A simple yet amazing craft you can make with straws! An idea that will have you completely absorbed
Summer vacation research projects and homework crafts, and more.
Great news for kids wondering, “What should I make?” It turns out there are tons of fun crafts that both kids and adults can get absorbed in using nothing more than straws.
You can easily make things that seem difficult—like fountain pens, gliders, and mobiles! This time, we’re introducing craft ideas that are not only beautiful to look at but also practical.
Precisely because the materials are simple, with a bit of creativity you can create projects that make people around you say, “Wow, that’s amazing!”
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Simple yet amazing crafts you can make with straws! Ideas that will have you hooked (1–10)
rubber band gun
A rubber band is launched from a bundle of straws in this gun, and the bending straw structure is used to create both the grip and the mechanism.
The rubber band is hooked onto a clothespin and the bent tip of a straw; when you pull the clothespin, the rubber band is fired.
If you make the base and the mechanism different colors, it’s easier to see which parts need to be reinforced during construction.
It might also be fun to tweak details—like the length of the straws or how many you bundle—to test differences in the rubber band’s power and flight distance.
shrimp
This is a realistic shrimp motif made by cutting slits into bendable straws and skillfully weaving them together.
By carefully refining the weaving method, it achieves a lifelike three-dimensional feel for the antennae and legs.
Because it pursues realism, it’s also practical enough to be used for fishing, which is an appealing point.
The way the ridges of the flexible sections are used to represent the segmented shell of a shrimp is striking, and including that area, it conveys a strong sense of dynamism—as if it might spring forward at any moment.
mobile
This is a mobile where you create a frame with straws and freely arrange items inside it.
You can enjoy it in many ways, such as patterns that incorporate seasonal motifs like flowers, or simple patterns using colorful items.
Combine the straws to enclose the items placed inside, thread a string through, and the mobile is complete.
Choosing straw colors that match the items is also an important point.
Because making a frame with straws tends to give it a compact look, it’s recommended to get creative with decorations outside the frame and at the top and bottom.
Simple yet amazing crafts you can make with straws! Ideas that will draw you in (11–20)
origami crane
This is a decoration that expresses the outline of an origami crane with drinking straws, evoking a sense of mechanical beauty.
The way it catches the wind when hung, and the shadows cast when light hits it, are part of its great appeal.
The process is simply threading string through short, cut straw pieces and securing them, but small adjustments—such as the length of each piece and how the joints are fixed—are crucial to the craft.
It’s also recommended to unfold a paper crane and use its crease lines to measure the size of each piece.
By aiming for precise measurements, you’ll achieve a more beautiful finished piece.
lightsaber
The lightsaber, the familiar weapon from the Star Wars films, really gets you pumped when you see those glowing blades swinging in battle.
Let’s make a glowing sword that evokes a lightsaber using drinking straws.
The steps are very simple: just attach a straw to an LED light you can even buy at a 100-yen shop, and you’re done.
The color of the straw changes the look when it lights up, so choosing the right straw is an important point.
Paying attention to small details like the joint between the straw and the light leads to a higher-quality lightsaber.
flute
Let’s make a real flute using straws, where you can change the pitch by adjusting your breath.
The way you make the holes and combine the straws is key to producing a clear sound.
We’ll take a large boba (tapioca) straw with slits cut into it and combine it with parts made from thinner straws.
As we fine-tune the air passage, we’ll finish it into a flute that produces a strong, consistent tone.
If you add holes you can cover with your fingers to change the pitch, you can enjoy an even more authentic flute—highly recommended!
Sensory straw bottle
Let’s make a sensory straw bottle that beautifully showcases colors shimmering and moving.
By sealing straws filled with different colors into a single bottle, you can create an even more vibrant world.
It’s a simple process: add glitter and oil to the straws so they don’t leak, then arrange them inside the bottle.
A key highlight is the wide range of customization options—what you put inside the straws, how you arrange them in the bottle, and how you decorate the outside of the bottle.
You can enjoy its beauty just by turning the bottle over, but it can also be fun to experiment with different ways of moving it, like rolling it around.