Pipe cleaners are one thing that every craft box should have. They are colorful, versatile, inexpensive, and very fun to play with. in other words, if you have a kid or kiddos in the house, you’re sure to hear “I’M BORED!” in about 3, 2, 1… If you’re looking for some easy ways to keep bored kiddos (or adult-sized kiddos!) entertained, all you need are some easy craft ideas that can be completed using simple, craft supplies. One of my personal favorite art supply is pipe cleaners (also called chenille stems)!
Supplies:
- Pipe Cleaners – hot pink, red, deep orange, yellow, kelly green, emerald green, turquoise, purple, lavender
- Wire cutters (or a pair of kid scissors but those will only be used for cutting wire, as cutting wire dulls the blade over time)
Optional:
- Hot glue gun
- Hot glue sticks
- Mini toys, dolls, etc. (to play with the furniture!)
- Glass bottles (to display your lovely flowers!)
- Elmer’s glue
- Fun add-ons like google eyes or plastic beads
How to Make Pipe Cleaner Flowers
First, we’ll start with the basics: creating the stem. Take a green pipe cleaner and about 3-4” from the bottom, bend it and create a small loop. Pinch the loop at the end to create the tip of the leaf, then use your finger to pull apart and widen the leaf. Twist and then about an inch up, create another leaf.
Now you have a stem ready to attach to a flower! You can create several at once in different shades of green (with different sized or a different number of leaves) to be ready to attach to your flowers or create one at a time. You are ready to start creating pipe cleaner flowers! We’ll start with the easiest to the most difficult.
Hyacinth
Simply take a blue or purple pipe cleaner and attach it to the tip of a green stem, wrapping a coil down the stem. Try to wrap it so that there isn’t any green showing. You can create a bouquet of these simple flowers in no time！
Rose Craft
To create a pipe cleaner rose, take a chenille stem in any color and create a small, ½” loop at the end–this will be the base of your flower. Continue creating a coil around the base, making sure that the circle is a little wider each time (as if you are creating a coiled cup or bowl shape). Thread the stem through the coiled flower shape and then back down. Twist to secure. Cut a small 1” piece of yellow chenille stem and shape it into a “V.” Loop it through the green pipe cleaner in the center of the flower. Twist to secure.
Pipe Cleaner 5-Petal Flowers
Start with any color pipe cleaner and create a small, ½” loop. Create a second loop and twist to look like a figure 8. Continue adding petals by creating a loop and twisting to secure as you go until you have 5 petals.
Loop the remaining pipe cleaner end into a coil. This will be the underside of your flower. Press your thumb into the other side of the flower and fold the petals up a bit to round out the shape. Attach the stem to the coil on the other side.
Pipe Cleaner 6-Petal Flower
Take a lavender pipe cleaner and create three medium-sized loops. Twist after each loop to secure. You should have about a 1.5” stem left after–point that down away from the loops. Create two of these shapes.
Twist the two shapes together at their stems. Open up the petals. Create the center with a 6” piece of yellow pipe cleaner. However, Create a simple coil and leave about ½” stem on the end. Stick that into the center of the flower and twist to secure. Attach the green stem to the purple stem of the flower by wrapping it around a few times.
Tulip Craft
Take four red pipe cleaners and cut them into thirds (about 4” lengths). You should have twelve 4” pieces. Fold each of the pieces in half. Moreover, These will be your petals. Line them up, six on either side of your stem (the folded half should be pointed up, the two ends pointed down and even with the tip of the stem).
Gather the petals so that they are centered around the stem. Take a 6” pipe cleaner and twist it around the base where the ends and the stem meet. Wrap the coil around tightly to secure the petals to the stem. Fold the petals upward toward the tip of the stem, where the coil started. Press the petals around the coil to form a tulip shape.
Pipe Cleaner Daffodil Flowers
Take three yellow pipe cleaners and fold them each in half. Twist two together to make an “X”, then add the third to make a six-pointed star/snowflake. Start at the end of one of the arms and roll into a circle. Repeat for each of the six arms. You may need to adjust them a bit, fold each of the petals over the other so they overlap as you go around the flower.
To create the center of the daffodil, cut an orange pipe cleaner in half and coil it around your finger or a pencil. Smash down the coil so it is a bit flattened. Attach the end by looping it through the center of the daffodil. You can also use a hot glue gun to affix. Let an adult do this step, as the hot glue can burn little kiddos fingers. Older kids can use the glue gun with adult supervision. Attach the stem to the base of the flower by looping the stem through the back of one of the coils. Twist to secure.
In conclusion, Store them in recycled coffee cans, or a plastic caddy from the dollar store. You can create your own art station that is simple, easy to clean, inexpensive and supplies hours of fun throughout the week! Have fun and enjoy!
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