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The 40 Best Pipe Cleaner Crafts for kids – from flowers, to rings, to Christmas ornaments, to finger puppets the sky’s the limit! Fun, easy and they end up looking awesome when you’re done!

What are Pipe Cleaners?

A pipe cleaner is a type of brush originally intended for removing moisture and residue from smoking pipes. Pipe cleaners are bendable, flexible, and fuzzy. Since they can be molded into a multitude of shapes, they are a great addition to any arts and crafts project!

Well, pipe cleaners or craft chenille stems are available in all craft stores, and there are zillions of things you can make with these twisty wonders! To get you started, we’ve compiled a list of The 25+ Best Pipe Cleaner Craft Ideas for kids – from the beginner to the expert!

The 40 Best Pipe Cleaner Crafts for kids

Dress Up Pipe Cleaner Crafts

1. Make A Pipe Cleaner Rose Ring

This rose ring from No Biggie is so pretty, you’d want to wear it even when you’re not playing dress up!! You can try pipe cleaners of the same color or go for two shades of the same color for a more impressive effect!

2. Make Pipe Cleaner Wands

Spread the magic around with a magical glittery wand! This craft project from Moon Frye works both as a plain dress up wand as well as for blowing bubbles. Perfect solution for toddlers who get fed up easily!

3. Make a Birthday Crown out of pipe cleaners

Get your princess on with this beautiful crown from Can Can Dancer! Use glittery pipe cleaners and add on jewel stickers for a crown worthy of a royal. Also works well for a birthday girl on her special day.

4. Make Pipe Cleaner Glasses

If you’d like to channel your inner Harry Potter and want the glasses to go with the wand, try out this craft from Artsy Momma. Made with shiny pipe cleaners, this is one pair of specs you won’t want to take off!

5. Pipe Cleaner Bunny Ears

Bunnies are just adorable, and so is this craft! Made with large chenille stems and tulle, this is a fun craft that also works well for Easter, costume parties, Halloween or a bunny themed birthday!  Get the full tutorial at Inspiration Made Simple.

DIY Pipe Cleaner Toys

6. Pipe Cleaner Finger Puppet Set

Bring your favorite stories to life with a set of finger puppets from Woo Jr! You can use these for any theme, and they’re really easy to make. I personally love the tail on that cat- such a cute detail!

7. Pipe Cleaner Toddler Toy

Kidspot has a great idea for a toddler toy made using pipe cleaners. An empty chips jar is transformed into a learning toy, where kids can practice matching colors and honing their fine motor skills. Perfect for a toddler busy bag or boredom box!

8. Pipe Cleaner Aliens

You’ve probably got loads of superhero action figures, but where are the aliens who fight them?They are over at Destination Femme! Make these funky aliens with movable arms and legs, and make them as menacing or as silly as you like!

9. Pipe Cleaner Fishing Game

Who needs a boat and slimy worms to go fishing, when you can do it with pipe cleaners? Colored chenille stems are used to make everything in this game, from fish to octopus to reeds and even the fishing rod!

10. Pipe Cleaner Crystal Stars

This is a beautiful DIY from One Little Project, combining learning and play in one craft! It’s amazing what borax and pipe cleaners can do when they come together!

Pipe Cleaner Animal Crafts

11. Pipe Cleaner Spiders

While pipe cleaners can be used to make any animal, you have to admit that they’re most suited to spiders! And if you’re tired of black spiders, go with this craft from Eze Breezy, which uses pipe cleaners and googly eyes to create some fun and bright spideys!

12. Pipe Cleaner and Perler Bead Snakes

Not all snakes are creepy, as this craft proves! These colorful pipe cleaner and perler bead snakes can be twisted any way you like, making them ideal for bag charms or bookmarks.

13. Pipe Cleaner Flamingo Craft

Flamingos can probably be called the beauty queens among birds. That gorgeous pink color and those long elegant legs – so pretty! Make your own flamingo craft with pipe cleaners and add a feather for extra effect.

14. Pipe Cleaner Snail

If you thought we were done with the creepy crawlies, think again! Although, this little guy is far from creepy; in fact he is most likely the cutest and most colorful snail you’ve ever seen! And with some quick twisting, he’s probably also the fastest!

15. Popsticle Stick Dragonfly

Dragonflies are delightful creatures, as is this fun craft! Ideal for spring or summer, you can make these with basic craft supplies and customize it to make it as big or small as you please.

DIY Pipe Cleaner Gift Ideas

16. Pipe Cleaner Flower Bookmarks

They say the best gift you can give is a book, which makes the second best gift a bookmark! And when it’s handmade, even better! Fun Learning Life has an idea for pretty spring bookmarks, made with a Popsicle stick, buttons and of course, pipe cleaners!

17. Pipe Cleaner Dream Catchers

There’s no sweeter gift than sweet dreams, which you can give your loved one by gifting a dream catcher! Yarn Inspiration has a project that’s perfect for summer, to catch all those bad dreams that arise when it gets too hot at night!

18. Pipe Cleaner Bird Pencil Topper

Pencil toppers make even a dull school day interesting, and they’re very easy to make! A bit of twisting, a feather, some eyes and you’re done! Make many to give all your friends as the perfect back to school gift.

19. Pipe Cleaner Bouquet

When in doubt, gift flowers! These pipe cleaner flowers from Creative Jewish Mom are seriously pretty and make a great display for a shelf, desk or mantle. It also works as a spring-themed centerpiece for your table.

20. Rainbow Wall Hanging

Brighten up someone’s wall with a colorful rainbow wall hanging from Premeditated Leftovers! We think the idea of using an embroidery hoop is genius! Go ahead and customize your gift with a name or initials on the blank space.

Holiday Themed Pipe Cleaner Crafts

21. Heart Shaped Pencil Toppers

Give your loved ones a chance to remember you every time they use a pencil – with a heart shaped pencil topper! This is easy for kids to craft and makes a great classroom Valentine gift.

22. Pipe Cleaner Fuzzy Easter Eggs

These Easter eggs from Pajama Crafters are so warm and fuzzy, you just want to keep touching them all day long! They’re also very pretty and you can make them in any color combination. Don’t forget to put little gifts inside!

23. Pipe Cleaner Shamrock

Celebrate St. Paddy’s day in style with cute shamrocks from Crafts Unleashed. Try making many mini Shamrock in different shades of green, and create a garland out of them for some cute and festive decor.

24. Pipe Cleaner Pumpkin

Come Halloween, and you see pumpkins all around – in pies and on porches! Crafty Texas Girls tells us how we can make our own mini pumpkins out of just pipe cleaners. Of course, you can take it up a notch by adding shiny and colorful beads!

25. Pipe Cleaner Christmas Trees

Just how adorable are these little pipe cleaner Christmas trees from Blue Bear Wood? Such a simple idea, but so impressive! You can either make a row of these for the mantle or string them as ornaments on the tree.

26. Pipe Cleaner Wreath Ornament Craft

This Pipe Cleaner Wreath Ornament will take all of 10 minutes to make, and the supplies are already lying around!

27. White Pipe Cleaner Christmas Tree Ornament Craft

Dreaming of a white Christmas? Make it come true with our White Pipe cleaner Christmas Tree Ornament Craft! Super easy to make with just a few supplies!

Use Pipe Cleaners in Learning Activities

28. Spell with pipe cleaner letters.

Take a break from writing and try twisting pipe cleaners into letters instead. Then, use those letters for fun spelling practice! Via  Make and Takes

29. Gaze at pipe cleaner constellations.

Use star-shaped beads along with pipe cleaners to map out the constellations of the night sky. Bonus tip: Hang them from the ceiling for cool classroom or bedroom decor! Via 123Homeschool4Me

30. Grab a colander for fine motor practice.

Give a toddler some pipe cleaners and a colander, and you’ll keep them busy for hours. Not only will it buy you some much-needed quiet time, but it will also give them excellent fine motor skills practice. Via Hands On As We Grow

31. Beaded Pipe Cleaner Indian Corn

These beaded pipe cleaner Indian corn are so adorable!  They’re really easy to put together and are the perfect addition to your Fall/Thanksgiving craft line up.

32. DIY Pipe Cleaner & Straw Sculptures

Make Pipe Cleaner & Straw Sculptures!  We always love a craft that is great for a wide range of ages and has no mess!! Of course, it doesn’t hurt that it’s super colorful, fun to do, and ends up being one of those projects you want to save!

33. Counting beads on pipe cleaners

Using colorful pipe cleaners and beads you can set up a fun counting maths activity for kids. This is also really great for fine motor development

34. STRAW AND PIPE CLEANER SPIDER WEB

Build a Straw and Pipe Cleaner Spider Web! For fun, yet this simple activity you can make an adorable spider web with just two supplies: paper straws and pipe cleaners! 

35. DIY Pipe Cleaner Tic Tac Toe

Kids of all ages will love beating boredom with this fun Magnetic Pipe Cleaner Tic Tac Toe game busy bag. Carry it in your purse or the car so you have it with you while on a road trip or waiting at a doctor’s office or store it in the playroom to pull out while making dinner.

36. Make Pipe Cleaner + Pom pom Fish 

37. Make Pipe Cleaner Star Fish

38. Use Pipe Cleaners to make a Trishul Bookmark 

39. Make Pipe Cleaner Skeletons

Craft this sugar skull inspired garland of pipe cleaner skeletons for Halloween! See the step by step over at Handmade Charlotte.

40. How to Make Pipe Cleaner Superheroes

If your kids love superheroes they’re going to have a blast making their very own pipe cleaner hero! There’s even a cape! Get the full tutorial from Frugal Fun 4 Boys.

Bonus – 

41. Pipe Cleaner Christmas Tree Ornaments

As you can see from these pipe cleaner crafts for kids, pipe cleaners are among the most versatile things to have in your craft kit. Since they can be twisted in any way, you don’t even need glue for it to hold! And with so many colors and sizes, the sky’s the limit when it comes to crafting with pipe cleaners!