It’s December 12th. Your kid has a holiday party tomorrow. You’ve just been informed you’re on “craft duty.”
Panic? Nope. Been there. Survived. And guess what? You’re about to do more than survive.
With these 20 easy and cozy Christmas popsicle stick craft ideas, you’ll keep your little elves entertained and create memories that are as sweet as the cinnamon cocoa you’ll probably need after. Let’s do this – and have some fun, too.
Scroll through the ideas below—whichever one makes you smile first, start there. That’s the magic.
- Easy Snowflake Popsicle Stick Star
- Popsicle Stick Christmas Tree Ornaments
- Popsicle Stick Santa Crafts
- Popsicle Stick Gingerbread
- Popsicle Stick Angel Craft
- Popsicle Stick Reindeer Crafts
- Popsicle Stick Elf Craft
- Popsicle Snowman Ornament
When my girls were little – and by little I mean glue-in-hair, glitter-in-eyeballs little – I lived for the moments when we’d sit down to make holiday crafts. Not because I had a Pinterest-worthy setup (I didn’t), or the patience of a preschool teacher (also no), but because it was our thing.
We’d crank up the Mariah Carey, break out the popsicle sticks and hot glue, and make the ugliest-cute little reindeer ornaments you’ve ever seen. It wasn’t about perfection – it was about giggling when Rudolph’s nose fell off (again), or when someone glued two antlers to their mitten.
Now that they’re both technically adults (send help), I treasure those sticky, sparkly memories. That’s why I put this list together – because if you’re in the thick of it now, I want you to have the good stuff, minus the stress.
1. Easy Snowflake Popsicle Stick Star
Supplies:
- 5 plain wooden popsicle sticks
- White acrylic paint
- Cotton balls (or cotton rounds, torn into small pieces)
- Glue
- Paintbrush
Optional Decorations:
Want to give it a little more holiday magic?
Swap the cotton for red pom-poms to make a Santa-style star, or add red glitter star sequins to turn it into a twinkling tree ornament. Either way, it’ll look adorable dangling from your window or Christmas tree!
This craft is a surprisingly effective learning tool. Kids practice sequencing (hello, glue steps!), improve fine motor skills while painting and decorating, and—best of all—it teaches patience in a fun, messy, cotton-fluffy kind of way. The act of turning five sticks into something beautiful feels like mini engineering with a festive twist. Bonus: no batteries required.
More decoration tips:
There are two beautiful routes to take here:
- Gold glitter version: Once it’s sparkling, you can add white mini star stickers for a snowy contrast that still shines.
- White painted version: Want a bold twist? Paint the whole thing red and decorate it with gold star stickers for a festive, classic Christmas combo!
I remember making this snowy star with one of my daughters when she was six. She insisted that cotton balls smelled like “winter magic,” and refused to stop until every corner was “snowed.”
She even glued one big fluffy ball right in the center “because snowflakes have hearts, Mom.” At the time, I just smiled and handed her more glue.
Years later, she pulled out the same star while decorating our tree—and laughed at her glue-glob masterpiece. And honestly? It still looked magical to me.
- 3 popsicle sticks per snowflake (painted blue glitter or white)
- White cotton balls (mini or regular, pulled apart)
- Light blue foam or plastic flower embellishments
- Small round white or blue beads / pearls
- Gold star stickers (optional)
- Glue
- String or twine for hanging
👈 BTW If you’ve run out of supplies since last Christmas (been there!), here’s one of my favorite all-in-one kits. It’s got everything you need to get crafting again.
2. Popsicle Stick Christmas Tree Ornaments
Why it’s secretly genius (and not just sparkly):
Don’t let the rhinestones fool you—this little tree packs a developmental punch.
Kids practice measuring, sequencing by size, fine motor skills while placing the gems, and even get a little dose of symmetry and design thinking. Plus, they get to call the shots: rainbow tree? red and gold? chaos sparkle? All valid artistic directions.
This is hands-down one of our all-time favorite Christmas crafts. We’ve made it in every color combo you can imagine—pink trees, neon trees, glitter overload trees. One year we even made a “goth tree” in black and silver because, well, moods.
I think we’ve got at least twenty of them floating around the house by now. Some hang on the tree, one lives permanently on the fridge (no idea how it got there), and I’m pretty sure there’s one hiding in the sock drawer.
But honestly? I love every single one. Even the slightly lopsided one that’s 90% rhinestones and 10% popsicle stick. Because that one screams: “my child made this… unsupervised.”
3. Popsicle Stick Santa Crafts
Non Toxic Liquid Paint with 15 Brushes and 4 Palettes (Amazon)
Step-by-step: Glitter Popsicle Stick Santa
- Form the base:
Glue four red glitter popsicle sticks vertically (body), and add two angled ones for arms, plus one triangle for the hat. - Build the face:
Use googly eyes, a red pom-pom nose, and place a half-circle of skin-tone paper or felt for the face. - Add the fluffy beard & hat trim:
Stick cotton balls around the face, across the hat, and at the ends of the arms. - Decorate like Santa’s ready for the runway:
Add black buttons on the belly, and optional stars, sequins, or stickers on the arms.
When we made these I thought would be a “quick craft before dinner.”
Two hours later: red glitter on the cat, one kid stuck a pom-pom up their nose (don’t ask), and my other daughter decided Santa needed “six buttons and shoulder stars, because he’s a general.”
Was it chaotic? 100%.
Did we laugh until we cried? Also yes.
And I still have General Santa hanging from the hallway mirror, looking like he’s ready to lead a North Pole parade.
This one’s another favorite of mine—it’s ridiculously easy, endlessly customizable, and totally up to your imagination. Go wild. Santa won’t mind. For the short video CLICK ON the image! 👉
4. Popsicle Stick Gingerbread
Why It’s More Than Just Cute: The Educational Side
This craft might look simple, but it’s packed with developmental goodness:
- Fine motor skills: Gluing small parts, aligning the eyes and smile—tiny fingers are hard at work
- Spatial awareness: Figuring out where each element should go
- Creative decision-making: Bow or no bow? Glitter or buttons? Letting kids choose empowers their inner designer
- Patience & process: They’ll need to wait for paint to dry before moving on. Yes, it’s an underrated superpower.
Plus, it teaches kids that homemade = meaningful. And that a crooked smile can still be absolutely perfect.
Step-by-step: How to Make This Adorable Gingerbread Face Ornament
- Build the base
Glue 5 popsicle sticks side by side vertically to form a rectangle. Use a sixth stick (cut in half or whole) glued horizontally across the top back for stability. - Paint it gingerbread brown
Cover the entire front surface with brown acrylic paint. Let it dry completely. - Add icing trim
Cut white wavy strips from foam, felt, or thick paper. Glue one across the top and one across the bottom for that classic icing look. - Make it smile!
Glue on two large googly eyes, add two pink circles for cheeks (from craft paper or felt), and draw a big smile with a black marker. - Decorate the details
Stick on two green gem stickers as buttons under the smile, and finish it off with a red gingham bow at the top. Optional: add glitter accents for extra sparkle. - Attach string and hang it up
Use a loop of twine or ribbon glued to the back so it can hang proudly on your Christmas tree.
This one’s super easy to make, and perfect for even the smallest crafters.
- Paint a single popsicle stick gingerbread brown and let it dry.
- Use a white paint pen or puffy paint to add a wavy “icing” line near the top.
- Glue on googly eyes and draw a simple smiling face.
- Add colorful buttons down the front (real buttons or foam stickers work great).
- Finish it off with a small bow under the face – try ribbon, felt, or even paper.
- Optional: Add a string to hang it as a tree ornament!
5. Popsicle Stick Angel Craft
- 1 wooden popsicle stick (plain or painted light beige)
- 1 white paper doily (for dress and wings)
- Scissors
- Glue or glue stick
- Black and pink markers (for face details)
- Yellow crayon or marker (for hair)
- Silver pipe cleaner or tinsel (for the halo)
- String or ribbon (for hanging)
This one takes me way back. Like, kindergarten-macaroni-art level nostalgia.
We used to make angels like this at the kids’ Christmas program every year. The glue never quite dried in time, someone always glued the wings upside down, and there was glitter… everywhere.
I still have one of my daughter’s early attempts tucked in a shoebox somewhere. Her angel had purple hair, crooked wings, and no smile—but I swear it’s one of the most beautiful things she ever made.
There’s just something about kids making angels that makes you pause. It’s not perfect, and that’s kind of the point.
6. Popsicle Stick Reindeer Crafts
It’s Not Christmas Without a Googly-Eyed Rudolph.
Let’s be honest—is it even a real Christmas craft session if someone doesn’t end up making a googly-eyed reindeer?
It’s like the law of holiday crafts.
Whether your reindeer ends up looking adorable or slightly possessed (we’ve seen both), this one’s always a hit. Add antlers, stick on a red pom-pom nose, and boom—Rudolph’s in the house.
7. Popsicle Stick Elf Craft
Supplies:
- 4 wooden popsicle sticks
- Cream and green acrylic paint
- Red craft paper (or foam) for the collar and hat trim
- Green craft paper (or foam) for the elf hat
- 1 red pom-pom (for the hat)
- 1 pink pom-pom (for the nose)
- 2 large googly eyes
- Black marker (for the smile)
- Scissors
- Glue
Instructions:
- Form the base:
Glue 4 popsicle sticks side by side vertically to make a rectangle. Let dry. - Paint the body:
Paint the top half cream (face) and the bottom half green (outfit). Allow to dry completely. - Add the elf outfit:
Cut a zigzag red collar and red hat trim from craft paper or foam. Glue the collar at the transition between green and cream. Attach the red trim to the top for the hat base, and add the green triangle above it for the hat itself. - Add the face:
Glue on two big googly eyes, the pink pom-pom nose, and draw a little smile with a black marker. - Final touch:
Add a red pom-pom to the tip of the elf hat. Optional: glue a piece of ribbon or twine to the back to hang your elf on the tree.
New Elf Variations to Love!
Here are a few colorful twists on our favorite one-stick elves—because let’s be real: you can never have too many sparkly little helpers.
Want to switch things up? Try these ideas:
- Use mini bows, felt cutouts, or jingle bells instead of buttons for the belts
- Swap pipe cleaner hats for felt triangles or pom-pom hats
- Add glitter eyebrows or even draw on little glasses for personality
- Paint their outfits in your kid’s favorite colors—even neon or pastels!
- Use googly eyes in different sizes or try hand-drawn cartoon faces
Let kids mix and match textures and colors so everyone ends up with their very own custom elf. Because when every elf is different, no two trees look the same—and that’s the magic.
8. Popsicle Snowman Ornament
How to make it:
Paint your craft stick white, let it dry (patience, young snowmaker!). Cut out a little black top hat from felt and glue it on. Use black pom-poms for buttons, a red and green scrap of flannel for the scarf, and don’t forget to draw on that adorable carrot nose and dot smile. Add a ribbon to hang it—and boom! Frosty’s budget-friendly cousin is born.
Storytime (because of course I have one):
I remember making this exact snowman craft with my girls—one insisted on giving hers pink sparkly cheeks and the other glued the scarf on upside down. “It’s fashion,” she said. Honestly? She wasn’t wrong.
Even now, these little snowmen still hang on our tree each year. Slightly tilted, wildly loved, and definitely handmade with the kind of glue that never washes out of sleeves.
This one is also cute and super simple to create.
👈 Just click on the image!
A Quick Note on Safety
As with any craft or activity, never leave young children unsupervised, especially when using scissors, glue, small objects, or anything that could pose a choking hazard.
Even the simplest play can get unexpectedly messy (or inventive 😊), so make sure the space is safe, and all materials are age-appropriate.
And hey — part of the fun is doing it together, right?
+1 Feeling Bold? Here’s Your Bonus Round of Popsicle Stick Christmas Crafts
Okay, I get it. The “easy and cozy” crafts were cute—but your inner Pinterest Queen™ is stirring, and she wants more. You’ve got glue in your hair, glitter in your coffee, and a wild urge to turn popsicle sticks into something… legendary.
You’re not alone.
This section is for the craft-hungry, hot-glue-gun-wielding heroes who look at a table centerpiece and whisper, “I could make that.”
From tiny gingerbread houses to reindeer stables, Christmas villages, sleighs, and even full-on dinner table decor—this is your “go big or ho-ho-home” moment. And hey, if it turns into a sticky, glittery mess halfway through? That’s still called holiday magic, my friend.
So roll up your sleeves (preferably ones that already have paint on them), and let’s get a little extra. 👇
Don’t miss these extra fun crafts—they’re just too cute (and too easy) to skip!
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