50 Clever Pipe Cleaner Crafts and Learning Activities

Time to get crafting!

Pipe cleaner crafts and learning activities, including practicing math facts and DIY bubble wands.
We Are Teachers / commoncoreconnectionusa.blogspot.com / messylittlemonster.com

Pipe cleaners have long been a staple classroom supply. They’re colorful, inexpensive, and have so many uses. Try out one of these pipe cleaner crafts with your students to add a vibrant, colorful effect to your classroom, and have some fun in the process! Check out this list of 50 of our favorite pipe cleaner crafts. 

1. Create pipe cleaner animal friends

Animals are made out of pipe cleaners.
Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls/Adorable Pipe Cleaner Animals via frugalfun4boys.com

Students will love these adorable pipe cleaner animal creations. The variety of animals means everyone can choose which one they like best.

Learn more: Adorable Pipe Cleaner Animals at Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls

2. Match colors on a pipe cleaner tree

Rainbow pipe cleaners are twisted into a tree shape and a hand is seen stringing beads onto it.
School Time Snippets/Pipe Cleaner and Beads Color Matching Tree via schooltimesnippets.com

Before getting started, round up colorful pipe cleaners and beads to match. Twist the pipe cleaners into a tree shape, then let kids string the matching beads to the right branches for some color-recognition practice.

Learn more: Pipe Cleaner and Beads Color Matching Tree at School Time Snippets

3. Cultivate a cactus garden

Green pipe cleaners are twisted to look like cacti.
Handmade Charlotte/DIY Pipe Cleaner Cacti via handmadecharlotte.com
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These cacti are just so cute! Create a whole garden of them with the easy instructions at the link.

Learn more: DIY Pipe Cleaner Cacti at Handmade Charlotte

4. Spell with pipe cleaner letters

pipe cleaners are twisted into the lowercase letters a, b, and c.
Make and Takes/Learning Letters With Pipe Cleaners via makeandtakes.com

Kids often get bored while learning letters, so take a break from writing and try twisting pipe cleaners into letters instead. Then, use those letters for fun spelling practice.

Learn more: Learning Letters With Pipe Cleaners at Make and Takes

5. Craft a butterfly ring

Pipe Cleaner Crafts include these butterfly rings. Purple and yellow pipe cleaners are twisted to look like butterflies and worn on fingers.
One Little Project/How To Make Pipe Cleaner Butterfly Rings via onelittleproject.com

These butterfly rings are both pretty and functional. Your kids will love this simple and beautiful craft. 

Learn more: How To Make Pipe Cleaner Butterfly Rings at One Little Project

6. Gaze at pipe cleaner constellations

Little purple cards show constellations and then pipe cleaners are bent to look like them.
123 Homeschool 4 Me/Pipe Cleaner Constellations via 123homeschool4me.com

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!

Learn more: Pipe Cleaner Constellations at 123 Homeschool 4 Me

7. Pick a bouquet of roses

Pipe cleaner crafts include this rose made from dark pink pipe cleaners.
Sharing Our Experiences/How To Make Rose via sharingourexperiences.com

Real roses fade, but these pipe cleaner crafts will last forever!

Learn more: How To Make a Rose With Pipe Cleaner at Sharing Our Experiences

8. Get hands-on math practice

Pipe cleaner crafts include this one that shows a pipe cleaner with a number of beads on it and a number flag at the top. It sits beside a simple subtraction flashcard.
Tips and Ideas From Anne Gardner/Beaded Number Rods via commoncoreconnectionusa.blogspot.com

Make simple but effective math manipulatives to help kids see addition and subtraction in action. These are great in the classroom and also for extra practice at home.

Learn more: Beaded Number Rods at Tips and Ideas From Anne Gardner

9. Blow bubbles with homemade wands

Pipe cleaner crafts include these bubble wands that have been twisted into circles on the end. One is shown being dipped into bubble solution
Messy Little Monster/Homemade Bubble Wands via messylittlemonster.com

Sure, you could just use the wands that come with bubble solution, but these are so much cooler! Experiment with different shapes while also personalizing your own wand with colorful bead patterns.

Learn more: Homemade Bubble Wands at Messy Little Monster

10. Grab a colander for fine motor practice

A child sits threading pipe cleaners through a container in this example of pipe cleaner crafts.
Hands On As We Grow/No Prep Fine Motor Pipe Cleaner Activity via handsonaswegrow.com

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.

Learn more: No Prep Fine Motor Pipe Cleaner Activity at Hands On as We Grow

11. Go over the rainbow

Pipe Cleaner Crafts
Preschool Inspirations/Rainbow Craft With Pipe Cleaners via preschoolinspirations.com

This cute pipe cleaner craft is the perfect way to welcome spring! Use the finished products to decorate your classroom for a colorful accent.

Learn more: Rainbow Craft With Pipe Cleaners at Preschool Inspirations

12. Form shapes with pipe cleaners and straws

Pipe cleaners are twisted into 3D shapes in this example of pipe cleaner crafts.
The Map Is Not the Territory/The Math in Your Feet Blog via mathinyourfeet.blogspot.com

Thread pipe cleaners through straws and use them to create a wide variety of 3D shapes. This is good for geometry review, but they make fun building toys.

Learn more: Platonic Solid at The Map Is Not the Territory

13. Plant pretty pipe cleaner flowers

Pipe cleaners are twisted into flowers and placed into three different pots.
One Little Project/Easy Pipe Cleaner Daffodils via onelittleproject.com

You’ll be impressed by how realistic these flower pipe cleaner crafts are! “Plant” them in small terra-cotta pots for an even better effect.

Learn more: Easy Pipe Cleaner Daffodils and Tulips at One Little Project

14. Light up pipe cleaner circuits

Pipe cleaners are connected to a magnet, paper clips, and a light.
Instructables/Pipe Cleaner Circuitry via instructables.com

This STEM activity will amaze your science students, and you only need a few basic supplies to pull it off. Get the how-to at the link.

Learn more: Pipe Cleaner Circuitry at Instructables

15. Craft cuddly mini teddy bears

The Multicrafteral Lab/The Five-Minute Teddy Bear via multicrafteral.blogspot.com

These teddies may be tiny, but they are big on charm! Make a whole collection for kids to play with or trade with friends.

Learn more: The Five-Minute Teddy Bear at The Multicrafteral Lab

16. Grow crystal icicles

pink, silver, and white pipe cleaners are twisted and hanging from a tree.
Happy Hooligans/Crystallized Icicle Ornaments via happyhooligans.ca

You may be surprised to find this out, but pipe cleaners are the perfect medium for growing crystals in supersaturated solutions made with borax. This is one of those pipe cleaner activities that never fails to amaze.

Learn more: Crystallized Icicle Ornaments at Happy Hooligans

17. Travel to a galaxy far, far away

Pipe cleaner crafts include this one that shows multiple pipe cleaners twisted around fingers and decorated to look like various characters from Star Wars.
Curious and Geeks/Star Wars Pipe Cleaner Finger Puppets via curiousandgeeks.com

Do or do not … there is no try when it comes to these galactic pipe cleaner crafts! Make the whole crew and then act out your own stellar story.

Learn more: Star Wars Pipe Cleaner Finger Puppets at Curious and Geeks

18. Count with pipe cleaner numbers

School Time Snippets/Learning To Count With Pipe Cleaner Numbers via schooltimesnippets.com

Like the pipe cleaner letters above, this activity gives kids fine motor skills practice while teaching them their numbers. You can also string beads onto the letters for more counting practice.

Learn more: Learning To Count With Pipe Cleaners at School Time Snippets

19. Smile at a crocodile

crocodiles are made from green popsicle sticks, green pipe cleaners, and googly eyes in this example of pipe cleaner crafts.
Easy, Peasy, and Fun/Craft Stick Crocodile Craft via easypeasyandfun.com

Crocodiles may be scary, but these cute crocs are not! Craft them with pipe cleaners, wood craft sticks, and a little bit of white paper for teeth.

Learn more: Craft Stick Crocodile Craft at Easy Peasy and Fun

20. Re-create favorite yoga poses

A stick figure is created from pipe cleaners in this example of a pipe cleaner activity.
Pinimg/Pinterest via Pinterest

Here’s a fun way to work on physical fitness. Have kids bend pipe cleaners to represent their favorite yoga positions and then have them explain how the pose makes them feel.

Learn more: Pipe Cleaner Figure at Liz Espinosa/Pinterest

21. Float pipe cleaner jellyfish

Jelly fish are made from pipe cleaners.
Crafts by Amanda/Rainbow Jellyfish Crafts via craftsbyamanda.com

How cute are these floating jellyfish decorations? Using multiple colors for the tentacles creates such a vibrant look. We especially love pipe cleaner crafts that double as classroom decor!

Learn more: Rainbow Jellyfish Craft at Crafts by Amanda

22. Practice spelling words

Pipe cleaners have letters strung on them.
Gift of Curiosity/Sound-Blending Practice via giftofcuriosity.com

Grab some alphabet beads and then get to work on sight words, CVC words, or whatever’s on the spelling list this week. The hands-on component encourages whole-brain learning since it engages all the senses.

Learn more: Sound-Blending Practice at Gift of Curiosity

23. Fly a swarm of dragonflies

pipe cleaner crafts include these dragonflys made from beads and pipe cleaners
I Heart Crafty Things/Shimmery Dragonfly Craft for Kids via iheartcraftythings.com

Once you’re done crafting, you can hang a host of sparkling dragonflies by the window to catch the light! Learn how to make these pipe cleaner crafts at the link.

Learn more: Pipe Cleaner Dragonfly at I Heart Crafty Things

24. Craft a DIY fidget stick

Hand holding a DIY fidget stick made of beads.
We Are Teachers

Fidget toys are a terrific way to help kids work off some physical energy while staying focused on the subject at hand. These DIY pipe cleaner fidget sticks are easy and inexpensive enough to make a batch for the whole class.

Get the tutorial video: DIY Fidget Sticks

25. Twist together pipe cleaner lollipops

Pipe cleaners are made to look like lollipops
Make and Takes/Pipe Cleaner Lollipops via makeandtakes.com

They look delicious, but don’t snack on these little lollipops! These pipe cleaner crafts are so cute you’ll want at least a dozen.

Learn more: Pipe Cleaner Lollipops at Make and Takes

26. Turn a pipe cleaner into a needle

A white pipe cleaner has a thread strung through it.
A Little Learning for Two/Bottle Lid Necklace via alittlelearningfortwo.blogspot.com

How clever is this? If you don’t have kid-safe plastic needles for lacing activities, twist a pipe cleaner into a needle to use instead.

Learn more: Bottle Lid Necklace at Little Learning for Two

27. Bend pipe cleaner skeletons

Pipe cleaners are twisted to look like skeletons
Handmade Charlotte/Pipe Cleaner Skeletons via handmadecharlotte.com

You could hang these as Halloween decorations, but we honestly think they’re fun enough to keep around all year long!

Learn more: Pipe Cleaner Skeletons at Handmade Charlotte

28. Create colorful dragons

Blissful Domestication/Pipe Cleaner Dragon via blissfuldomestication.com

These cuties don’t breathe fire, but kids will love playing with them anyway. Learn how to twist your dragons at the link.

Learn more: Pipe Cleaner Dragon at Blissful Domestication

29. Weave a pipe cleaner bowl

Pipe cleaners are shown woven.
Having Fun at Home: Weaving via havingfunathome.com

Weaving is an excellent way to work on hand-eye coordination. Use woven pipe cleaners to make mats, or bend them up into bowls or baskets.

Learn more: Weaving at Having Fun at Home

30. Hang a garland of hearts

Pipe cleaners are twisted to look like hearts.
Hometalk/Pipe Cleaner Heart Garlands via hometalk.com

Send a message of love with this easy-to-make pipe cleaner garland. Once you’re done crafting, you can hang them to celebrate Valentine’s Day or any day.

Learn more: Pipe Cleaner Heart Garlands at Hometalk

31. Put together superhero figurines

Superhero made of pipe cleaners
Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls/How To Make Pipe Cleaner Superheroes via frugalfun4boys.com

Kids love superheroes so we have no doubt that your students will adore these little crime-fighting crafts. After your class is done making their superheroes, you can spark a fun debate by asking them their favorite superpowers.

Learn more: Pipe Cleaner Superheroes at Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls

32. Bookmark a good read

Bookmarks with bees on them made of pipe cleaner
Momee Friends of Long Island/Book Worm Bookmark via momeefriendsli.com

Encourage good reading habits with these adorable bookworm bookmarks! While simple, this craft yields awesome results. 

Learn more: Book Worm Bookmark at Momee Friends of Long Island

33. Craft feathery pencil toppers

Pipe cleaners that are bent around a pencil and decorated to look like birds.
Artsy Craftsy Mom/Pipe Cleaner Pencil Topper at artsycraftsymom.com

These birds definitely won’t fly away! Gather a few art supplies to craft these fun and functional pencil toppers.

Learn more: PIpe Cleaner Pencil Topper at Artsy Craftsy Mom

34. Play tic-tac-toe

Tic tac toe board made of PVC
Make and Takes/DIY Pipe Cleaner Tic-Tac-Toe via makeandtakes.com

This project works equally well as a craft and a game. These pipe-cleaner tic-tac-toe boards will surely be a hit with your students!

Learn more: DIY Pipe Cleaner Tic-Tac-Toe at Make and Takes

35. Be the star of the sea

Pipe cleaners are twisted to look like sea stars or octopuses in this example of pipe cleaner crafts.
Artsy Craftsy Mom/DIY Simple Pipe Cleaner FIshing Game via artscraftsymom.com

These cute starfish will go over swimmingly with your students. Once done, you can add magnets and students can take their starfish friends home.

Learn more: Pipe Cleaner Fishing Game at Artsy Craftsy Mom

36. Create finger puppets

Finger puppets of animals made of pipe cleaner
One Little Project/Pipe Cleaner Finger Puppets via onelittleproject.com

Put on a play with these pipe cleaner finger puppets! We especially love that you have the option to create a variety of animals for endless fun. 

Learn more: Easy Pipe Cleaner Finger Puppets at One Little Project

37. Bee the change

Bee made of pipe cleaner
Kids Activities Blog/Pipe Cleaner Bee via kidsactivitiesblog.com

Create a buzz with these adorable little bees. Wrap the pipe cleaners around a wooden clothespin and add some googly eyes for an un-bee-lievable craft.

Learn more: Pipe Cleaner Bee at Kids Activities Blog

38. Meet friendly monsters

Colorful monsters made of pipe cleaners and googly eyes
Kids Activities Blog/Ping-Pong Ball Monster Craft via kidsactivitiesblog.com

Who knew monsters could be so cute? These little creatures are created using Ping-Pong balls. How creative!

Learn more: Ping-Pong Ball Monster at Kids Activities Blog

39. Craft a snack bag

Snack bag with pipe cleaner shaped like a rooster taped to it
Reuse Grow Enjoy/Cute Kids Chicken Snack Bag via reusegrowenjoy.com

Students will love this craft-and-snack all in one! Hand these out as gifts after holiday parties or classroom festivities. 

Learn more: Cute Kids Chicken Snack Bag at Reuse Grow Enjoy

40. Take an “elfie”

Elves and mushrooms made of pipe cleaners
Red Ted Art/Easy Pipe Cleaner People via redtedart.com

Have some fun with these adorable elves made out of pipe cleaners! Your kids will appreciate this silly and cute craft.

Learn more: Easy Pipe Cleaner People at Red Ted Art

41. Oh pipe cleaner tree …

Holiday trees are fastened out of green pipe cleaners and rainbow pom poms.
Blue Bear Wood/Pipe Cleaner Christmas Tree via bluebearwood.co.uk

Twist up some holiday spirit with these holiday trees that are both easy and attractive. Just shape your green pipe cleaners into a tree shape and then glue pom-poms throughout.

Learn more: Pipe Cleaner Christmas Trees at Blue Bear Wood

42. They come in peace

These alien pipe cleaner friends are so cute and so easy to make.

43. Create some creepy crawlers

These spiders may not be the easiest craft on our list, but they might be the coolest! Choose your secondary color of pipe cleaners and beads and then follow along with the video. Finally, add some googly eyes and enjoy your new creepy-crawly bestie.

44. Spin a spider web

Once you’ve made your spiders in the craft above, you’ll need a home for them! This web is a perfect project to further hand-eye coordination while having fun!

45. Make glasses for yourself or a doll

A little girl is wearing a pair of glasses made from red and green pipe cleaners.
123 Homeschool 4 Me/How To Make Easy Pipe Cleaner Glasses via 123homeschool4me.com

With the cost of glasses being what it is, who wouldn’t want to make their own pair (wink, wink)? While they may not help you see any better, they sure do look cute!

Learn more: How To Make Easy Pipe Cleaner Glasses at 123 Homeschool 4 Me

46. Twist some slithery snakes

Select your color snake and then create the three body sections by coiling them around a pencil. Then, thread a red pipe cleaner throughout to act as that hissing tongue. Finally, glue on a pair of a googly eyes and name your new slithery friend.

47. Sculpt with pipe cleaners

A white foam block has different colored pipe cleaners stuck in it and twisted into a sculpture in this example of pipe cleaner crafts
Picklebums/3D Foam and Pipe Cleaner Sculptures via picklebums.com

Grab some crafting foam blocks, a large supply of pipe cleaners, and all your crafting odds and ends, and then get to work sculpting. Kids will love personalizing their sculptures with beads, tape, and more!

Learn more: 3D Foam and Pipe Cleaner Sculptures at Picklebums

48. Jazz up a plain headband

Since headbands are a great way to look stylish in a pinch, the more the merrier! We love the idea of buying a few plain ones and then jazzing them up with pipe cleaners and pom-poms. Be sure to have an adult assist with the hot-glue gun!

49. Crown someone king or queen

Odds are that the little ones in your life love to play dress-up and love to craft, so why not combine those things? These pipe cleaner crowns are oh-so adorable and can be embellished with beads and other supplies.

50. Create magical fairies

Three little wooden peg dolls are covered in glitter and have pipe cleaner wings and halos.
Happily Ever Mom/DIY Wooden Peg Fairies via happilyevermom.com

Wooden peg people are one of the best crafting materials to buy in bulk since the possibilities are endless. We especially love the idea of using some glitter and pipe cleaners to transform them into magical fairies.

Learn more: DIY Wooden Peg Fairies at Happily Ever Mom

Keep up the creativity with these fun Wood Craft Stick Projects and Ideas.

Plus, check out Unbelievable Things You Can Do With Broken Crayons!

Pipe cleaners are inexpensive and kids love to play with them! Find all the best pipe cleaner crafts and activities for school and home here.