How to Build a Barn out of Popsicle Sticks

Barns are wonderful structures, indicative of hard farming work, cool livestock and even romance in the bales of hay. You can re-create all that imagery when you build a barn out of Popsicle or craft sticks. Popsicle sticks are easy to work with and glue together well with a quality craft glue.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Popsicle or craft sticks
• Snips
• Craft glue
• Paint (optional)
• Clear sealer
• Waxed paper

1. Gather your supplies. You can either eat dozens of Popsicles and thoroughly clean the sticks or buy packets of crafts sticks at a local craft shop. Get a pair of snips, or other cutting device that can snip through wood, and a good-quality craft glue. Cover your work area with waxed paper so the glue will not stick to the surface and wreck it.

2. Construct the barn’s base. Lay six sticks side by side and glue them together lengthwise. Repeat with six more sticks. Cut six sticks in half and cut the rounded edges off the other side of the half sticks. Lay them flat, side by side, into two sections of six half sticks each. Glue the sides together. You should end up with two longer and two shorter barn walls. When the glue is dry between the slats, glue the flat edges of the smaller walls to the inside of the longer walls into a rectangular shape.

3. Create the rounded part. Most barns have a rounded area above two of the sides so it can have a hayloft full of owls and bats. Cut four sticks in half. Cut off their rounded edges. Glue four half sticks together, lying flat. Glue the other four half sticks together. Once dried, use your snips to cut them into a four-sided dome shape. Each of the four sides should be the width of two craft sticks held side by side. Glue to the top of the shorter barn walls.

4. Make the roof. Use six sticks, gluing two to each of the four sides you created earlier on the round part. Let the entire barn dry for at least 24 hours.

5. Paint as desired. A nice base coat of red paint works well for the traditional barn. Use white paint for accents and black for the roof. You can also make your barn some crazy color with vivid polka dots or paint a cow pattern. The barn will also look good "au natural." Spray the final product with a sealer, such as polyurethane, once the paint is thoroughly dry.

Tips & Warnings

• You can make your barn a square by using the full craft sticks on the sides, rather than cutting them in half.
• Add fun adornments, like a miniature weather vane on the roof, tiles made from sandpaper squares painted black and little door borders with painted toothpicks.
• Check the miniatures aisle at the craft store for more ideas.