Pipe Cleaner Wreath Ornament
Making a pipe cleaner wreath ornament is a great way to add a personal touch to your Christmas tree this holiday season. This simple Christmas craft is great for kids that are of preschool age.
‘Tis the season and I don’t know about you but I am so ready to get in the holiday spirit! I have made Christmas ornaments for as long as I can remember. It was one of those annual childhood activities that I did with my cousins each year, and then something I picked up again when I had kids of my own. There is just something special about hanging ornaments created by the littles!
This particular kids Christmas craft is very simple, requires just a few craft supplies, and is developmentally productive. The bead threading process is great for working on your child’s fine motor skills (and patience – always a good thing!).
You can have your preschoolers work on this independently, as they will be of an age where wrapping the pipe cleaner and threading the beads makes sense. Or, you can work on this with your toddler, having them thread the beads as you create the structure of the wreath. Either way, this project is totally fun and festive.
Add a piece of twine to hang it on your Christmas tree, or simply hang the wreath itself! I personally like the twine for an added bit of color.
What you’ll need:
- green pipe cleaners (4)
- red pipe cleaner (1)
- pony beads (red, white and/or green)
- red pom pom (1)
- hot glue gun or craft glue
- pen or pencil
- twine
If you’re looking for more easy Christmas crafts for preschoolers, try this Paper Plate Santa or Toilet Paper Roll Christmas Tree. If you’re looking for more handmade ornaments, try these DIY Candy Cane Christmas Ornaments or White Pine Cone Ornaments.
Pipe Cleaner Wreath Ornament
These handmade Christmas ornaments are super cute and totally easy! Enjoy this craft at home with your kids or in a classroom with your students (awesome gift for mom and dad!).
Step 1: Assess your supplies.
For a wreath that is about the circumference of a soda can, you will need four green pipe cleaners. If you want it bigger, add another one.
Step 2: Wrap the ends of the pipe cleaners together until you have one long strand. You can choose to either combine all four at once, or combine two and connect them partway through the wrapping process if it’ll make it easier for you or your child.
Step 3: Take your pen or pencil and wrap the long green pipe cleaner tightly around its body. For every loop or two, add a bead, alternating colors as you go. These are your ornaments!
Feel free to play with your color scheme here. My favorite ones are red and white but you can use any color if you want.
Tip: When you get to the ends where the pipe cleaners are connected, cover any tips that aren’t flush with a bead. This will help hide any imperfections.
Step 4: When all of your beads are threaded and you’ve reached the very end of your green pipe cleaner, slide it off of the pen.
Step 5: Wrap the ends together to create a loop.
Step 6: Create your bow using your red pipe cleaner. First, wrap a portion of the center of the pipe cleaner around two fingers to create the first bow loop. You should have a small tail left over on one side and a long one on the other.
Then, fold the longer end upward and then around your two fingers in the other direction to create the second loop. Finally, wrap the longest end of the pipe cleaner up and around the center of the two loops two times to create the knot.
Step 7: Fold the longest tail upward and place the partially finished red bow at the top of the green wreath. Wrap the longest end toward the back of the wreath and around the center, enclosing the bow onto the top-most part. This part should cover the connecting point of the green pipe cleaners.
Do a full loop and then twist the remaining tail around the other tail to secure it in place. You should be left with two similarly sized tails of the bow. If one is longer than the other, feel free to trim.
Step 8: Use a hot glue gun or craft glue to attach your pom pom to the center of the red bow for some extra oomph! You’ve got your pipe cleaner wreath!
At this point you may want to “fluff” your wreath and arrange your beads as you want, as some may have moved a little in the process.
Step 9: Cut a 6-inch piece of twine and tie it to the top of the wreath with the knot at the back. Cut any excess string.