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Pipe Cleaner Animals Craft

Making animals out of pipe cleaner is a classic craft that will be tons of fun for you and your children.

Published Jan 25, 2007 by jjmaughan
Last updated on Aug 21, 2008

Valentine's Day is coming soon, and these little bookmarks are the perfect gift for friends, teachers or grandparents. It's not really a preschool-age craft, but perfect for creative elementary age kids. Get creative and do another shape besides a butterfly. However, something with a symmetrical body works the best for this awesome craft. The finished butterfly will be about the size of a child's palm, and the "mark" will be almost the length of a pipe cleaner. These can also be cute as indoor house plant decorations. Just poke the tail end of the pipe cleaner into the dirt and watch the bejewelled butterfly sparkle.

What you need:

20 to 25 assorted beads (any will do as long as they can go onto pipe cleaner)
2 pipe cleaners (any color will do)
Large jewel, flat on the back
Craft glue

What you do:

1. String one bead and glue it onto the very end of the wire. This will be the left antenna.

2. Add 8 beads behind the first glued bead.

3. Now bend the wire into an antenna, and then loop the wire into the top set of the wings. You'll have to maneuver the beads around a little so that there are 4 beads on each wing.

4. After you've looped the top set of wings, add 8 more beads.

5. Twist the wire around to make the bottom set of wings with 4 beads on each loop.

6. Twist the wire around so that the end of the pipe cleaner ends up as the right antenna. Glue a matching bead to the end.

7. Don't be afraid to loop, twist, and reshape your butterfly to get the right size and dimensions. HINT: Try wrapping wings around your finger to get a good tight circle shape.

8. When the butterfly is shaped out of the first pipe cleaner and all beads are in place, loop the top end of the second pipe cleaner around the center of the butterfly to hold it all tightly together.

9. twist the second pipe cleaner around to make a long tail. This is the part that will be in the book pages. You can zigzag it or any other design if you like.

10. For the finishing touch, glue the large jewel in the center of the butterfly's body. Let dry completely.

For more pipe cleaner craft ideas get the following book:
Pipe Cleaner Mania

*15 Minute Moment* Write up an interesting fortune for each other, as if you found them in a fortune cookie.

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