How to Make a Marshmallow Catapult

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: February 16, 2022 References Tested

Marshmallow catapults are inexpensive to make, fun to use, and will keep adults and children occupied for hours. Choose from 1 of various designs when you're making your marshmallow catapult. You can make a simple catapult using skewers and marshmallows or you can make more complex catapults using craft sticks.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Using Bamboo Skewers

1
Create a triangular base by sticking 3 skewers into 3 marshmallows. Lay out 3 skewers so they form an equilateral triangle on a flat surface. Connect the skewers at each corner with a single marshmallow. Standard-sized marshmallows will work best but you can use mini or jumbo marshmallows too.^{[1]
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- When you push the skewer into the marshmallow, don't push it through the other side. About halfway through should do.
- You can secure the skewers to the marshmallows using painter's tape if you need to. Wrap the tape around the skewer and the point it enters the marshmallow. This will keep the skewers in place.
- When finished, the 3 marshmallows should form the 3 points of the triangle and the 3 skewers should be the 3 sides.
2
Make a pyramid shape with 3 more skewers and 1 more marshmallow. Push 1 skewer into the top of each of your marshmallows on the triangular base. Bring all 3 of these skewers together in the center, pushing them all into 1 marshmallow, around halfway through. Where the 3 skewers meet the marshmallow is the peak of the pyramid.^{[2]
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- Stick the 3 skewers into a marshmallow to hold them all together.
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3
Use tape or rubber bands to secure the peak of the pyramid in place. For extra security at the peak of the pyramid, use either tape or rubber bands to hold the skewers and marshmallow together so they don't come apart when you use the catapult. Wrap painter's tape around the marshmallow and top of the skewers to hold the parts together.^{[3]
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- Wrap the rubber band around the skewers. With all the extra rubber band, twist it and wrap it over the skewers again. Keep twisting the excess rubber band until it's tightly wrapped around the skewers and the marshmallow.
4
Use painter's tape to attach your plastic spoon to another skewer. Line the body of the spoon up with the skewer and hold it in place with your hand. The head of the spoon should extend past the skewer. Wrap the painter's tape around the skewer a few times to keep the spoon attached. This is the arm of the catapult.^{[4]
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5
Put a rubber band loosely around the peak of the pyramid. This rubber band will hold the catapult in place. There's no need to wrap this rubber band tightly around the pyramid as this rubber band won't be used to hold the pyramid together. This is the first part of the catapult mechanism.^{[5]
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6
Put your spoon and skewer through the rubber band and into a marshmallow. With the rubber band attached to the peak of the pyramid, put the spoon and skewer through the center of it. Pick 1 of the 3 triangle points and push the skewer with the spoon into that marshmallow.^{[6]
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- The skewer should sit below the peak and not off to 1 side.
- The bowl of the spoon should be facing upward so it can hold the marshmallow before you launch it.
- Use painter's tape or another rubber band to secure this skewer to the marshmallow you picked.
7
Place a marshmallow on the spoon and pull the spoon back to launch. Your catapult is ready for use. You need to pull the spoon back far enough to slightly stretch the rubber band. Make sure you don't pull too far back on the spoon when you're launching your marshmallow as you might break the skewer or the spoon.^{[7]
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- Create a target on a wall using your painter's tape.
- You can fire mini, standard, or jumbo-sized marshmallows.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Building a Catapult with Craft Sticks

1
Stack 7 craft sticks on top of each other. Lay out your craft sticks on the table and place 7 of them together in 1 bundle. Push them together to form a neat pile with none of the sticks protruding from the bundle.^{[8]
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Wrap a rubber band around each end of the bundle of sticks. With the craft sticks on top of each other, wrap the first rubber band within 1 in (2.5 cm) of the sticks. Pull the excess band away, twist it, and wrap it around the sticks again. Do the same at the other end of the bundle.^{[9]
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- When finished, the sticks should be secured very tightly to each other.
- Use a different colored band if you want your catapult to look colorful.
3
Place another rubber band at the end of a 2-stick bundle. Place 2 sticks on top of each other. Wrap a rubber band around 1 end of the sticks the same way you did earlier. These 2 sticks will form the catapult part of your design.^{[10]
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- When you're finished wrapping the rubber band around 1 end of the bundle, pull the opposite ends of the sticks apart at the other side. The band should stay in place at the bottom end while you do this.
4
Put the 7-stick bundle between the 2 sticks. Pull the 2 craft sticks apart and place your bundle of 7 sticks in the middle. The 2 sticks should form a "V" shape with the 7 sticks in the middle of the "V." Looking down from above, the sticks should form an "X" shape. The 7-stick bundle should be pointing North-West and the 2-stick bundle South-East.^{[11]
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- The bundle should fit in a place between the 2 sticks where it's tight but has no chance of damaging the other 2 sticks.
5
Connect the 2 bundles using a rubber band. With the 2 bundles forming an "X" shape, wrap a rubber band around them at the point where they meet. Wrap the band 1 way first and then flip it so it wraps back across, forming a "X" shape. Make sure that you wrap the rubber band so it tightly attaches the 2 different sections of sticks.^{[12]
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6
Attach a spoon to the top stick using painter's tape. The top stick is the 1 with the bundle beneath it. This stick is your catapult. Place your plastic spoon on the stick and wrap your painter's tape tightly around the spoon to hold it in place. The spoon should stick out beyond the top stick.^{[13]
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- Wrap the tape around the stick a few times to hold the spoon in place. Make sure the tape isn't too tight as the spoon needs to bend.
7
Launch a marshmallow from the spoon. Put a marshmallow on the spoon and pull the spoon back to launch the marshmallow into the air.
- You can make goalposts using the other sticks. Place 2 sticks lengthwise on a table and 1 stick between them. Secure this stick to the 2 sticks using a rubber band. Place this goalpost up against a book or salt shakers to create a goal to aim your marshmallows at.
- Use any size marshmallow you want with your catapult.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Making an Advanced Craft Stick Catapult

1
Make a square shape with 4 sticks and glue them together. Lay 2 sticks flat on your table or work surface, parallel to each other. Place 2 more sticks at either end of these sticks to create a square shape. Use wood glue to attach the sticks together.^{[14]
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- Make sure you have all the ends of the sticks touching another end before you glue them together.
2
Place 3 sticks side by side in the middle of the square. These 3 sticks will act as a support for the catapult when it fires. Line the 3 sticks up flat and touching each other, with both ends of each stick touching a side of the square.^{[15]
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- Use glue to attach the 3 sticks to your square.
3
Cut 1 end off of 4 different sticks. Use a pencil and a ruler to measure the sticks and mark the point you want to cut off on each of them. The best place to cut is just after the curved section of the end turns straight. Mark all of the craft sticks at the same point.^{[16]
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- Use scissors to cut the ends off of each stick.
4
Glue 2 sticks to each end of a bulldog clip to create the catapult part. Put some glue on 2 sticks. Put another stick on top of each of these 2 sticks, giving you 2 bundles of 2 sticks. Attach each of your 2-stick bundles to a different side of the bulldog clip.^{[17]
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- A bulldog clip is a small device made to hold sheets of paper together. It has 2 different clips, 1 on each side, that are made to hold paper. Use these clips to hold your craft sticks instead.
- Give the glue about 30 minutes to dry before moving on.
5
Connect 1 of the bulldog clip bundles to the 3-stick base. Put some glue on the center stick of your base. Place your bulldog clip and 1 of your 2-stick bundles on top of this glue to attach your catapult to the center. When it has dried in, you should be able to freely move the other 1 of your bulldog clip bundles while the other stays stuck to the base.^{[18]
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- Wait for 30 minutes to let the glue dry.
6
Make 2 side panels for your design while the glue is drying. Take 3 sticks and make a triangle shape with them on your work surface. Glue the 3 sticks together in this triangle shape to create a side panel for your catapult.^{[19]
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- Do this again with another 3 sticks to create a panel for the other side.
7
Attach your side panels to the side of your bundle on the 3-stick base. The place you need to attach your side panels to is the side of bulldog clip bundle that is attached to the 3-stick base. Put some glue on either side of the bulldog clip bundle on the base and place your side panels on the glue.^{[20]
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8
Cut off a small section of stick and place it at the top of your side panels. This small section of stick will stop your catapult from swinging too far forward once you've launched it, which could damage your contraption. Measure the gap between your side panels with a ruler and mark this distance on a stick.^{[21]
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- Cut the stick and glue this small section between your 2 side panels.
9
Stick a large bottle cap upside down to the top of your catapult. Place some glue on the top of your bottle cap and connect it to the end of your catapult. This bottle cap will hold your marshmallow as you get ready to fire it. Glue the top of the bottle cap to the stick as you will be placing your marshmallows on the inside of the cap.^{[22]
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Use your device to shoot your marshmallows. Place your marshmallows on your bottle cap and pull the bottle cap back to shoot. Mark a target on a wall with painter's tape so you have something to aim at.
- Mini marshmallows will fly the furthest distance and jumbo marshmallows the shortest distance.

Community Q&A

Question

How can I build this with small marshmallows?

Community Answer

Follow the same steps, but use mini-marshmallows and toothpicks.
Question

Are Popsicle sticks the same thing as craft sticks?

Community Answer

Yes, Popsicle sticks are the same thing as craft sticks. Just make sure the crafts sticks are sturdy enough.
Question

Does a rubber band need to be used?

Community Answer

Not necessarily. The springiness of the plastic spoon will give you a little bit of launching power if you tie it off with a string or thread. However, the rubber band will give you much more power and generally work better.