Elf leg in a striped stocking, a curled shoe on the round endRed, white, green, gold. Stripes across most of the stick; a green shoe with a gold bell on the end.
Name puzzle: a single letter fills every stick in the rowWhite base, one dark color. Tape as many sticks as the name is long; each letter as tall as its stick. Flat brush.
Railroad sections: two rails and a row of ties on every stickBrown, silver, black. Two thin silver rails along each stick, brown ties across; lay the set end to end.
Bamboo cane with darker joint rings and one leafGreen, dark green, yellow. Paint the stick green; a dark ring every finger-width; one leaf springs from a ring.
Banded snake the full length, head on one round endRed, yellow, black. Bands repeat across the whole stick; a face on one end, a thin pointed tail on the other.
Carrot painted to a point, leafy green on the top endOrange, green, brown, white. White base; the carrot narrows down the stick, short brown lines across. Round brush.
Ear of corn in kernel dots with a green husk at the baseYellow, green, white. Rows of yellow dots set like bricks; two husk leaves wrap the bottom third. Cotton swab.
Fruit skewer: five painted fruits with bare wood betweenRed, orange, yellow, green, purple. Five fruit shapes in a row down the stick, a gap of bare wood after each.
Guitar neck with frets, six strings and dot markersDark brown, silver, white. Silver fret lines across, six thin strings along, white dots between. Liner brush.
Lighthouse in red and white bands, the lamp at the top endWhite, red, yellow, black. Four wide bands; a yellow lamp window under a black cap on the round end. Flat brush.
Palm trunk ringed to the top, fronds over the round endTan, brown, green. Brown rings every finger-width up the stick; five green fronds burst over the round end.
Rocket standing on its flames, a porthole halfway upWhite, red, blue, orange. Red nose on the top end, a blue ring porthole, orange flames on the bottom end.
Striped party candle, its flame filling the top endWhite, one bright color, yellow, orange. Diagonal stripes up the stick; a teardrop flame on the round end.
Wristwatch laid flat: a dial in the middle, strap holes toward one endOne strap color, white, black, silver. Trace a coin for the dial; five dots as holes; a silver buckle on the end.
Zipper running the length, its pull on one round endOne base color, silver, black. Two rows of silver teeth down the middle, parting near the top; a pull on the end.
One picture across a row of sticks 12
City skyline, one building to a stick, every roof a new heightNavy, gray, yellow. One building a stick with a stepped top; shuffle the row and the skyline changes. Liner brush.
Counting row: a numeral on each top end, that many dots belowWhite base, black, red. Ten sticks; the numerals in black, the dots in red; the row reads only in order.
Dachshund stretched over ten sticks, nose first, tail lastBrown, tan, black. Tape ten sticks edge to edge; the long body crosses them all; number the backs. Flat brush.
Flower bed of ten sticks, every bloom at a different heightSky blue, green, five flower colors. One flower a stick, heads at stepped heights; shuffle to regrow the bed.
Made-up constellation dotted over eight sticks and joined with linesNavy, white, pale yellow. Navy base on the taped row; star dots with a cotton swab; thin joining lines.
Monster face over six sticks, an eye on each middle stickPurple, white, black, lime. Square teeth along the bottom ends; one horn on each outer stick. Round brush.
Name puzzle: a single letter fills every stick in the rowWhite base, one dark color. Tape as many sticks as the name is long; each letter as tall as its stick. Flat brush.
Octopus with its head in the middle and an arm ending on each stickCoral, pink, white, navy. Eight sticks; the head sits low in the middle; each arm curls up a different stick.
Piano keys: white sticks with black bars painted over the joinsWhite, black. Fourteen sticks side by side; black bars over the joins in a group of two, then three, twice.
Shelf of ten books, a title band on every spineTen colors, gold, white. Each stick is one spine with two gold bands and a small label; shuffle to reshelve.
Sunflower on sticks stacked like rungs, the bloom on the top twoYellow, brown, green, sky blue. Stack and tape eight sticks; the stem runs up through all eight. Round brush.
Sunset over the sea in bands that cross every stickYellow, orange, pink, navy. Level bands across the taped row; a half sun on the two middle sticks. Flat brush.
Sets that match, count and join 12
Chain sticks whose end colors match the next stick's endSix colors. Two different end colors on every stick; laid end to end, touching ends must match. Flat brush.
Lucky stick: one painted end hidden among nine bare onesBare wood, one bright color. Paint only the bottom end of one stick in ten; all ten stand in a jar, paint down.
Memory pairs: the same pattern on the hidden end of two sticksSix colors. One end only, in pairs: stripes, dots, zigzag, checks, waves, solid. They stand in a cup, paint down.
Mixing sticks: a primary on each round end, their mix in the middleRed, yellow, blue. Three sticks; each end a primary, the middle band the color the two make. Flat brush.
Mood sticks: six faces, one on each round endAny skin colors, black, pink. One face a stick: glad, sad, cross, sleepy, shocked, silly. Liner brush.
Railroad sections: two rails and a row of ties on every stickBrown, silver, black. Two thin silver rails along each stick, brown ties across; lay the set end to end.
Reader's set: four solid sticks, an initial on each round endFour colors, white. Solid color down to the last third, left bare; a white initial on the round end. Paint pen.
Rhythm sticks: each one a different repeat of two colorsTwo colors a stick. Bands in a repeat: one and one, two and one, two and two, three and one. Tape the edges.
River sections: a blue channel that meets the middle of every endGreen, blue, white. Each stick is one stretch of river with a bend; laid end to end the water runs on.
Stick dominoes: a middle line and one to six spots each sideBare wood, black. A black line across the middle of every stick; the spots printed with a cotton swab.
Swap-around creatures on three stacked sticks: head, body, legsAny brights, black. Stack three sticks; paint four creatures that share a neck line and a waist line, then swap.
Three-in-a-row set: five sticks tipped X, five tipped OTwo colors, black. Dip one end of five sticks in each color; an X or an O on the dip. Four bare sticks are the grid.
Paint stir sticks 12
Beanstalk winding up a stir stick to a castle on a cloudGreen, white, sky blue, gray. The stem snakes up the length with paired leaves; a small castle at the top.
First name along a stir stick with a star at each endOne base color, white. The name in lowercase along the length; a star before and after. Flat brush, paint pen.
Four seasons in four equal blocks down a stir stickPink, yellow, orange, white, sky blue. One bare tree in every block, dressed for its season. Round brush.
Giant crayon on a stir stick, the color's name along itOne bright color, black. A black wavy band near each end; the name of the color lettered between. Flat brush.
Little houses climbing a stir stick, each on the roof belowFive house colors, white, gray. Each doorstep stands on the ridge of the house under it. Liner brush for windows.
Measuring marks on a stir stick: ticks along one edge, a numeral at every fifthWhite, black, red. Short ticks, a longer one at every fifth; red numerals beside them. Liner brush and a ruler.
Paint-chip strip on a stir stick, dark at the bottom, pale at the topOne color, white. Seven equal blocks; a little more white goes into the color for each block up. Flat brush.
Rain down a stir stick: a cloud at the top, drops falling the whole lengthPale blue, white, navy. A white cloud across the top; the drops shrink toward the bottom. Cotton swab.
School of fish swimming up a stir stick, the biggest lowestTeal, orange, white. The largest fish near the bottom, four more shrinking above it, bubbles in the gaps.
Stir stick as a paddle: two bands near one end, a dipped grip at the otherBare wood, red, white, navy. Tape two bands a hand from one end; dip the last part of the other. Flat brush.
Tall cat at the top of a stir stick, its tail running to the bottomBlack, white, yellow, pink. The cat sits in the top third; the tail drops the rest of the way and curls once.
Three owls on a stir stick, each on its own short branchBrown, tan, cream, yellow. One owl above another; yellow eyes printed with the handle end of the brush.
Christmas 12
Elf leg in a striped stocking, a curled shoe on the round endRed, white, green, gold. Stripes across most of the stick; a green shoe with a gold bell on the end.
Fairy lights: one wavy cord along the stick, a bulb in every dipBare wood, black, five brights. A thin black cord wanders from end to end; one bright bulb a dip. Cotton swab.
Fir tree over seven sticks stacked like rungsGreen, brown, yellow, red. Stack and tape seven sticks; one triangle tree over all, red dots, a yellow star.
Gingerbread stick: white icing squiggles and three gumdrop buttonsBrown, white, red, green. A face on the top end, wavy white lines across both ends, three dots between.
North Pole signpost: slanting red and white stripes on a stir stickWhite, red, black. Tape slanted stripes the whole length; a small lettered board painted near the top.
Nutcracker soldier standing the length of a stir stickRed, navy, gold, black, white. A tall hat, a face with a toothy bar, gold buttons, black boots. Liner brush.
Pair of skis: two matching sticks with a snowflake at each tipRed, white, black. Two sticks painted alike; a white snowflake near one end, a black foot plate in the middle.
Penguin whose scarf trails down a stir stickBlack, white, orange, red. The penguin fills the top third; its striped scarf runs on to the bottom end.
Peppermint stick: slanting stripes with both round ends redWhite, red. White base coat; mask on the slant every finger-width, fill the gaps red, lift the masking. Flat brush.
Reindeer face on one round end with a bell collar belowBrown, tan, red, gold. A red nose at the very tip; the collar is a red band with one gold dot. Round brush.
Santa on a stir stick with a beard half its lengthRed, white, pink, black. Hat and face at the top, a long wavy beard below, black boots on the bottom end.
Snowman on a stir stick: three snowballs, a hat at the topSky blue, white, black, orange. Blue base; trace three lids for the body, the largest lowest; a hat band above.
Halloween 12
Eyeball sticks: one staring eye on every round endWhite, one iris color, black, red. The eye fills the round end; thin red veins; a handful stands in a jar.
Five pumpkins stacked down the stick, a different grin on eachOrange, black, green. One pumpkin sits on the next; faces in black; a green stalk on the top one only.
Ghost whose sheet trails away to a wispBlack, white. Black base; a round head with two eyes on one end; the sheet narrows to nothing at the other.
Jack-o'-lantern grin spread over five sticksOrange, black, yellow, green. Tape five sticks side by side; triangle eyes and a toothy grin cross the joins.
Magic wand: black with white round ends and a trail of gold starsBlack, white, gold. White on both round ends, black between; small gold stars wind around. Liner brush.
Roosting bat: feet gripping the top end, a wrapped body belowPurple, black, white. Purple base; two feet on the round end, a black teardrop body under them, two white eyes.
Skeleton arm: long bones down the stick, finger bones on the endBlack, white. Black base; two long bones side by side, then small ones spreading at the round end. Liner brush.
Slime running down from the top end in five dripsBlack, lime, white. Black base; lime poured from the round end in drips of five lengths; a white glint on each.
Spooky mansion spread over six sticks, a yellow window on eachBlack, purple, yellow. Tape six sticks side by side; one leaning roofline across; a window a stick. Liner brush.
Test tube of green potion, bubbles rising to the top endGreen, lime, white, black. The lower half green with a wavy top line; bubbles climb the rest. Cotton swab.
Witch's broom: the stick is the handle, bristles on one endBrown, straw yellow, black. Bristle strokes fan over the bottom third; a black binding band above. Liner brush.
Witch's hat on a stir stick, its point stretched the whole lengthBlack, purple, gold. A wide brim across the bottom end, a purple band with a gold buckle, the point above.
How it works
A craft stick is a flat, thin strip of wood, rounded at both ends. These 72 designs use that shape: a round end becomes a flame, a zipper pull or a wand tip, and a taped row becomes one picture.
Read the full guide
A row of sticks is one picture
Tape sticks edge to edge on the back, paint across the fronts and lift the tape. Dachshund stretched over ten sticks, nose first, tail last reads only in the right order; Shelf of ten books, a title band on every spine reads in any.
Paint stick craft ideas
A paint stir stick is the long flat stick that stirs a can of paint. Eighteen designs are for one and say stir stick in their names: twelve in a group of their own, five under Christmas and one under Halloween.
Questions and answers
What kind of paint do you use on craft sticks?
Craft acrylics work on wood. Acrylic paint is fast-drying, and most kinds become water-resistant when dry. We do not test paints: whether yours suits a stick kept outdoors or near food is on its label.
What are craft ideas using paint sticks?
Designs for the long stick that stirs a can of paint, such as Three owls on a stir stick, each on its own short branch and Four seasons in four equal blocks down a stir stick.
What are kid Christmas craft ideas using paint sticks?
Five of the 12 Christmas designs are for a stir stick: a snowman of three snowballs, Santa with a beard half its length, a North Pole signpost, a nutcracker soldier and a penguin whose scarf trails down the stick.
What can you paint on craft sticks for Halloween?
The Halloween group holds 12, among them a witch's broom with the stick as its handle, a skeleton arm, a roosting bat, a magic wand and a jack-o'-lantern grin spread over five sticks.