Making popsicle stick ornaments is a fun way to get creative with kids of all ages this Christmas. Popsicle stick crafts are cheap, easy to make, and can be used in a variety of ways like the popsicle stick ornaments we are making today. Add some homemade fun to your Christmas tree with these painted wooden craft stick ornaments and create your children’s favorite holiday characters.

Homemade Popsicle Stick Ornaments for Christmas

Christmas popsicle stick crafts are a great way to decorate your tree this holiday. We are showing these Christmas ornaments with popsicle sticks made with regular size popsicle sticks (also known as craft sticks or ice cream sticks), you can also use stir sticks or jumbo craft sticks too.

Related: Make popsicle stick snowflakes ornaments, Popsicle Stick & Tissue Paper Mosaic Sun Craft, and Christmas Dough Ornaments – Based on a Coloring Page

What I love about these cute ornament craft ideas is that they use simple materials and are lots of fun to make together. Make some each year to add to your Christmas tree! Even the youngest little hands can help: toddlers, preschoolers and older kiddos.

How to Make Christmas Ornaments from Popsicle Sticks

Santa & Friends Popsicle Stick Christmas Ornament Instructions in this Article Include:

• Popsicle stick penguin
• Snowman popsicle stick
• Popsicle stick elf
• Popsicle stick reindeer
• and of course, popsicle stick Santa ornaments!

Supplies needed

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• Popsicle sticks (or craft sticks)
• Acrylic paint in a variety of craft paint colors (oh, try some glitter too!)
• Small pom poms or try jingle bells!
• Tiny googly eyes
• Glue – Elmers glue or craft glue or even hot glue gun works great
• String, ribbon, yarn or twine

Instructions for making popsicle stick ornaments

Step 1

Using acrylic paint and a paintbrush, paint the main color for each of your popsicle stick ornament characters.

Note: We have painted small items like this that don’t need a lot of precision with cotton balls.

Step 2

Attach tiny googly eyes to each of your popsicle sticks. If you don’t have self-stick googly eyes, then use glue to attach them.

Step 3

Using a fine paintbrush, add facial features, buckles, buttons, feet, and more to your Santa, elf, reindeer, snowman, and penguin.

Step 4

Using glue, attach small pom poms to each of your popsicle stick Christmas characters with their own special details:

• Your craft stick Santa ornament will need a black belt with a buckle and a white pom pom for his Santa hat.
• Your craft stick elf ornament will need a contrasting color collar and some buttons!
• Your craft stick reindeer ornament needs a big red pom pom nose and some painted antlers.
• Your Popsicle stick snowman ornaments need a orange triangle nose, scarf and contrasting buttons.
• Your popsicle stick penguin needs a white belly and orange beak and feet!

Don’t forget to glue a string loop to the back of each of your ornaments for hanging them on the tree.

Our finished popsicle stick Christmas ornaments

How cute are they? These ornaments will look so great on our tree!

You can even make easy craft stick Christmas ornaments as gifts which is great if you have a long gift list.

5 Tips for Making Popsicle Stick Ornaments

Holiday craft stick ornaments are fun and easy to make. Here are some things we learned when doing this Christmas craft with kids and might do differently next time:

1. Make sure you give each coat of paint on your craft stick ornaments enough time to dry. 

Your little ones might be excited to get started, but it’s important to have a good base for your craft stick ornament.

When we make them in my house, I usually have my kids help paint the main color onto the craft sticks a day in advance. This gives plenty of time for a second coat later on that evening if it’s needed. Once the craft stick dries, it’s easy peasy from there!

2. Stock up on everything you need before you get started. 

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve started a craft, and then realized I was missing a key crafting supply! Include your kids in the planning, and make a list of all of the items you might need: paint, markers, googly eyes, sequins, etc. Go on a scavenger hunt through your house to locate everything you need.

Check out the craft store or even the local dollar store for supplies and popsicle stick ornament embellishments. The best part of this craft is that you can make do with what you have in the house in order to decorate your craft stick ornaments!

3. Plan your crafting time thoughtfully. 

Make sure it’s at a time when everyone is well-rested and not rushed (although the nice thing about this easy Christmas craft is that you can take breaks and come back to it!). This is the perfect Christmas activity to do while you wait for batches of Christmas cookies to bake and are easy popsicle stick crafts for kids of all ages including little kids.

Everyone will enjoy this popsicle stick Christmas trees ornaments because they are such a cute craft.

4. Talk about the joy of giving, and lead by example. 

Kids naturally love giving. It’s one of the most beautiful things about their little souls. Her absolute favorite is making DIY Christmas ornaments for the people she loves! She carefully selects her craft project ideas so that they fit the gift receiver, and it warms my heart to watch.

We have fun crafting together, but more importantly, she learns how gratifying it is to think of others. She adores surprising our family and friends with a thoughtful gift, given from pure love.

5. Take your time, and take pictures of your artist with their craft stick ornaments!

These special moments go too quickly. Your crafting buddy won’t be little forever. Pictures and videos will last a lifetime, along with your sweet memories!

What fun keepsakes!

Check out another version of these popsicle stick Christmas crafts that we made for the Imperial Sugar website.

More Popsicle Stick Christmas Ornament Crafts We Love

• These popsicle Christmas tree ornaments from One Little Project are super cute and a great Christmas craft for kids.
• This manger popsicle stick ornament is really adorable from Housing a Forest.
• Make these sweet miniature ski and poles tree ornaments from popsicle sticks from 21 Rosemary Lane.
• If you want a larger version of popsicle Santa, check out The Craft Patch Blog! This Santa head is fun!

More DIY Ornaments And Fun from Kids Activities Blog

• This Q Tip Snowflakes ornament is one of the easiest to make with kids and they turn out lovely on your Christmas tree.
• We have the cutest and simplest clear ornament ideas for filling ornaments with fun items for your holiday decorations.
• We have a list of 26 DIY ornaments you can make with your kids! They’re all unique and beautiful.
• Turn your kids artwork into an ornament that is custom made.
• Watch these Hallmark Christmas movies while you craft and bake this holiday season!
• This Christmas craft is perfect for smaller kids! They can make these easy and colorful tin foil ornaments.
• Don’t miss our ornament coloring pages!
• Make Christmas dinner fun with these printable Christmas placemats for kids!
• Countdown to Christmas with the top 10 Holiday movies for kids.
• We love all of these 85 elf on the shelf ideas!
• Check out these DIY Christmas ornaments!
• Have you tried making this snowflake ornament craft?
• You can make your own watercolor Christmas tree tags.

What popsicle stick ornaments did you make for Christmas?