings in the walls. The easiest way to do this is to cut before assembling the walls. Carefully use a utility knife to cut a square of 2.5 cm by 2.5 cm on one or two walls.

• You can place the window in the center of the wall or offset it to one side if you prefer.
• For extra decoration, you can use the cut pieces to create window shutters on the edges of the window or build a frame around the window.

Cut out a door opening. You can make your popsicle stick house look even more realistic by cutting a hole in the wall to create a door. The size of the door will depend on the size of your popsicle sticks. Make the door nearly as tall as the house and about 1/3 of the width of the house. Use a utility knife to cut the opening.

• You can glue a piece of paper, the same size as the opening, along the door edges to mimic a real door. Fold the paper along the edges and glue it to the door so that it can open and close.

Glue the walls together at the corners. Stand two walls upright so that the popsicle sticks are vertical. Apply a line of glue along the inner edge of each popsicle stick at the top of each wall. Gently press the glued edges together and hold for about 30 seconds.

• Attach the remaining two walls one by one to form the basic structure of the house.

Attach the roof. Secure the roof by applying a line of glue along the top edge of the house frame. Place the roof on top and gently press down for a long enough time to let the glue bond. Alternatively, you may choose not to glue the roof so that you can remove it and place objects inside the house.

Decorate the house. There are almost no limits to the decorating options for your house. Use spray paint to cover the entire house in one color. Use a paintbrush to color the walls with one shade and the roof with another. You can glue fabric or wrapping paper to create unique designs for the walls. Add moss, flowers, or extra popsicle sticks to give the house a woodland vibe.

• This popsicle stick house is mainly for decoration and may not be sturdy enough for rough play.
• Once assembled, you can paint or decorate the house in various ways according to your preferences.
• Prepare and gather all materials beforehand.

• Be careful when cutting the popsicle sticks to avoid splinters that could hurt your hands.
• Always handle the utility knife with care to prevent cutting yourself.

• Popsicle sticks or craft sticks
• Hot glue gun or another adhesive
• Utility knife
• Paper (optional)
• Paint or other decorating supplies (optional)