Craft sticks or "Popsicle sticks" are an amazing little product that can be used very creatively in diorama making. They are made of wood which means they lend themselves very nicely to wooden structures. And they are very easy to work with. Here is a diorama of a covered bridge scene that was made by a web visitor (Dave O.) It shows some great use of craft sticks to make an old fashioned covered bridge. And there are two very remarkable things about this diorama. First off there is the thatched roof and second is the great looking old fashioned fence - both made out of popsicle sticks. I also have included Dave's tips on how he made this diorama from scratch; which also includes how he made the foliage.

"The covered bridge is now complete. I only used torn apart and cut up green kitchen scrubbers for the foliage. I wasn't satisfied with the way the large tree turned out, so ditched it. There is one free-standing bush-height shrub in a wire tree style. There are areas of 3-D foliage along with painted green patches, and painted sandy patches. We also placed some sparse patches of moss on the natural shingled roof. I was real pleased with the way that the popsicle stick construction turned out without looking too popsicle stick-looking.

A fun detail was the red, blue, yellow "hex sign" (ala Pennsylvania Dutch style) at either end of the bridge and over the opening. You can see that it's just the tips of the popsicle sticks trimmed and sanded to a point so that six ends all fit together in a flower blossom appearance. I also carved/shaved sticks to create the irregular split rail appearance of the fences at each end of the bridge. I'm very pleased with the finished product, and had a ton of fun completing it. It would have been far less detailed and complete without the help of your great website. I'm indebted! Thanks so much, and hope you enjoy the pix! "

Need Craft Sticks? Amazon.com has them!

Charles Leonard Inc. Craft Sticks, Jumbo Size, 6 X 0.75 Inches, Natural, 500 per Box (66550)

Craft Popsicle Sticks, Pack of 1000