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)
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.
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!
Butterfly straw decoration
You often see origami that isn’t made of paper, right? This material was originally developed to make it easy to fold polyester sheets, which didn’t fold well before.
It has transparency and a glossy finish, and it’s water-resistant.
Let’s use it to make decorations for straws.
They’re handy at parties as markers so you don’t mix up your drink with someone else’s.
Stack two quarter-size sheets of origami, fold them in half, cut out a butterfly shape, then make a slit along the center line for the straw to pass through—and you’re done.
Let's make toys using straws! Simple and fun handmade toys (41–50)
A guitar that changes its sound
This is a handmade guitar toy you can play by plucking rubber band strings, where the sound changes.
First, make the guitar neck using a kitchen paper tube.
Cut slits in the tube and attach rubber bands, then hook the bendable part of a straw onto the strings.
Next, attach the rim of a paper cup between the straws, and press down on the rim’s surface to lower its position.
Apply glue to the bottom of the paper cup and attach it to the tube, then stick a paper plate on the opposite side to finish! Try making this fun toy where the sound changes depending on where you press the strings.
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.
In conclusion
How did you like the handmade toys made with straws? It’s amazing how many different toys you can create depending on your ideas, isn’t it? Besides toys, you can also make accessories with straws or use them as tools for making art. It seems there are still plenty more ways for straws to shine!