I created a small cocommand block structure that allows a player to throw a pair of sticks on an armor stand and that armor stand gets arms and subsequently destroys the sticks.
The first command block is a repeat:
/execute @a ~ ~ ~ /execute @e[r=3,type=Armor_Stand] ~ ~ ~ /testfor @e[r=1,type=Item] {Item:{id:"minecraft:stick",Count:2b}}
Then a comparator.
The second command block is impulse:
/execute @a ~ ~ ~ /execute @e[r=3,type=Armor_Stand] ~ ~ ~ /kill @e[r=0.5,type=Item] {Item:{id:minecraft:stick}}
The third is a chain:
/execute @a ~ ~ ~ /execute @e[r=3,type=Armor_Stand] ~ ~ ~ /entitydata @e[r=3,type=Armor_Stand] {ShowArms:1}
Thank you for reading,
A Lymbian
EDIT: It only works for armor stands close-by.