The Grinch Popsicle Stick Craft

If you’re looking for a Grinch popsicle stick craft that’s bright, simple, and just the right amount of mischievous, this one checks all the boxes. It’s colorful, very Dollar Store friendly, and works beautifully for classroom crafts, homeschool afternoons, or a cozy holiday table moment where everyone is painting green things and humming Christmas songs.

Graphic image showing a Grinch craft made from green craft sticks wearing a red Santa hat, with the text “Grinch Popsicle Craft Sticks” on a blue background.

Materials for This Grinch Craft Stick Project

Before we start gluing things together, let’s talk supplies. This is one of those projects where most of what you need can be grabbed in one quick Dollar Store run.

You’ll need:

Jumbo craft sticks
Glue gun and glue sticks
Acrylic craft paint: bright green, white, yellow
Cardstock: red and white
Black marker
White chalk pencil or carbon graphite paper (for tracing)
Paintbrush
Scissors
Pencil
Grinch face and Santa hat patterns

Once everything is on the table, you’re ready to get creating!

Step-by-Step Grinch Popsicle Stick Craft for Kids

This Grinch craft stick project is easiest when you take it one step at a time and let paint dry when it needs to. (Yes, we all want to rush. No, the Grinch does not forgive smudges.)

Step 1: Gather your supplies

Pull out all the materials listed above and set up your workspace.

Craft supplies laid out on a white wood surface including a package of craft sticks, green and white acrylic paint bottles, a paintbrush, black marker, scissors, hot glue gun, and sheets of red, white, and green cardstock.

Step 2: Build the craft stick base

Line up seven jumbo craft sticks on your work surface. Trim additional jumbo craft sticks to fit across the back, then attach them with a glue gun and glue sticks to hold the base together.

TIP: You can use liquid craft glue instead, but you’ll need to wait for it to fully dry.

Jumbo craft sticks arranged vertically and glued together with additional craft sticks placed horizontally on the back to hold them together, with scissors and a glue gun nearby.

Step 3: Paint the base bright green

Basecoat the craft stick base with bright green acrylic paint. Let it dry, then apply a second coat if needed.

TIP: You can also use washable markers, crayons, or colored pencil to color the jumbo craft sticks.

Jumbo craft sticks painted green with a paintbrush resting on top, next to a bottle of green acrylic paint.

Step 4: Transfer the Grinch face pattern

Download and print the Grinch pattern sheet. Roughly cut out the Grinch face pattern, flip it over, and apply white chalk or pencil to the back.

White paper with faint pencil sketches visible and a white charcoal pencil placed diagonally across the page.

Place the pattern onto the green craft stick base and trace over all lines with a pencil to transfer the design.

Pencil sketch of a Grinch-style face on white paper next to a green-painted craft stick base with the same face lightly sketched on it using white pencil.

Step 5: Paint the eyes white

Fill in the Grinch’s eyes with white acrylic paint. Let dry, and apply a second coat if necessary.

Green-painted craft stick base with white painted eye shapes added, a small paintbrush touching the surface, and a bottle of white acrylic paint nearby.

Step 6: Outline the face with black marker

Using a permanent black marker, ink in all the outlines of the Grinch’s face.

Green-painted craft stick base with black outlines added for eyes, eyebrows, nose, mouth, and facial details, with a black paint pen resting above the craft.

Step 7: Paint the pupils yellow

Fill in the pupils in the Grinch’s eyes with yellow acrylic paint. Let dry, and apply a second coat if necessary.

Green-painted craft stick base with yellow details painted inside the eyes, a small paintbrush touching the surface, and a bottle of yellow acrylic paint nearby.

Step 8: Trace the Santa hat and trim

Trace the Santa hat onto red cardstock and the Santa hat trim onto white cardstock with a pencil.

Red and white cardstock with pencil-drawn shapes for a Santa hat and fluffy trim pieces, with a pencil placed across the red cardstock.

Step 9: Cut out the hat pieces

Cut out all patterns with scissors, making sure to cut inside the traced lines for a clean look.

Red cardstock Santa hat shape and white cardstock trim pieces placed on a white wood surface with orange-handled scissors.

Step 10: Outline the hat and trim pieces

Ink in the cartoon-style outlines on the Santa hat and Santa hat trim with a permanent black marker.

Red cardstock Santa hat shape and white cardstock trim pieces outlined in black marker, with a black marker resting across the hat.

Step 11: Glue the hat onto the Grinch

Attach the hat trim to the Santa hat with a glue gun and glue sticks, then glue the hat onto the top of the Grinch’s head.

Green-painted craft stick face with black facial details, yellow eyes, a hot glue gun nearby, and paper Santa hat pieces placed above the craft.

Step 12: Display

Set your Grinch craft stick project upright on a shelf, tuck it into a holiday centerpiece, or line up a whole little Grinch crew on the mantel. It also makes a super cute classroom display if you add each child’s name on the back.

Green-painted craft stick face with a red paper Santa hat and white trim attached, photographed on a white wood surface with greenery in the corner.

Grab the Craftivity Packet

Want the patterns ready to print and go? You can grab the craftivity packet below.

Please Share This Grinch Popsicle Stick Craft

If this Grinch popsicle stick craft made your holiday craft list easier, share it with a friend who loves quick, colorful projects. Pin it for later, send it to a teacher buddy, or save it for that week when everyone suddenly needs “one more Christmas craft” by tomorrow.