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45 Cool Pipe Cleaner Crafts for an Easy DIY Kids Activity

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Pipe cleaners are one thing that every craft box should have. They are colorful, versatile, inexpensive, and very fun to play with. They can be reshaped, cut to size, and used as molding forms. In this collection of crafts you will see pipe cleaners being used in many fun and creative ways, both as the center piece and supporting element.



Pipe Cleaner Crystal Flowers

Making borax crystals is a rather old fashioned activity that continues to delight and intrigue children of all ages. With this easy to follow guide you are shown how to make lovely crystalline flowers using pipe cleaners and a standard borax solution.



Pipe Cleaner Crazy Hats With Strainers

This is a great activity to encourage children as young as toddlers to use their fine motor skills and imagination. All you need is a strainer and some pipe cleaners. The game/craft is to make a crazy hat using the pipe cleaners. This is great because you can re-use the supplies time and time again.



Mini Spiders With Bottle Caps and Pipe Cleaners

Itsy bitsy spiders made out of bottle caps! These adorable little arachnids are not only easy to make, they are really inexpensive and can be a great introduction to re-purposing for kids. You can easily make this project for Halloween, to go along with spidery songs, or even as an addition to lessons about spiders.



Button and Bead Pipe Cleaner Bracelets

When it comes to making jewelry both boys and girls can really get behind this type of project. You can easily use a wide assortment of beads and the guide makes it easy to adapt the design and steps to fit the age group you may be working with.



Pipe Cleaner and Cardboard Tube Animals

Using two of the most popular and cost effective crafting items, pipe cleaners and toilet paper rolls, the clever crafter behind this activity presents not one, but two adorable little farm animal crafts. You can easily adjust the colors, or keep them as presented, either way, this is one project that adults and kids are sure to really enjoy.



Geodesic Dome Using Pipe Cleaners

For those who are unfamiliar with geodesic structures, this is a great project for everyone to learn with. Using pipe cleaners and straws, the steps are clearly detailed and photographed for you to follow. If you want something that will get kids into science and architecture, this is a really fun and educational craft to try.



Spider Paper Plates With Pipe Cleaners

When it comes to arachnids, these paper plate spiders are a great craft for younger children. The simple design and minimal mess to make them also makes them a great choice for large group projects. You can easily use them as part of a Halloween themed activity, or as an accompaniment to nursery rhymes, like little Miss Muffet.



Crab Craft With Pipe Cleaners

These little plate sized crabs are not quite proportional to most that you pull up from the sea, but they sure are a lot cuter. With simple instructions and easy to handle materials, these crustaceans are a great choice for large groups and younger children.



Pretend Food Made With Pipe Cleaners

Children often love to play pretend cooking and shopping, but it can be difficult at times to keep up with a lot of expensive, high quality food-type toys. In this inspiring project you are shown how to make simple pipe cleaner versions of healthy foods that can have a lot of positive influences on your child’s image of food.



Festive Swizzle Sticks With Pipe Cleaners

Sometimes, the best crafts are the simplest. If you really like to go the extra mile and dazzle your party guests, why not pull out the pipe cleaners? All it takes is a few moments to create these cute and jazzy little swizzle sticks. You can use them in drinks, or add them to table settings for an extra bit of color.



Golden Star Cake Toppers

If you are looking for a way to decorate a cake without adding a bunch of extra sugar of food coloring, why not take a note from this guide and use pipe cleaners? All it takes is a little bit of sparkle that won’t leave anything behind and won’t add empty calories to really dress up a cake.



Valentines Heart Garland

Hearts are an icon for Valentines and with the help of this easy tutorial, you are shown how to throw together a quick bit of garland to dress up your walls. All you need are some pipe cleaners in the them you want and a bit of time to bend and link the hearts.



Hungry Caterpillar Pipe Cleaner Craft

Many people with young children are familiar with the story about a rather hungry caterpillar that sports a now famous red and green coloration. With a pipe cleaner and some beads you can recreate this project that is a great addition to storytime.



Pipe Cleaner Crowns

The example for this project is a simple crown to celebrate the New Year, but you can easily leave off the numbers, or cut them down to represent an age for Birthdays. With a few pipe cleaners and a bit of time, you can easily assemble, or have groups assemble their very own crowns as part of a festive occasion.



Pipe Cleaner Snowflake Garland

Using a bit of twine, or whatever type of string you’d like, and some pipe cleaners, just about anyone can put together this wonderful wintry garland. The project itself seems rather straightforward, but it may take a few tries to get the exact look you want.



Geo Ornaments Made From Pipe Cleaners

Geometrical ornaments and decorations have become rather popular in the last few years, so a project like this one is not very surprising. Using simple pipe cleaners and the clear instructions given here, older kids and adults can easily tackle this trendy craft.



Pipe Cleaner and Pom Pom Trees

The talented crafter behind this project gives many examples of how this particular style of pipe cleaner tree can be done up. There is a whole list of variations for you to view, such as cherry blossom, Autumn time, apple harvest and many more.



Retro Pipe Cleaner Santas

Old fashioned ornaments and knick-knacks can be quite charming, and in this fun tutorial, you are shown how to recreate a real old fashioned style ornament/figurine. You will need the bumpy type pipe cleaners, which are available at just about any craft store.



Pipe Cleaner Animal Collection

In this fun collection of pipe cleaner crafts you are shown how easy it is to make a variety of animal figurines. Penguins, elephants, and frogs galore, these simple projects are great for encouraging imagination and fine motor skills in kids of all ages.



Pipe Cleaner Spider Treats

If you want to really spruce up goodies for Halloween, try this simple little craft. They are great as a party favor, or as a treat to send into class parties. The instructions are easy to follow and the components are rather inexpensive.



Anthro Inspired Pipe Cleaner Headband

Anthropologie has a lot of neat and trendy wares, however, their prices can be a bit high, which is why they inspire many DIY projects like this one. In just five minutes and with a few pipe cleaners you can recreate this neat little headband.



Bobble Eyeball Headband

Using just a few simple components, you can easily whip up a fun bobble eyeball headband that is great for a quick costume accessory. The use of ping pong balls and pipe cleaners also make it a light and easy to wear headband.



Necklaces and Needles Using Pipe Cleaners

When it comes to kindergarten friendly crafts, this simple necklace project is perfect for little hands. Pipe cleaners are used for the fastening point of the necklace, and can even be used as the guiding “needle” to thread the rest of the necklace.



Pipe Cleaner Daisy Rings

These absolutely gorgeous rings are simply made using pipe cleaners and optional pom poms. They are perfect for group projects, not just because pipe cleaners are inexpensive, but also because they are not overly complicated to create. You can use just about any combination of colors and the optional sparkly pom pom can really add a bit of flair.



DIY Pipe Cleaner Earrings and Necklace

Making jewelry from pipe cleaners is not as complicated as you may think and they are great for dressing up because they don’t cost much and can be customized with ease. The earrings don’t even require pierced ears because they curl around the ear in back for a pretty clip-on.



Tin Can and Pipe Cleaner Monsters

Re-purposing things that are normally thrown out is a great way to teach kids about recycling from an early age. Making activities fun can also help reinforce the lessons behind them, and in this instance, who wouldn’t enjoy making fun and cooky monsters.



Patterned Bead Snakes

Practicing patterns in this activity can help not only reinforce pattern recognition, the use of pipe cleaners and beads helps kids practice fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. The end result is a new toys snake for them to play with.



Pipe Cleaner Butterflies

Another craft that makes use of pipe cleaners and beads is this fun and fluttery butterfly project. You can encourage kids to really use their imagination when it comes to creating color combination and wing patterns, and even wing shapes.



Pipe Cleaner Ninjas

Pipe cleaners, straws and beads come together to create fun and inspiring ninja figurines that will keep kids entertained for many hours. They are easy to assemble, which makes them easy to recreate should they break, as well as a great project for large groups.



Pipe Cleaner Tic Tack Toe Game

If you need a quick and easy activity to help keep kids entertained, this simple tic tack toe craft is a great idea for travel bags, or even just an impromptu craft. You can easily make the pieces in different colors and the entire thing is made from pipe cleaners.



DIY Pipe Cleaner Heart Rings

Simple and sweet, these pipe cleaner rings are a great craft to include for Valentines themed projects. Unlike other pipe cleaner rings, these are very uncomplicated and only require a single pipe cleaner to come out looking cute and uniform.



Crystal Rainbows

Most borax crystal crafts have you making simple shapes, like shamrocks, flowers and snowflakes, but in this project, you are shown how to make a beautiful rainbow. Pipe cleaners are one of the best medians to use for making crystal formations, and this craft proves how elaborate you can get with your designs.



Rose Rings Made From Pipe Cleaners

There are many variations on the pipe cleaner ring, but this one is really quite remarkable. The intricate shapes of the petals that look very complicated are created by rather simple techniques. Not only does this design look great in red, the green leaf accents makes this a great project for multiple occasions.



Oscar and Elmo Pencil Toppers

With the help of some pom poms and pipe cleaners, anyone can make these adorable pencil toppers that are inspired by two famous characters, Oscar and Elmo. The simple construction makes them ideal for younger children, such as kindergarteners, and can be completed easily within a class period.



Rainbow Block Pipe Cleaner Craft

Pipe cleaners come in a wide array of colors, so it is no surprise that there are many projects that involve rainbows. Using a floral foam block as a base, this project is not only colorful, it is very educational and fun. With a little guidance and assistance, kids can create their own beautiful rainbows while working on their hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills.



Itsy Bitsy Spider Puppet

Little hands love to move, and in this take on the pipe cleaner legged spider, pipe cleaners only make up half of the legs. Designed to be fun both during construction and play time, this hand puppet is great for engaging little minds and little hands in productive and fun play.



Painted Twig and Pipe Cleaner Art

While most of the pipe cleaner projects have been centered around younger children, both in difficulty and end product, this is on craft where kids and parents alike can really get excited. Using pipe cleaners as the lettering, this open style plaque is great for conveying simple messages and utilizing found materials.



Pipe Cleaner and Button Spiders

There is something about black pipe cleaners that people tend to associate with spiders. In this pint sized project, you are shown how to make button sized spiders using four simple components; pipe cleaners, buttons, glue, and googly eyes. They assemble quickly and are great for kids to play with, or make as spooky party favors.



Pipe Cleaner Dragon Flies

Coffee filters are and often overlooked crafting supply that is very inexpensive and common to many households. In this pipe cleaner based craft, you are shown how to make simple little dragon flies using only two components. The end result is a colorful dragonfly that can be easily repaired and played with for hours.



Pipe Cleaner Finger Puppets

Finger puppets are one of the simplest crafts for kids to make, and they are also one of the most entertaining for young children. Using pipe cleaners, googly eyes, and pom poms, this guide shows you how using your imagination can be just as fun for the adult as it is for the child.



Fine Motor Skill Octopus

Getting kids involved early on with crafts can be a wonderful way to not only spend time with them, it can be a great opportunity to help enrich their development. Using a paper plate, pipe cleaners, and shells or straws, the octopus created in this project can help tune in a child’s fine motor control.



Pipe Cleaner Princesses

There are many ways to make a simple doll out of ordinary items and common crafting supplies. However, there are few projects that can really show you how simple it is to transform something as mundane as a napkin into something amazing. The pipe cleaner princess dolls are a wonderful choice for children of all ages.



Fishing Game With Pipe Cleaners

A child’s early years can be some of the most crucial to their development later on in life. Using simple items from around the home and pipe cleaners, you can use this guide to create a fun game that helps kids work on their problem solving and coordination skills.



Pipe Cleaner Lightening Bugs and Dragonflies

Lightening bugs and dragonflies come to life in this fun pipe cleaner project. The clearly laid out steps are accompanied by abundant pictures to help ensure you and your wards can follow each step of the craft. This would be a great project to accompany lessons, or stories, about these insects.



Coffee Filter Butterflies

Watercolor paints create a very interesting effect when applied to absorbent materials, such as coffee filters. The somewhat tie-die style patterns are the perfect choice for these whimsical butterflies that are easy to assemble and great for groups of all sizes and ages.

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