Crafts With Popsicles & Drills

Popsicle sticks are a favorite craft item for young children because they can be glued together to build houses and many other craft projects. Although glue is the easiest way to connect popsicle sticks, drills can also be used to put holes in them so they can be strung together. Using a hand drill in conjunction with popsicle sticks opens up many new craft possibilities.

Any time you intend to use a drill it is important to employ basic safety measures. Wear safety goggles to protect your eyes from wood splinters and only use the drill on a flat, sturdy surface. When drilling holes in Popsicle sticks, place the stick flat on top of a piece of scrap wood. Mark the desired position for the hole then drill through the Popsicle stick using a maximum of a 1/4 inch drill bit. Your drill may bite into the scrap wood beneath the Popsicle stick but that is okay because it is just there to protect your work surface. If you are drilling through five or fewer Popsicle sticks, it is possible to clamp them together and drill through them all at once.

Assemble 8 to 10 wide Popsicle or tongue depressor sticks and lay them out on a flat surface. Decorate both sides of the Popsicle sticks using crayons, colored pencils or markers and allow them to dry completely. Using a hand drill, drill a 1/4-inch hole through each Popsicle stick about a half inch from the bottom. Once all the holes are drilled, stack the Popsicle sticks on top of each other and line up the holes. Pass a pipe cleaner through the holes then fold it in half and twist it tight. Trim away the excess and spread Popsicle sticks out to view and use your fan.

By mounting them on a Popsicle stick, you can turn many small objects into pendants for necklaces. Begin by selecting an item to be your pendant. The item should be small and ideally made of wood or plastic. You might use something natural like an acorn cap or you could use a miniature figurine. Cut a regular sized Popsicle stick to a length of about an inch and a half and drill a 1/8-inch hole near one end. Using craft glue or hot glue, mount your object to the other end of the Popsicle stick. Let the glue dry, then thread a cord or chain through the Popsicle stick to turn your pendant into a necklace.

Drill two 1/8-inch holes in 64 regular sized Popsicle sticks. One hole should be about a quarter inch from the bottom of the stick and the other hole should be in the middle of the stick. Thread a piece of thin wire through the bottom holes of the Popsicle sticks and pull it tight so that the Popsicle sticks fan out in a sunburst shape. Secure the wire and trim away the excess. Thread a longer piece of wire through the holes in the middle of each Popsicle stick and thread a pony bead onto the wire in between each stick to keep them spaced out. Secure the wire after threading it through all the sticks and cut away the excess. Use your trivet to keep hot pots and pans from damaging table tops.