Christmas Crafts
Bead and Pipe Cleaner Ornaments
Christmas ornaments made from ordinary pipe cleaners and inexpensive acrylic beads are very pretty and easy to make. They look quite impressive yet are easy enough for small children to make. This is one Christmas craft idea to use again and again. Older people will enjoy making this Christmas craft, too, which can be varied to make a number of different sparkling ornaments for your Christmas tree.To make the bead and pipe cleaner ornaments, you need common pipe cleaners in desired colours and acrylic beads. Two types of beads are particularly effective when strung on pipe cleaners. One type are called sunburst beads, but are also known as paddlewheel beads, snowflake beads, or starburst beads. These beads have six faceted paddles spaced equally around a centre that contains the hole for stringing. When several of these sunburst beads are strung consecutively, they fit against each other in an interlocking pattern.
The other type of bead that is also effective for this Christmas craft is called the tri bead or propeller bead. It has three rounded bumps arranged around the stringing hole. Like the sunburst beads, the tri beads interlock when strung consecutively. For the most sparkly and attractive Christmas ornaments, get tri beads and/or sunburst beads in translucent colours of red, green, and clear. The tri beads can also be found in metallic gold and silver which can be used in this Christmas craft as well.
Pipe cleaners can be found in silver and gold tinsel as well as chenille of all colours. For the Christmas craft, the best colours to use are the metallic and Christmas colours. The beads cover the pipe cleaners, but the ends will need to be twisted together and made into hangers, so they show.
Anyone, even small children, can string these beads on pipe cleaners. Bend up the end of the pipe cleaner so the beads don't fall off. The pipe cleaner works like a needle, making a needle unnecessary. For best results, show the children how to alternate colours when stringing, or start a pattern of three colours. When the beads are strung on the pipe cleaners, they can be bent into different Christmas shapes. For instance, string red and clear beads alternately, then bend down one end of the pipe cleaner for a candy cane shape. Or alternate red and green beads and form a circle for a wreath. Use red pipe cleaner to form a small bow to decorate the wreath. Form a hanger for the Christmas craft or simply slip the circle over a branch of the tree.
If you experiment with clear beads and silver pipe cleaners, you can make some beautiful snowflake or star ornaments. Snowflake designs can be twisted of silver pipe cleaner only, without the beads for a simple but pretty decoration.
Bead and pipe cleaner ornaments are a Christmas craft you will find yourself using every year. Children and their parents will both appreciate this simple yet pretty Christmas craft.
Garland Christmas Wreath
Materials Needed:
2 Paper Plates
Stapler
Garland
Tape
Glue
Ribbon
Instructions:
Cut the center out of both paper plates. Hold the paper plates so the
edges line up and the bottom parts face out. Staple around the edges
to hold the paper plates together.
You can use whatever color garland you want. It should be atleast 4
feet long, but longer is better! Tape one end of the garland so it
is
tucked inside the middle gap in the paper plates. Start wrapping the
garland around the circle formed by the paper plates. You want to
cover the plates completely. When you get back to where you started,
put a blob of glue on the end of the garland and tuck it carefully
inside
the middle gap of the paper plates. Fluff out the garland.
Tie a ribbon into a bow and glue it onto your wreath. You can also
decorate it with light-weight mini ornaments, candy canes, or shapes
cut out of scrap fabric or construction paper.
Santa or Snowman Candy Jar
Materials:
1 large jar
1 large styrofoam ball
Kid's size red sock
Moveable eyes
1/4" red pom pom
3" piece of red pipe cleaner
Large handful of cotton balls and a piece of paper
Hot glue gun and glue sticks
1.Set the styrofoam ball on top of the jar.
2. Glue on the eyes, the red pom pom for a nose, shape the red pipe
cleaner
into a smile and glue it on.
3.For the snowman, you can substitute three 1/4" black pom poms
for the pipe cleaner.
4.For Santa: cut a beard out of paper and glue on cotton balls to
cover.
5.Glue the beard to the styrofoam ball.
6.Create a tongue with the child's sock- turn the sock inside out.
At
the
ankle (just where the foot joins the ankle) tie the string around the
sock
and knot tightly. Cut the foot off the sock about 1/2" above the knot.
Turn the ankle part right side out.
Turn up the rim of the sock and glue the tongue on the head.
7.Fill the glass or jar with candy and set the santa or snowman hat
on
top.
Terra Cotta Angel
Materials:
Terra Cotta Pot
Wooden ball
Beads or Spools
Yarn
String
Scissors
Glue
Paint
2 inch wide ribbon
1.Turn the terra cotta pot upside down and
paint it to look like the angels dress. (painting
it a single color will also work)
2.Paint the wooden ball a skin color.
3.Once the paint is dry paint eyes, nose and
mouth on the wooden ball.
4.Cut a piece of yarn 2 feet in length and fold
in half.
5.Once paint on terra cotta pot is dry, string
the bent half of yarn through the hole in the
bottom of the terra cotta pot .
6.Pull the yarn through until it hangs 3 inches
past the lip of the pot.
7.Tie a knot with the two loose ends securing
the string from slipping through the hole of the pot.
8.Cut the bend in the string.
9.String beads onto each of the four pieces of yarn.
10.Tie each piece of yarn in a knot to keep
the beads from sliding off the yarn.
11.Glue the head onto the body .
12.Tie the ribbon in a large bow and glue to
the back of the body to make the wings .