June 30, 2020
Are you a fan of adorable little gnomes?
The Marathon County Public Library's Athens Branch offered Grab & Go craft kits from June 29-July 2 featuring these cute little characters. The kits contained all of the necessary materials needed to make a Popsicle stick gnome and a Popsicle stick toadstool gnome house.
If your little ones missed these kits when they were available, never fear! Parents and children just need to follow the steps below to make both of these crafts at home. As previously mentioned, both crafts require the use of Popsicle sticks, so if you don't have any laying around, the first step will be consume a few Popsicles or other frozen treats!
Popsicle Stick Gnomes
Supplies needed:
- Popsicle sticks
- Paint
- Paintbrush
- Decorative cardstock
- Marker
- Scissors
- Glue
- Cotton balls
Steps:
- Paint one half of the Popsicle stick with paint of your choice to represent the body of the gnome. Make sure to not paint the upper half of the Popsicle stick, as this will become the head/ and face.
![step 1 of making popsicle stick gnomes]()
-
While the paint is drying, cut out a tall triangle shape with your cardstock paper. This will be used for the gnome’s hat. Glue the hat to the top of the Popsicle stick. After the paint has fully dried, use a marker and add dots for eyes and buttons.
![step 2 of making popsicle stick gnomes]()
-
To finish off your Popsicle stick gnome, pull apart a cotton ball to create a beard and glue it onto the face of the gnome.
![step 3 of making popsicle stick gnomes]()
Mushroom Gnome House
Supplies needed:
- 4 jumbo Popsicle sticks
- 2 regular Popsicle sticks
- Scissors
- Glue
- Paint
- Paintbrush
- Small paper plate
- Black, white and brown construction paper
- Black marker
1. Place the four jumbo Popsicle sticks next to each other, then glue the two mini Popsicle sticks the opposite direction. Set aside and allow to dry completely.
2. While the Popsicle sticks are drying, cut the small paper plate in half. This is be your mushroom cap/roof. Then, with your color of choice, paint the paper plate. Set aside and allow to dry.
3. Cut out shapes using your construction paper. Cut small circle shapes with your white paper, an upside down U shape with the black paper (for door) and small square pieces with the brown paper (for windows and chimney).Use the black marker to draw on lines to represent window panes and chimney. 
4. On your mushroom cap, glue on the small white dots/circle.
5. Glue your painted mushroom cap/roof to the base you created with your Popsicle sticks. Assemble your cut out shapes and glue them to your house. (The chimney goes on back of paper plate.) Then, you're done!
Jennifer Triolo / Athens Branch Coordinator
image credit: MCPL