This DIY craft stick puzzle idea blends the creativity of an art activity with the excitement of a puzzle challenge! It’s perfect for classroom or afterschool fun, as a stand-alone project to showcase completed designs, or to combine with a themed activity.

Kids can customize these puzzles for any theme or occasion. We added some seasonal flair by creating a snowman, but you can make it an everyday activity using animal designs too. The instructions below highlight the elephant design. This really is a blank canvas project, so your group can really unleash their artistic abilities if you keep it an open ended project.

Supplies Used:

Optional:

Instructions

This project can be done with as little as 5 popsicle sticks, but can also use many more. For a slightly easier project, you can use pre-stained popsicles sticks.

Step 1: Line up your popsicle sticks, making sure each of the ends line up together.

Tip: You can put tape on the back of the popsicle sticks to make sure they stay in line.

Step 2: Draw your design on to the popsicle sticks. I began by sketching my design with a pencil, then using a marker to make the design more clear.

Step 3: Paint on your design using acrylic paint.

Tip: We used 2-3 coats of paint to make sure the design was opaque and clear.

Step 4 ((Optional): Once the paint has dried, use the black permanent marker and retrace the design so that your lines are bold.

Step 5: Mix up the popsicle sticks and put it back together for the puzzle!

View our video on Instagram below. We would love to see what you create, so share with us in the comments!