How to Cut Popsicle Sticks Easily
I use popsicle sticks pretty often for building my miniature furniture so today I thought I would share some tips for how to cut popsicle sticks easily – including how to cut popsicle sticks at a consistent 45-degree angle.
Start With the Right Tools
In order to cut popsicle sticks without splitting it’s important to use the right cutting tools. Scissors in general don’t work so well, even the ones that are heavy-duty. Someone had told me to try wire cutters once, but those didn’t work very well either and got dull pretty quick.
The two tools I use the most often are these miniature pruning shears and these miter shears. Both tools are relatively inexpensive and will make the task of cutting popsicle sticks much easier!
VIVOSUN 6.5 Inch Gardening Hand Pruner Pruning Shear with Straight Stainless Steel Blades Orange
GARTOL Miter Shears- Multifunctional Trunking Shears for Angular Cutting of Moulding and Trim, Adjustable at 45 To 135 Degree, Hand Tools for Cutting Soft Wood, Plastic, PVC, with Replacement blades
$29.99 in stock
The miniature pruning shears are great for cutting all sizes of popsicle sticks – whether it’s the standard ones or even the super and jumbo sticks.
I’ve probably cut through thousands of popsicle sticks with the pruning shears. They are starting to get a bit dull, but it’s easy to sharpen the blade. I usually use a grindstone to do that.
The miter shears look pretty scary when you first get them. But they work really well and actually aren’t that scary at all. You just need to practice basic safety when using them just like you would any other tools.
It’s so nice to be able to cut my craft sticks at 45-degree angles easily. It opens up a whole new world of different things you can make – photo frames, table frames, mitered furniture – lots of options!
When you have the right tools for cutting your craft sticks, cutting them gets a LOT easier! You can see a list of all my favorite dollhouse building tools here.
Tips for Cutting Craft Sticks
Now that we’ve covered the tools you need, I thought I’d share a couple of other tips:
Cut Inside a Fabric Basket
One problem you’ll probably face with you are cutting popsicle sticks is when you make the cut, the part you cut off tends to want to fly away. Those little pieces can really fly far. One way I’ve learned to deal with this is to cut them into a large fabric basket. The pieces you cut off won’t “bounce” as much when they hit the fabric.
Be Consistent In How You Measure + Mark Where You Want to Cut
One thing I’ve learned over the years is not all rulers are the same measurements. How an inch on one ruler can be different from an inch on another never ceases to amaze me.
If you are measuring your sticks to be a certain length, you’ll want to make sure that the way you measure + mark where to cut is consistent. This means using the same ruler AND the same marking pen or pencil.
The other thing to be consistent about is cutting exactly on the line where you make the marks to cut. There’s been times when I’m off just by a millimeter or two and it messes things up and I end up having to sand more than I want to!
Popsicle Sticks are easy to cut when you have the right tools – and there are SO MANY things you can build out of them! From miniature dollhouse furniture to accessories to even just everyday crafts you like to make.
Do you have any tips for cutting craft sticks easily? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!
can you use scissors?
Hi John, scissors have never worked for me, but there probably are types of industrial grade scissors that would work, I’ve just never been able to find any. If you find a brand that works well, please let us know!
I Heard, “if you try hard enough, a knife will do the trick.” Is That True?
While a knife can do the trick, it may not be the safest or easiest!
When you mark your cutting line, only use a tiny dot in 3 places, then connect the dots for your line. Don’t make a dash, just a dot.
Great tip, thanks for sharing!