Think popsicle stick crafts are strictly for the grade school set? If so, this project will have you looking at these humble wooden sticks in a completely different way. In recent years, geometric shapes have been hot in fashion accessories, art, and home decor. Mid-century inspired hexagon shelves, in particular, have been popping up at loads of trendy retailers including West Elm, Urban Outfitters, and World Market. We’ll show you how to make your own honeycomb shelves for a fraction of the cost you’d pay at the store using our printable template and some easy-to-find materials. You can even use the template to come up with your own geometric configurations, so get creative!
How to Make a Basic Hexagon Shelf
Step 1
Step 2
Lay three popsicle sticks down on the gray colored sides, as shown below. You’ve now laid down half (or, three sides) of your foundation hexagon for your shelf.
Step 3
To make sure that your foundation hexagon is perfectly shaped, tape your first three sticks to the template so they don’t move around. You’re going to layer all subsequent sticks on top, using the foundation layer as your guide — so you want this to be as symmetrical as possible.
Step 4
Now you’re going to glue down the remaining three sticks of your first hexagon to the sticks you’ve taped to the template. Dab a bit of glue near the edge of each end of a popsicle stick (as shown below) so you can join the sticks where the ends overlap at each corner.
Glue the stick down using the lines on your template as guides (see below). You’ve now connected three sides of your hexagon.
Glue down the other two sticks until you’ve completed your foundation hexagon.
Step 5
Remove the tape and template from your work, then lay down your second hexagon in the same pattern as you did the first, making sure that each stick you glue down is aligned to the one below. You can refer back to the gray and white colored areas on the template to guide you as to stick placement pattern. When you’re done with the second hexagon, here’s what your project should look like from the side.
Continue gluing down layer after layer of popsicle stick hexagons until your shelf reaches your desired depth. I made mine approximately three inches deep. This equates to 17 popsicle sticks per side for a total of 102 sticks.
Step 6
Finally, stain your shelf according to the manufacturer’s directions for the specific product you’re using. I used a craft gel wood stain, so I’m using a paint brush and wiping away any excess gel.
Once you’ve stained it to your liking, allow to dry completely. Once dry, your shelf is now ready to mount! I hung mine using drywall screws and anchors at each top corner of the shelf.
