Kid Crafts: How to Make a Painted Walking Stick

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My toddlers are just getting into crafts, and we also have cousins of varying ages, so I’m on the hunt for easy activities that can cater to a wide age-range of kids. I found this craft for DIY walking sticks to be just that! Plus, this craft gets bonus points for overlapping into our nightly family walks and hikes.

Prep Work

First, you’ll need to find your stick. Fortunately, the park by our house had just trimmed their trees and piles of sticks were assembled, waiting for us to scavenge. Searching for a stick is part of the fun!  

My kids and I found fairly similar branches with equal widths. Next, I sanded and cut my branches to equal lengths, because #fairness.   

Supplies

Next, use washi and painter’s tape to section off your branches. It doesn’t have to be pretty because the tape will come off but try to keep the edges of the tape aligned. Tip: use varying widths of tape for a different look!

Gather your paint and string for your next step. Tip: the acrylic paint dries much more vibrant than the watercolor.  However, the watercolor paints were much easier to remove from clothes ;). I rummaged through our craft drawer to find a few jars of watercolor and acrylic paint, and a couple loose ends to decorate our sticks.

Paint Off

Now, the fun begins. Let your kids have at it with their sticks and paint. My kids had a blast, and by that I mean, it entertained them for at least 15 minutes. 

Let your sticks dry overnight. By morning, our paint was dry and our tape was ready to be removed. My kids enjoyed taking the tape off and needed minimal help, while I sipped my coffee in peace.  

Afterwards, tie your strings, feathers, beads, etc. to the top of the stick. We used leather shoestrings found in the craft drawer. Don’t ask what else is in there. 

Happy Hiker

Lastly, it’s time to take these puppies out for a test drive. 

Have an easy idea for crafts with kids?  Share in the comments below!

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