Create a Popsicle Stick Doll House

You know you want to use all those craft sticks you have laying around, since it turns out that the box of 1000 is only a bit more than the package of 150.

I wrote about making this house a few years ago.  This was a fun project, though it sure took a lot of time...  which isn't necessarily a bad thing, right?

Here's the original post where it was originally posted.



































My youngest daughter, Caroline, was 10 when she made this house.  I don't remember the exact steps but here are a few notes about how it was made:

1. It sits on a base of cardboard.   We figured out how big the house would be and created a floor of sticks.
2. The walls were made by laying and then gluing the sticks one on top of each other, flat-side down. Yup, that took a while, and used up a lot of sticks!  
3. Openings were left for the door and for windows on each of the other 3 sides.  The openings were "finished" with the craft sticks.
4. The roof and chimney were designed and crafted by Caroline's loving and helpful Daddy.  It is a separate piece and sits on top of the walls -- so you can easily remove the roof, put things inside the house, and then set the roof back on.

The inhabitants of the popsicle stick house are small twig people made by Caroline. They have (rather oddly shaped) acorn heads and leaf clothing. Their friend (in the photo above, "standing" on the right) is some kind of twig-only dude.



A really awesome book for being crafty with kids is Family Fun Crafts.  The how-to for making the little stick figure dolls is on pp. 108-109.

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Hot Milk Cake

I was able to snap a photo of the last piece before it got eaten.

This yummy cake is easy, special enough for company-coming, but not too fancy or complicated that you can't make it just 'cause you feel like baking a cake.  The texture is lighter than a pound cake but the flavor is similar.  My mom made this so many times while we were growing up, usually to take to a church supper or potluck.

Hot Milk Cake

You'll need:

• 4 eggs
• 2 c sugar
• 2 c flour
• 2 t baking powder
• 1 c milk
• 1/2 c butter (1 stick)
• 1 t vanilla

Heat the milk with the stick of butter on medium-low heat, until the butter melts (do not scald the milk!).  Set aside to cool for a few minutes.

Meanwhile, put the eggs in your mixer bowl and beat well. Add sugar and beat.  Add flour and baking powder and mix.  Add milk/butter and mix.

Pour into a greased (or sprayed) 10" bundt cake pan and bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes.  (If you have a cake tester use that to see if it's done, otherwise just bake until it springs back when pressed.  You don't want to overbake!)

We chose today's post for our weekly link-up!

Please visit our She Links Up! page and check out the other places you can go for great recipes, ideas and encouragement!