Craft Stick School Bus Craft

Using simple supplies from the Dollar Store, this craft stick school bus is the perfect back-to-school activity for kids! With a handful of jumbo and regular craft sticks, some gold paint, and a few fun accessories, your little ones will love riding along on this crafty adventure.

Graphic showing a yellow popsicle stick school bus craft with the text “bus popsicle stick craft” on a blue background.

Materials for This Craft Stick School Bus Craft

Before you start, gather a few simple supplies. Almost everything you need for this craft stick bus can be found at the Dollar Store, making it a great budget-friendly back-to-school craft.

Supplies

Craft sticks, jumbo
Craft sticks, regular
Colored paper – black
Marker, black
Glue gun and glue sticks
Buttons, white (2)
Acrylic craft paint – yellow
Rhinestones, self-adhesive
Paintbrush
Scissors
Ruler
Pencil
Patterns

Once your supplies are ready, it's time to build your school bus!

How to Make a Popsicle Stick School Bus Craft

This school bus craft comes together with some simple cutting, gluing, and painting. Follow the steps below to build your very own school bus.

Step 1: Gather Your Supplies

Gather all the supplies needed for this craft stick school bus. Laying everything out ahead of time makes the building process much smoother.

Craft supplies for a popsicle stick craft including wooden craft sticks, acrylic paint, glue gun, scissors, buttons, rhinestone stickers, paintbrush, and black marker on a wooden background.

Step 2: Build the Bus Base

Line up four jumbo craft sticks on your work surface to form the bus body. Trim additional jumbo craft sticks to the width of the bus and attach them with a glue gun and glue sticks to hold the body together.

TIP: Liquid craft glue also works, just allow extra drying time.

Wooden craft sticks glued together in a rectangle shape while making a popsicle stick craft, with scissors and a hot glue gun on a wooden table.

Step 3: Add the Roof and Windows

Cut one jumbo craft stick to 5 inches with scissors. Cut three regular craft sticks in half for the windows. Glue the regular stick windows to the longer jumbo stick roof section, then attach the roof to the top of the bus body.

Additional craft sticks being glued onto a popsicle stick base to create a bus-shaped frame, with scissors and a hot glue gun nearby.

Step 4: Paint the Bus

Basecoat the entire bus with gold acrylic craft paint. Let dry, and apply a second coat if necessary.

Yellow acrylic paint being brushed onto a popsicle stick craft base, covering the wooden sticks completely.

Step 5: Trace and Cut the Tires

Download, print, and cut out the bus patterns. Trace two tires onto black paper with a pencil or marker, then cut them out with scissors.

Two circles traced onto black cardstock using a pencil to create wheels for a popsicle stick school bus craft.

Black cardstock circles cut out with scissors to make wheels for a popsicle stick craft project.

Step 6: Attach the Tires

Attach the tires to the bottom of the bus with a glue gun and glue sticks. Glue one white button onto each tire as a hubcap.

Painted yellow popsicle stick bus craft with black cardstock wheels and white buttons attached in the center as wheel hubs.

Step 7: Add the Headlight and Taillight

Attach a clear self-adhesive rhinestone to the front of the bus as a headlight, and a red self-adhesive rhinestone to the back as a taillight.

Yellow popsicle stick bus craft decorated with rhinestone stickers and black cardstock wheels on a wooden background.

Step 8: Add the Final Details

Print the words SCHOOL BUS along the side with a black marker. Use a black marker to add fenders over the wheels and stripes along the body and roof for that classic school bus look.

Marker drawing details on a yellow popsicle stick school bus craft, including lines and the words “school bus.”

Your popsicle stick school bus is ready to roll!

Finished popsicle stick school bus craft painted yellow with black wheels and button centers on a wooden background.

Grab the School Bus Craftivity

Want to make this back-to-school craft even easier? The School Bus Craftivity includes printable patterns and a mini ebook with step-by-step instructions — perfect for classrooms, homeschool, or a fun craft afternoon with the kiddos.

More Back-to-School Crafts Your Kids Will Love

If your kiddos had fun making this school bus popsicle stick craft, don't stop the fun here! Below you will find some more of our favorite back-to-school crafts we have shared on the site.

Apple Popsicle Stick Craft

Its Back to School Time with Colorful Clip Cards for Preschoolers

Two finished popsicle stick crafts with colorful overlay text reading “crayons popsicle stick craft”

Crayon Popsicle Stick Craft for Kids

Apple Handprint Craft

How Back to School Preschool Play Dough Mats Can Make a Fun Transitional Activity

Pencil Craft Stick Project

1 2 Next »

Please Share This School Bus Craft

Did your kids love building this school bus? We'd love to see it! Share your finished bus on social media and tag us, and pin this project to your back-to-school crafts board on Pinterest so you can make it again next year!