Let's make toys with straws! Easy and fun DIY toys
Let’s use straws to make fun toys!
When you hear “straw,” you probably think of the tool you use to drink juice and other beverages.
But did you know that, with a bit of creativity, they can transform into all kinds of toys?
In this article, we’ll introduce straw-based toys and crafts that children in nursery school or kindergarten will love.
Instruments, vehicles, nostalgic classics, and even accessories…!
Straws transform in seven ways?! Exciting, heart-pounding handmade crafts—what can you make?
Give it a try yourself!
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Let's make toys with straws! Simple and fun handmade toys (31–40)
A log house made of paper straws
Let’s make your very own special treasure chest! Here’s an idea for a paper-straw log house.
Do you have treasured items like precious memories or pretty stones? This time, let’s use paper straws to create a treasure box that looks like a log house.
What you’ll need: paper straws, glue, a pen, scissors, and a ruler.
You can use white or colorful straws, but using kraft straws will give it a warm, log-house feel.
Make a bow and arrow with straws!
A piece you worked hard to make yourself becomes twice as fun if you can play with it afterward, right? So this time, we’re introducing a bow and arrow you can make with straws.
You can use either thick boba straws or regular straws.
Besides the straws, you’ll just need common household items like a toilet paper roll and rubber bands, so it’s easy to prepare.
The projectile that the bow shoots is made from the toilet paper roll and rubber bands.
Make the bow using a straw and a spherical Styrofoam ball.
Once it’s finished, just aim and shoot at targets made from paper plates or balloons.
Kids will enjoy crafting it with the excitement of being able to play with it after it’s done.
Kaleidoscope of Flowers
Would you like to try making a flower kaleidoscope with beautiful, intricate movements? Despite its complexity, it’s actually very easy to make.
The main materials are thin curling ribbon, bamboo skewers, straws, and round stickers—all available at 100-yen shops.
Stick ribbons cut to equal lengths onto the round stickers, thread them onto a bamboo skewer, secure the tip with a bead or similar, then slide a straw over it—and you’re done.
By moving the straw up and down or side to side, you’ll get a variety of expressions.
Using multicolored ribbons makes it especially pretty when you spin it.
Crane catcher
@and.connect2023 You can make it with a paper cup, but this time we crafted it with a plastic cup so you can play with it in the bath! The rim is hard, so be careful when using scissors. The plastic cup gave the arm a stronger feel than the paper cup. The method is the same for paper cups, so choose whichever you like and have fun making and playing with it! &connect#MayuMariSenseiEnjoy parent-child timeFond of craftsCherish time with your children#StayHomePlay Project#EnjoyPlayingAtHomeIdeas for indoor play at homeCrafting with parents and children#I love craftswork kit#Mom's smile is the bestPaper cup craftCrane game with paper cups#PlayingWithWaterInTheBathplastic cup
♪ Original Song – Craft Kit Sales &connect – Craft Kit Sales &connect
Kids’ favorite claw machine fun in the bathtub! Introducing the “Crane Catcher.” First, prepare two tall, clear plastic cups.
Cut eight slits into one of them.
Remove every other section, then spread the remaining tabs and fold the tips to make claws.
Poke a hole in the bottom of the second cup.
Make four 1 cm slits in a straw; spread them out and tape the straw to the first cup.
Finally, place the second cup over the first, and you’re done!
A hand that moves freely when you pull the string
@moonchan_chiiku Here are the key tips and precautions for making it 👇 The finger that bends changes depending on which thread 🧵 you pull! 💖 Which thread do you pull to make a peace sign ✌️? This is the “Genius Hand” 🖐✨ that nurtures children’s thinking skills 💡. ————Materials———— • Construction paper 🟨 (Use somewhat sturdy paper; origami paper might tear 💦) • Straws 🥤 • Double-sided tape • Twine or other slightly thick thread 🧵 • Color stickers (from Daiso) 🟠🟢🟣 • Pen 🖊 • Scissors ✂️ ——————————— [How to make it] 1) Cut the paper into the shape of a hand 🖐 ✂️ 2) Stick three pieces of double-sided tape 📏 on each finger (two on the thumb) 3) Cut the straws to match the length of the tape 4) Thread the string 🧵 through the straws and tie it at the top to secure 5) Attach the straws with the threaded strings to the hand using the double-sided tape 6) Once all fingers are done, gather all the strings through a single straw and secure 🤏 7) Attach different colored stickers to the ends of each finger’s string 🔵🟡🟣🟢🟠✨️ ——————————— Thank you for visiting! I’m Moon-chan 🌕✨️, a Korean 🇰🇷 mom 👩 raising a 3-year-old 🧒 in Japan (dad is Japanese 🇯🇵). Drawing on my experience working at a children’s museum in Wisconsin 🇺🇸, I share “simple at-home educational play ideas.” 😊 Your follows and likes make me so happy ♥️ @moonchan_chiiku ← Check out my other posts ———————————Thinking abilityHand model#AtHomePlay#At-Home Early LearningEducationalworkTranslationEducational play#EducationalToys#HandmadeToys#ParentChildTime
♬ Doo Bee Doo Bee Doo – Schnuffel Bunny
This is a fun toy where a paper hand moves freely by pulling strings.
First, cut construction paper into the shape of a hand.
Apply double-sided tape along each finger, then attach short pieces of straw—each with a string threaded through it—lined up along the fingers.
Gather all the strings around the wrist area, stick a label or sticker on the end of each string, and you’re done! When you pull a sticker, the corresponding finger moves.
If you pull all the strings to move the fingers, you can even make a fist! It’s an easy, enjoyable toy to make, so give it a try.
Fluffy Paper Cup Ghost
When you blow into it, a ghost appears! This is a fluffy ghost craft made with a paper cup and a plastic bag.
Decorate the paper cup with stickers or markers and make a hole in one spot.
Insert a straw through the hole so that the tip of the straw sticks out from inside the cup.
Next, draw a ghost face on a plastic bag and attach the bag to the tip of the straw so that no air can escape.
Pull the straw outward as far as it will go, tuck the plastic bag into the paper cup, and you’re done! Each time you blow through the straw, the ghost pops out all fluffy, and the kids are sure to love it.
Twirl Whistle
Let’s make a classic festival toy you’ve probably seen for ages—the party blower that unrolls when you blow and curls back up! All you need are a straw, paper, cellophane tape, and masking tape.
First, fold a strip of paper into thirds lengthwise and tape the overlapping edge with cellophane tape.
Insert a straw that’s been cut in half into one end of the paper and secure it firmly with cellophane tape.
Decorate by adding masking tape over the cellophane tape, then roll the paper up—and you’re done.
straw dragonfly
This is a handmade bamboo-copter (taketombo) made from a milk carton.
Cut the milk carton into strips and draw patterns on them with a pen.
Coloring them brightly makes it look beautiful when it spins! Next, make a slit in a straw that will serve as the handle, and insert a milk carton piece folded in half.
Staple the inserted part firmly, then fold the milk carton diagonally and spread the wings to both sides to finish.
To make it spin well, add a bit of weight by putting tape on the tip of the milk carton—this is the key! Since it’s made from a soft milk carton, it’s safe to play with indoors.
Straw Robot Hand
A robot hand made with straws—its uniquely mechanical movements make it a charming craft.
You simply treat each straw as a finger, attach a palm piece, and it’s done.
By threading strings through the finger parts, pulling the strings makes the fingers move.
If you cut the sections that correspond to the finger joints, the movement gets adjusted for a more natural motion.
It’s fun just to watch its mysterious movements, but trying a game of rock-paper-scissors with it also sounds like a great idea.
straw airplane
Here’s how to make a straw airplane using a straw and construction paper.
Many families likely have these at home and can make one right away! The steps are very simple: prepare two long strips of construction paper of different lengths, form each into a loop, and attach them to the front and back of the straw.
Any kind of straw will work, but if it’s a bendy straw, cut off the flexible part before using it.
The way it flies will change depending on the straw’s length and thickness, so try making several and see which one flies best—or which one flies in a fun, unusual way!