Making a house out of ice cream sticks is a fun and simple activity. You can build a house in a variety of ways. However, we found that the best way was to start building four rectangles and glue the sticks together to form a wall. After that, you can build a roof by gluing two triangles together. Then, the most fun part remains, which is decorating it to your liking.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Building Walls
Step 1. Gather all the necessary equipment
You'll need about 100 ice cream sticks, which you can buy at a craft store or department store. You will also need glue. The best option is hot glue gun, but in use children must be supervised by an adult. Also prepare paper, scissors, and a cutter knife.
- If you don't want to use hot glue, just use regular wood glue for crafting.
- Always be careful when using hot glue guns as they can burn the skin.
Step 2. Lay out newsprint or brown paper for the base
Since you'll be using glue, it's a good idea to cover the work surface with newspaper, a disposable rag, or something that protects the surface.
Hot glue gun is difficult to remove from the surface. So, be careful. Hot glue gun also drips easily from the gun so always place the glue gun where the surface is covered
Step 3. Form four rectangles with ice cream sticks
Place two sticks in parallel with the distance as far as the length of the stick. Place the next two sticks on top of the first two to form a rectangle. Apply glue to each corner. Repeat this step to make the remaining three rectangles.
All these rectangles will become the walls of the house
Step 4. Glue another stick until it covers the rectangular frame
Lay the rectangular frame horizontally, lining up enough sticks to cover the entire frame. Glue the two opposite sides of the rectangle and attach the stick there. Repeat this step to finish all four walls of the house.
- Glue the sticks tightly so that there are no gaps in the wall.
- It is possible that the last gap is too narrow for the stick to fit. Use a cutter knife to trim it to fit to the last place.
Part 2 of 3: Making the Roof of the House
Step 1. Create the initial frame
Take three sticks and form a triangle by stacking the ends of each stick on top of each other. It doesn't matter which stick is on top. Use a dab of glue to glue all the corners together. Repeat the same process to create the remaining triangles.
This basic roof only uses two triangles as support, but you can make a more stable roof by making a third triangle that will be installed between the first two triangles
Step 2. Lay a number of sticks horizontally to make the first side of the roof
Apply glue to each end of the stick. Glue the two triangles perpendicular to the top side of the first roof. Repeat this process until all sides of the triangle are covered. Glue the stick tightly. Hold each stick in place for at least 5 seconds to allow the glue to adhere firmly.
Place each stick carefully into the triangular frame so that the position of the previously glued stick does not change
Step 3. Lay the second set of roofs
In the same way as the first side of the roof, apply glue to the sticks for the second side of the roof. Proceed with caution so that you don't damage the previously installed stick.
Step 4. Cover the roof that is still open
Now you have a roof frame that is open on both sides. As an additional option, you can completely cover the interior of the roof. Starting at the bottom of the roof, glue the sticks to the triangular frame. The closer you get to the top of the roof, the smaller the stick, so you'll have to cut the stick in the narrower part of the triangle.
Covering the roof completely will add a real impression to the ice stick house because that's what a real house looks like
Part 3 of 3: Assembling the House
Step 1. Cut out the part that will be the window
If you want to make your home more realistic, you can cut a window or two in the wall. This step is easier to do before all the walls are put together. Take a cutter knife and carefully make a 2.5 x 2.5 cm rectangle on one or more walls.
- The window can be in the middle or at the edge of the wall.
- To make the stick house even more beautiful, you can use the leftover pieces of the existing sticks to make shutters or frames.
Step 2. Cut the wall to make the door
The stick house will look more like a real house with the addition of a door. The size of the ice stick you use determines how big the door will be. Make the size of the door that is high enough with a width of about the width of the house. Cut the door with a cutter knife.
To make a door leaf, you can glue a piece of cardboard the size of a door at the end of the opening. Fold one side of the cardboard to glue it to the wall to look like a real door that can be opened and closed
Step 3. Glue the entire wall
Take two walls and raise them so that the sticks are in a vertical position. Apply a line of glue along the inner end of the stick. Glue the wall to the section by pressing it gently. Hold for about 30 seconds until the glue sticks firmly.
Install the remaining two walls to complete the basic structure of the house
Step 4. Install the roof at the top
Apply glue to the top of the wall, at the end of each stick. Glue the roof to the wall and press gently for a few seconds until the glue sticks firmly. You can also leave the roof separate and not glue it to the walls of the house. That way, you can put furniture in it.
Step 5. Decorate the house
You have endless options for decorating it. Use spray paint to color the entire house in one color. Or use a small brush to paint the walls in one color and the roof in another. Glue cloth or wrapping paper to create a patterned wall. You can also glue moss, flowers, or sticks to make it look like a house in the woods.
Tips
- Ice cream stick houses like these are generally made for decoration, and won't hold up well if played roughly.
- Once the house is finished, you can paint or decorate it in any way.
Warning
- Be careful when cutting the sticks so you don't get bitten by the splinters.
- Be careful when using a cutter knife. Don't get your hands scratched.
