Looking for an easy summer craft that won’t cost much? This adorable Dollar Store Craft Stick Watermelon is a fun project for kids and comes together in about 30 minutes using inexpensive supplies.
Whether you’re crafting at home, in the classroom, at summer camp, or with a library group, these smiling watermelon slices are sure to bring plenty of smiles.
Personalize them with names to use as place cards, turn them into magnets, or simply display them as cheerful summer decorations.
Why You’ll Love This Craft
- Made with inexpensive Dollar Store supplies.
- Great for preschoolers and elementary-aged kids (with adult assistance for the glue gun).
- Finished in about 30 minutes.
- Perfect for summer parties, camps, classrooms, and rainy afternoons.
- Easy to customize with different faces or names.
Materials
- Jumbo craft sticks (Dollar Store)
- Wiggle eyes (Dollar Store)
- Hot glue gun and glue sticks
- Acrylic craft paint:
- Dark pink
- Light pink
- Light green
- Dark green
- Scissors
- Paintbrush
- Black permanent marker
- Pencil
Instructions
Step 1
Gather all of your supplies.
Arrange three jumbo craft sticks into a triangle and secure the corners with hot glue.
Tip: You can use liquid craft glue instead, but allow plenty of drying time before continuing.
Step 2
Lay additional jumbo craft sticks across the triangle to cover the entire watermelon slice. Mark where each stick needs to be trimmed.
Step 3
Trim each craft stick with scissors.
Step 4
Glue the trimmed craft sticks across the back of the triangle until the entire watermelon slice is covered.
Step 5
Paint the watermelon flesh dark pink and the rind light green. Allow the paint to dry completely before applying a second coat if needed.
Step 6
Glue on two wiggle eyes.
Dip the eraser end of a pencil into light pink paint and stamp one cheek on each side of the face.
Step 7
Draw a smiling mouth between the cheeks with a black marker.
Step 8
Draw small teardrop-shaped watermelon seeds over the pink section with the black marker.
Step 9
Use dark green paint to add wavy stripes across the rind. Let everything dry completely before displaying.
Craft Tips
- Younger children may need help trimming the craft sticks.
- If making several at once, paint all of the pieces assembly-line style to save time.
- Add a magnet to the back for a fun refrigerator decoration.
- Write guests’ names on each watermelon to create adorable summer party place cards.
- Add ribbon to turn them into hanging decorations.
Variations
- Give each watermelon a different facial expression.
- Sprinkle on fine glitter while the paint is still wet for a little sparkle.
- Turn them into puppets by attaching a large craft stick to the back.
- Add a bow, sunglasses, or a tiny flower for extra personality.
What Kids Learn While Making This Craft
This cheerful watermelon craft is more than just a fun summer activity. As children paint, cut, glue, and decorate, they’re building important skills through hands-on creative play.
- Fine Motor Skills: Holding paintbrushes, drawing the seeds, and gluing the craft sticks together helps strengthen the small muscles in their hands and fingers.
- Hand-Eye Coordination: Carefully placing the craft sticks, attaching the wiggle eyes, and adding details encourages precision and coordination.
- Following Directions: Completing the project step by step helps children practice listening, sequencing, and following instructions.
- Creativity and Self-Expression: Kids can give each watermelon its own unique personality by changing the facial expression, adding accessories, or decorating it with names or other fun details.
- Color Recognition: Painting the watermelon with different shades of pink and green reinforces color recognition and encourages observation of real-life fruits.
- Problem-Solving Skills: Figuring out how the craft sticks fit together and making small adjustments while creating the project helps develop critical thinking and perseverance.
By the time they’re finished, children will have created an adorable summer decoration while practicing skills that support learning and creative confidence.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use regular white glue?
Yes. It works well but will require a much longer drying time before moving on to the next steps.
What age is this craft best for?
Children ages 5 and up can make this with supervision. Younger children will likely need adult help with cutting and gluing.
Can I make these ahead of time for a classroom?
Absolutely! You can prepare the glued craft stick bases ahead of time and let the children enjoy painting and decorating them.
Can I use washable paint?
Yes, although acrylic paint provides brighter colors and better coverage on the craft sticks.
More Summer Crafts You’ll Love
- Bee Stick Puppet Craft
- TP Roll Fairy House Craft for Kids
- Craft Stick Pineapple Craft
- Moving Caterpillar Craft
- Spoon Dragonfly Craft
- Felt Strawberry Craft
- Clay Butterfly Craft
- Craft Stick Fairies
- Super Easy Eating Frog Craft
- Macrame Rainbow Charm
These Dollar Store Craft Stick Watermelons are a simple, budget-friendly craft that’s perfect for celebrating summer. They’re quick enough for an afternoon activity but cute enough to display all season long.
Whether you make one smiling watermelon or a whole fruit basket full of them, this easy craft is sure to brighten everyone’s day.
Looking for even more watermelon-themed activities? The National Watermelon Promotion Board has fun watermelon facts and recipes the whole family can enjoy.
Get more craft ideas like this along with delicious easy meals and fun holiday celebrations by subscribing to our newsletter. We often send out free printables in these as well, just for our email subscribers.
Leave a Reply