Make It with Pipe Cleaners! A Collection of Simple, Fun, and Playable Toy Ideas
Why not try making playthings using chenille stems (pipe cleaners), that bend and wiggle any way you like?
You don’t even need pliers—since you can easily bend and twirl them by hand, even little kids can have fun making them!
Just be careful with the sharp wire tips.
From cute toys you can make and display to fun toys you can play with together with friends, we’re sharing lots of ideas.
Find your favorite and give it a try!
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Make It with Pipe Cleaners! A Collection of Simple, Fun, Playable Toy Ideas (1–10)
Moleflower memo stand
If you want to make a small gift using pipe cleaners, how about this flower memo stand? Fold a pipe cleaner in half, twist the two ends together to secure them, then shape the loop into a petal.
Make six of these, bundle them together, wrap another pipe cleaner around to form the stem and fix it in place, and add a pearl sticker to the center of the petals to complete the flower.
Make a memo stand with another pipe cleaner, and insert it together with the flower into a melamine sponge.
Place that in a small paper cup and fill the empty spaces with paper napkins, and you’re done.
Umbrella made with pipe cleaners and origami
The umbrella craft idea is perfect for the rainy season, isn’t it? For this one, you’ll make the umbrella part with origami paper and the handle with a chenille stem (pipe cleaner).
First, cut the origami paper into a circle, then cut out a triangular wedge from the center to the edge.
On the white side of the paper, use crayons to draw any umbrella pattern you like.
Cut the pipe cleaner to your desired length, then make a small loop slightly above the center and twist to secure it.
Glue the paper umbrella above the loop, curve the pipe cleaner to form the handle, and you’re done.
It might look cute as a hanging decoration or a garland.
chenille stem doll
Let’s make a bendable pipe-cleaner doll.
You will need two pipe cleaners, one straw, three beads for the torso, and four beads for the joints.
Cut the straw into pieces: four 2 cm pieces for the legs and four 1 cm pieces for the arms.
Stack the two pipe cleaners together, thread on all the torso beads, and slide them to the center.
Separate the pipe cleaners, then on one side thread a straw piece, a bead, and another straw piece in that order; curl the tip to secure—this completes one leg.
Make the other leg on the adjacent pipe cleaner in the same way.
On the opposite side, bend the remaining pipe cleaner strands into a V-shape, thread on a straw and a bead to form each arm, then gather the remaining pipe cleaners together to shape the head.
Make It with Pipe Cleaners! A Collection of Simple, Fun, Playable Toy Ideas (11–20)
fluffy turtle
Kids are delighted when they spot turtles by the water or in ponds.
So let’s make a turtle out of chenille stems (pipe cleaners).
You’ll use yellow pipe cleaners for the turtle’s base, head, and limbs, and green pipe cleaners for the shell.
For the base and shell, arrange pipe cleaners like spokes and wrap another pipe cleaner around them from the center outward.
For the face and limbs, bundle several pipe cleaners together and wrap another pipe cleaner around the bundle to shape them.
Then simply glue the parts together.
If you want a domed shell, stuff some crumpled tissue between the base and the shell before attaching them.
teddy bear
Here’s a chenille stem (pipe cleaner) bear idea that’s perfect for kids who love animals.
You can make it with just one pipe cleaner.
Fold the pipe cleaner in half, then bend the looped end slightly to form the bear’s snout.
Next, bend and twist the pipe cleaner in order to shape the ears, head, arms, and legs.
Add beads for the eyes and nose, and finish it off with a cute ribbon around the neck.
It looks great as is, but you can also attach hardware to turn it into a keychain.
Mall Tiara
Don’t many girls dream of being a princess at least once? When you think of a princess, a dress and a tiara are classics.
So, here’s an idea for making a tiara out of chenille stems (pipe cleaners)! Prepare four 27 cm pipe cleaners and use two to make the base.
Use the remaining two to create the decorative part of the tiara.
Thread some pearls along the way and attach a jewel in the center to make it glamorous.
Finally, shape the base into a circle and your tiara is complete! Use pins or clips to secure it in your hair and try it on.
fluffy butterfly
Would you like to make fluffy butterflies out of tissue paper? It’s an idea you can also use as parts for wall displays.
First, cut out the butterfly wings from the tissue paper.
You’ll stack several layers for the wings, so make multiple pieces in the same shape.
If you want to make many at once, fold and layer the tissue paper a few times and cut them all together.
Twist a pipe cleaner around the center of the wings to secure it, then curl both ends to make the antennae—and you’re done! Layering different colors and sizes of tissue paper will also make lovely butterflies.