Are you looking for an easy and fun Christmas craft for kids? We’ve got you covered! This post includes a free printable popsicle stick craft pattern and a helpful step-by-step video tutorial that will guide you through the process of making a colorful Popsicle Stick Gingerbread House, complete with decorated Christmas trees.
All together, they make the perfect candy-themed holiday scene for sensory bins and small world play. I just know your kids will love it as much as mine did!
Popsicle Stick Gingerbread House
Merry Thanksgive-o-ween! You know—that awkward time in October when anything Halloween, Thanksgiving, or Christmas goes!
Last week on the blog, I shared an easy tutorial for a Popsicle Stick Haunted House. Today we are going to use the same free template to make a cute Popsicle Stick Gingerbread House, complete with peppermint stick trim.
Craft Supplies Needed for Popsicle Stick Gingerbread House
- Popsicle Stick Gingerbread House Template
- Mini popsicle sticks
- Standard popsicle sticks
- Wide popsicle sticks
- Wooden circles (1 in X 1/8 in)
- Candy cane striped washi tape
- Acrylic paint
- Paintbrushes
- Pom poms or buttons
- Hot glue gun or tacky craft glue
Directions for Gingerbread House
1. Use our free printable template to make the shape of the gingerbread house with wide craft sticks. Don’t forget to reinforce the back of the house with extra craft sticks and hot glue.
Tip: We like these shears for cutting popsicle sticks, but they are sharp—please keep away from kids!
2. Paint the popsicle sticks with acrylic paint. Use our photos as a guide, or choose your own colors!
3. Press candy cane striped washi tape onto two standard popsicle sticks. You could also choose to leave them white like icing, or paint your own candy cane stripes with red acrylic paint.
4. Assemble the gingerbread house. We started by gluing down the candy cane trim, followed by the roof. If desired, trim any popsicle sticks that stretch beyond the top of the roof with shears.
5. Paint 15–17 wooden circles a variety of bright, eye-catching colors. We chose pink, green, purple, aqua, light brown, yellow, orange, and red. We painted one wooden circle to resemble a peppermint candy.
When the paint is dry, press the candies onto the roof, overlapping them so they resemble slate.
Tip: You should absolutely feel free to make and decorate this gingerbread house however you want! Give kids the option of using wooden circles, stickers, pom poms, buttons, and sequins to decorate their house. If you’re feeling brave, you could even use real candy!
6. Use mini popsicle sticks to assemble the window and door. We left our window outlined just like a real gingerbread house, but you could also place a colored piece of cardstock behind it as we did in our popsicle stick haunted house craft. I think aqua or yellow would look great!
Press a small green button or pom pom onto the door for a door handle. Put the peppermint candy on the frosting door of the gingerbread house.
7. If desired, glue a loop of Christmas ribbon behind it to make an ornament for your Christmas tree. We hot glued extra popsicle sticks to the bottom of our house to help it easily stand in our sensory bin.
Popsicle Stick Christmas Trees
1. Use 2 standard craft sticks, 1 wide craft stick, and 1 mini craft stick to assemble a few Christmas trees to go with the gingerbread house.
2. Paint accordingly with green and brown acrylic paint. Decorate the tree with wooden buttons or pom poms.
Press the gingerbread house and trees into a sensory bin filled with dry navy beans and wooden beads. If desired, add small Christmas toys, gingerbread figurines, and sensory bin materials for hours of creative play!
You could even add:
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Popsicle Stick Gingerbread House
This DIY popsicle stick gingerbread house craft is an easy and fun Christmas craft for kids! Includes a free printable craft pattern and ideas for sensory play.
Materials
- Popsicle Stick Gingerbread House Template
- Mini popsicle sticks
- Standard popsicle sticks
- Wide popsicle sticks
- Wooden circles (1 in X 1/8 in)
- Candy cane striped washi tape
- Acrylic paint
- Paintbrushes
- Pompoms or buttons
- Tacky craft glue (optional)
Tools
- Low-temperature hot glue gun
- Shears
Instructions
- Use our free printable template to make the shape of the gingerbread house with wide craft sticks. Don’t forget to reinforce the back of the house with extra craft sticks and hot glue.
- Paint the popsicle sticks with acrylic paint.
- Press candy cane striped washi tape onto two standard popsicle sticks. You could also choose to leave them white like icing, or paint your own candy cane stripes with red acrylic paint.
- Assemble the gingerbread house. We started by gluing down the candy cane trim, followed by the roof. If desired, trim any popsicle sticks that stretch beyond the top of the roof with shears.
- Paint 15–17 wooden circles a variety of bright, eye-catching colors. We chose pink, green, purple, aqua, light brown, yellow, orange, and red. We painted one wooden circle to resemble a peppermint candy.
- When the paint is dry, press the candies onto the roof, overlapping them so they resemble slate.
- Use mini popsicle sticks to assemble the window and door.
- Press a small green button or pompom onto the door for a door handle. Put the peppermint candy on the frosting door of the gingerbread house.
- If desired, glue a loop of Christmas ribbon behind it to make an ornament for your Christmas tree. We hot glued extra popsicle sticks to the bottom of our house to help it easily stand in our sensory bin.
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