If your house is anything like mine, the popsicle sticks pile up fast during the warm months of summer. Instead of letting them go to waste, recycle them with a simple and inexpensive summer craft! They’ll adore making these crazy faces and wooden animals and turning them into super fun popsicle jewelry.

Let’s get started!

I designed three different animals: an elephant, a rabbit, and a bear. Let your kids create their own favorite animals and wear them as necklaces or pinned on bags or t-shirts as fun brooches.

Make the necklaces with your choice of materials: common string, sparkling chains, or ribbons. Whatever you have on hand at home will suit your necklace perfectly, get creative and have fun!
 You’ll be surprised by how easy it is to make the cool accessories.

• Popsicle sticks (different sizes)
• Hot glue gun
• Sturdy scissors
• 
Hole punch (for necklaces only)
• Decoration: Paint, markers, googly eyes, stickers, pompom, beads
• Brooches: brooch pin
• Necklaces: string, jump rings and ribbon, or necklace chain

Step 1: Funny Animals
For the first and third design (elephant and bear), divide and cut one popsicle stick in three equal parts.
For the second design (rabbit), divide and cut one popsicle stick, but this time make the center piece smaller than top and bottom pieces. 
Cut also a small piece of a jumbo stick for the back of each design.

Step 2
Arrange pieces and glue them together at the back, using the small piece of jumbo stick as a base. 
For the first design (elephant), drill or poke holes in the two top sticks.
For the second and third design (rabbit and bear), glue a centered pin brooch.

Step 3
Paint them and let them dry. Then glue googly eyes to make these cute funny animals.
 Rabbit and Bear brooches are ready to go. Tie a long piece of string to each hole of the elephant ears and try it out!

Step 4: Crazy Necklaces
Take one popsicle stick and drill or poke holes in the middle of each end.
Now have fun drawing faces: nose, mouth and eyes! Get wild adding mini pompoms, stickers, googly eyes… to create funny little friends!

Step 5
Measure how long you want the necklace to be and use a simple tied string to make your necklace.
You can also attach large jump rings to the holes and connect a necklace chain or a ribbon! Choose the option that better suits you or make different crazy necklaces!

Hope you enjoy making and wearing your own handmade jewelry!