Christmas Tree Popsicle Stick Craft

This Christmas tree popsicle stick craft is one of those holiday crafts that hits the sweet spot. It’s festive without being fussy, structured without being rigid, and colorful enough to feel special without turning into a full supply scavenger hunt. Kids get to paint, glue, decorate, and proudly announce, “I made this,” which is always the real goal anyway.

It’s simple, flexible, and works just as well at the kitchen table as it does in a classroom art center.

Two popsicle stick Christmas tree crafts on a blue background with text overlay reading “christmas tree popsicle stick craft.”

🎁 Today’s FREE Preschool Craft
This Popsicle Stick Christmas Tree is Day 5 of my 12 Days of Preschool Freebies.
Visit the page below to download the full printable and visual tutorial — free for a limited time!

Click over to the Christmas Tree Popsicle Stick Craft listing and put in the code GIVE5 to get yours right now.

Materials for This Christmas Tree Craft Stick Project

Craft sticks, jumbo
Chenille stems, clear tinsel
Glue gun and glue sticks
Pom poms
Wooden stars
Acrylic craft paint in bright green, medium green, brown, and yellow
Cardstock in bright green and medium green
Scissors
Paintbrush
Pencil
Tree patterns

How to Make These Popsicle Stick Christmas Trees

Alright, let’s turn this pile of supplies into some very cheerful little trees.

Step One

Gather your supplies.

Craft supplies for a Christmas tree popsicle stick craft laid out on a white wood surface, including craft sticks, pom poms, green cardstock, green acrylic paint, pipe cleaners, scissors, paintbrush, marker, and hot glue gun.

To create the tree shape, arrange three jumbo craft sticks into a triangle on your work surface. Secure each corner with a glue gun and glue sticks

Tip: Liquid craft glue works as well, but you’ll need extra drying time.

Plain wooden craft sticks arranged into triangle shapes on a white wood surface, with a hot glue gun nearby.

Step Two

Paint one craft stick triangle bright green and the other medium green. Allow them to dry fully, then add a second coat if needed.

Triangle shapes made from craft sticks painted in two different shades of green, with green acrylic paint bottles and a paintbrush on the table.

Step Three

Download, print, and cut out the tree patterns. Trace the tree shape once onto bright green cardstock and once onto medium green cardstock using a pencil.

Light and dark green cardstock with a triangle shape traced in pencil, alongside a pencil and stacked cardstock.

Step Four

Cut out the cardstock trees, cutting just inside the traced lines for a clean fit behind the craft sticks.

Cut cardstock triangles in two shades of green on a white wood surface, with orange-handled scissors nearby.

Step Five

Glue each cardstock triangle to the back of its matching craft stick triangle.

Painted popsicle stick triangles glued onto green cardstock triangles, showing the layered tree shape before decoration.

Step Six

Paint two wooden stars yellow. Let them dry completely, adding a second coat if needed.

Wooden star shapes and yellow acrylic paint on a white wood surface, with two stars painted yellow and a paintbrush beside them.

Step Seven

Attach pom poms in assorted colors to both trees using a glue gun and glue sticks. Encourage kids to choose their own placement.

Pom poms being glued onto green triangle shapes made from popsicle sticks and cardstock, with a bag of pom poms and a hot glue gun visible.

Step Eight

Bend clear tinsel chenille stems into a scalloped garland shape. Cut into four sections, starting at the bottom of the tree and working upward.

Green triangle crafts decorated with pom poms and silver pipe cleaners arranged like garland, with scissors and extra pipe cleaners on the table.

Glue the garland onto the trees.

Two decorated green triangle crafts with pom poms and silver pipe cleaner garland, with a hot glue gun positioned nearby.

Step Nine

Cut one jumbo craft stick in half to create two trunks. Paint them brown and allow them to dry, adding a second coat if needed.

Brown acrylic paint bottle, paintbrush, and two painted popsicle sticks laid on a white wood surface, showing the tree trunk pieces being painted.

Step Ten

Attach the wooden stars to the tops of the trees and glue the trunks to the bottoms using a glue gun and glue sticks.

Green cardstock triangle with a popsicle stick attached at the bottom, hot glue gun nearby, and a completed decorated tree visible in the background.

And finished! Hang your completed Christmas tree popsicle sticks up for everyone to see!

Two completed popsicle stick Christmas tree crafts side by side on a white wood surface, each decorated with pom poms, silver pipe cleaner garland, yellow stars, and brown popsicle stick trunks.

What We Loved About This Craft

This project is doing quiet educational work behind the scenes.

Kids practice fine motor skills through painting, cutting, gluing, and manipulating the tinsel garland. There’s visual-motor coordination involved when aligning shapes and spacing decorations, plus natural color recognition as children choose pom pom placements.

The triangle shape also introduces early geometry concepts in a hands-on way, and following the steps from start to finish supports sequencing and attention skills. Best of all, the finished trees still feel open-ended, so each one reflects the child who made it!

Grab This Christmas Tree Craftivity Now!

Grab the printable tree patterns and turn this into an easy craftivity for home, classrooms, or small groups. Use code TREE to get 25% off the packet.

Please Share This Christmas Tree Popsicle Stick Craft

If you enjoyed making this Christmas Tree craft stick project, I’d love for you to share it! Pin it to your favorite craft board or pass it along to a parent or teacher who might need an easy winter activity. Every share helps more families find simple, creative projects their kids will actually enjoy.