How To Make A Popsicle Stick “Up” House

We got into making popsicle stick crafts after making this popsicle stand. Popsicle sticks are such an easy, affordable craft material to work with. This time we had to do a Disney spin from one of our favorite Pixar movies and make a popsicle stick Up house! It’s one of the most colorful, magical houses and was surprisingly simple to make with basic craft supplies.

It makes a fun dollhouse, when age appropriate, or just a fun decor piece for a playroom or kid’s room! Here’s how to make one of your very own.

Supplies Needed

Here is what you’ll need to make a popsicle stick Up house:

• Approx. 250 standard popsicle sticks (I used some Jumbo sticks because I had a 200 pack of regular and ran out, but you can use all the same size. If you choose to fill in the sides of the house up to the roof, which I didn’t, you may need more.)
• Bamboo Skewers
• Scissors
• Hot Glue Gun or Wood Glue
• Paint in Green, Blue, Yellow, Purple, Pink, Gray, White, Brown and Red
• Twine (For attaching the door, so it opens)

How To Make A Popsicle Stick Up House

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Make your walls and roof out of popsicle sticks, as pictured above (roof is not pictured in initial step photos, but explained below). Here are the pieces you’ll need:

• Front wall: 3 full popsicle sticks, 4 half popsicle sticks, lined up horizontally and spaced accordingly for door and window (see photo) and attached to each other with 3 popsicle sticks glued vertically.
• Bay window (Make THREE of these): 6 half popsicle sticks, lined up horizontally with space for a window in the middle (see photo), and attached to each other with 2 popsicle sticks glued vertically (one on each side)
• Side wall (Make TWO of these): 11 popsicle sticks, lined up horizontally and attached to each other with 2 popsicle sticks glued vertically on either side. 
• Back wall: 22 horizontal popsicle sticks, lined up in two columns of 11 each. Attach each column of 11 to each other with a popsicle stick glued vertically on either side, then use 2 half popsicle sticks to attach both columns together
• Roof front: 24 popsicle sticks lined up vertically and attached with 2 horizontal popsicle sticks glued on top, 2 on bottom and two across the middle. 
• Roof back: 24 popsicle sticks lined up vertically and attached with 2 horizontal popsicle sticks glued on top, 2 on bottom and two across the middle.

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Make the large roof “peak.” For the larger one, you’ll want to line 5 popsicle sticks up vertically and attach to each other with a small piece of a popsicle glued across the center horizontally. Make a second one of these. Glue the tops of each together forming a peak or triangle shape. Cut several popsicle sticks sized accordingly and glue them horizontally to fill in the triangle, leaving space for a window in the center. For a support on the back, line 3 popsicle sticks up horizontally, attach with a small piece glued across them and then attach the support to the back of the triangle, as shown. Glue a popsicle stick going down the front of each side of the peak.

Repeat this process for the small roof “peak,” but with smaller pieces of popsicle sticks.

Create a small “roof” to top the bay window. Line up four popsicle sticks and attach to each other with a half popsicle stick glued horizontally. Glue one more popsicle stick, perpendicularly, on one side of the piece you just created.

Use four jumbo popsicle sticks (or 8 regular ones) to form a chimney. Two will be cut horizontally, and two on an angle, so when glued together they form a chimney shape that sits flush on the angled roof. (See photo)

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Build the base of the porch. Glue together two jumbo (or four regular) popsicle sticks side by side, then glue one jumbo (or two regular) popsicle sticks along each side. Use two small pieces of popsicle sticks glued together, perpendicularly, to make a small “stair” that will eventually attach to the porch.

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Paint the house pieces as follows:

• Front wall: Peachy-pink
• Bay window (Make THREE of these): Green
• Side wall (left, when facing the house): Yellow
• Side wall (right, when facing the house): Purple
• Back wall: Half blue, Half purple
• Roof: Purple-y Gray
• Roof Peaks: Yellow with blue trim on the front
• Bay Window Roof: Mustard
• Porch + Stair: White on top, brown on the sides and magenta trim
• Chimney: Deep red with brown/black “bricks”

Build the house: Build the bay window, attach to the front wall, attach each side wall, attach to back. Add bay window roof, main house roof, peaks and chimney. Note: I left the gaps in the side wall between the wall and the top of the roof open so my son could put characters in and out. But you could fill this in with additional (painted) popsicle sticks if desired.

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Make the door window frames. Cut popsicle sticks to fit each window opening you created and glue together so they will fit around the windows and the door opening. Paint off white and add a magenta trim on the inside of each frame. Glue around each window and the door opening.

Make the porch overhang. Use two popsicle sticks as columns, and glue to one jumbo (or two regular) popsicle sticks as the beam across the top. Cut bamboo skewers to fit as the railing and decoration under the beam, as shown in the photo. Glue the two columns to the porch. 

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Make the door. Cut two jumbo (or four regular) popsicle sticks and line up vertically, attach with a popsicle stick piece glued horizontally. Paint brown and add decorations with paint or a marker.

Attach the door with two pieces of twine, each attached to both the door and the door frame.

Paint or draw the number “18” on one column. Done!

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Where To Display Your Up House

This house looks cute atop a bookshelf in a kids room, on a dresser in a nursery or on display in a playroom.

You could even create balloons out of clay to make a “permanent” balloon display, like the ones that lift the house away in the movie!

More Popsicle Stick Crafts

Use the techniques here to make other popsicle stick houses and buildings, like an ice cream stand, a brownstone, a Disneyland Main Street (!), or a Christmas village!

Photos by Jeff Mindell

Now I just need some miniature Up characters to go with this, especially a Dug to hide under the porch because he loves you. 😉