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How To Make A Star From Paint Sticks

ByBridget Jo

Learn How To Make A Star From Paint Sticks with this simple DIY project! Paint paint sticks red, white, and blue, then add white vinyl star stickers for a perfect patriotic touch. This fun and easy craft is great for decorating your home for the 4th of July or any patriotic celebration. It’s the perfect activity for kids and adults, bringing a burst of color and pride to your decor. Get creative and show off your patriotic spirit with this handmade star!

Little girl holding a patriotic star she made out of paint sticks.

Star Supplies

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  • Paint Sticks – You will need five paint sticks to make one star. Hardware stores often have packs of paint sticks you can buy or, if you’re buying paint, they will usually give them to you for free.
  • Red, White, and Blue Paint – We used paint samples we had on hand from other projects. Pick the shades you like best or check out the paint colors I used in the 4th of July 4 X 4 Firecrackers I made. Acrylic paints would work well too!
  • Foam Paint Brushes
  • Sanding Sponge – Use a sanding sponge to make your stars look a little rustic and to hide any imperfections.
  • Wood Glue
  • White Star Stickers – We used my Silhouette cutting machine and white vinyl to make the star stickers but if you don’t have a cutting machine, you can find white star stickers to buy or paint stars.

How To Make A Patriotic Star Out Of Paint Sticks

These stars are the perfect 4th of July project for any age. I made these patriotic stars with my 4-year-old great niece and two-year-old great nephew. My 4-year-old niece did great at painting with just a little guidance and my 2-year-old nephew loves to paint and needed just a little extra help to get full coverage. We didn’t worry too much about paint drips or getting the paint perfect because this project was uniquely theirs and you can always hide little imperfections with a bit of light sanding.

Child painting two paint sticks red using a sponge paintbrush.

Step 1: Paint two paint sticks red. Paint one side then paint the edges and the other side once the first side dries. (We used a black garbage bag as a drop cloth.)

Child painting paint sticks blue using a sponge paintbrush.

Step 2: Paint two paint sticks blue. Once one side is dry, paint the other side and the edges.

Five paint sticks painted in red, white, and blue.

Step 3: Paint one paint stick white. Once the first side dries, paint the other side and edges.

Step 4: Once the paint is dry, do a light sand with a sanding sponge to give your star a rustic look and hide any imperfections. (This is where you can sand off paint drips.)

Two paint sticks painted red and one painted white glued together to start to form a star.

Step 5: Create a V shape with the red paint sticks and glue them together. Then, make the same V shape with the two blue paint sticks and glue them together with wood glue. For our DIY paint stick stars, the opening of the V was six inches (on the inside of the paint sticks).

Step 6: Once the wood glue dries on the V shapes, lay the pieces of your star out to make sure everything lines up. It is very helpful to have both sides of your paint sticks painted because you may need to flip them so your pieces all touch and can be glued at each intersection.

Wood star made out of paint sticks that has been painted red, white, and blue.

Step 7: Glue the remaining pieces together. We chose to glue the pieces into V shapes first to have better control of the star shape.

Little girl putting white vinyl star stickers on a patriotic star made out of paint sticks.

Step 8: Place white vinyl star stickers on the blue paint sticks. I created white stars using my Silhouette cutting machine and white vinyl. My niece had fun placing the stickers on!

How Do You Use These DIY Stars?

These paint stick stars make the perfect 4th of July decoration for home or work along with this Printable 4th of July Banner. Use these DIY Stars with a centerpiece, on your fireplace mantel, hang them on a door or a wall, or prop one up on your desk to keep you smiling! If you are planning a 4th of July Party, be sure to check out our 4th of July Party Planner and these 4th Of July Party Game Ideas.

Add a touch of patriotic charm to your home with this easy DIY star project. It’s a fun activity for all ages and a great way to celebrate the 4th of July.

Frequently Asked Questions

We made these paint stick stars over the period of about a week, slowly working on them in stages when my niece and nephew were at my house but you could do them much faster. The part that takes the longest is waiting for paint to dry. My guess would be that you could make them in a few hours with drying time.

For us it just cost the price of paint sticks and a few foam paint brushes because we had everything else on hand. If you don’t have any of the supplies here’s a cost breakdown as of 6/26/2024:

  • Pack of 10 Paint Sticks: 1.48
  • Foam Paint Brush (you may want to purchase three, one for each paint color): .97/each
  • Red, White, and Blue Paint: We used Behr Marquee Color Samples which are 5.98/each. We used these because we had them on hand but you could also use acrylic paint.
  • Sanding Sponge: 5.98
  • Wood Glue: 3.97
  • Star Stickers: This will vary depending on if you buy a pack of stickers or cut your own on a cutting machine. Let’s say 8.00 if you choose to buy a pack.

My rough calculations brings the total to 40.28 + tax for enough supplies to make two paint stick stars but, keep in mind, you will have a lot of supplies left to use for future projects!

This craft is great for kids with adult supervision for painting and gluing together the parts. It is a good way to teach the important skill of creativity. My niece did get a sliver in her finger from playing with the paint sticks so careful handling is important.

To make these patriotic stars suitable for outdoor use, make sure you use paint that is good for the outdoors or seal the star with a weatherproof sealer. You will also want to be sure to use wood glue that is rated for outdoor use and paint the stars on instead of using stickers.

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Bridget

Hi! I’m Bridget!

I create printables and DIYs to help you get organized and celebrate special occasions! It’s my mission to inspire you to get creative and find joy in the everyday!

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