I am going to do my very best to show you how to make these adorable chenille pipe cleaner wreaths without squeeing out loud. (I will fail. Utterly. Because they are just that darn cute.)
These sweet little wreaths make wonderful ornaments and package toppers. But they really shine pinned on your lapel. Best of all, they take mere moments to make.
Not Your Kiddo’s Pipe Cleaners
The humble pipe cleaner. Craft staple to elementary art classes everywhere. If you’ve got kiddos or grandkiddos, chances are you probably have a bundle of these in multiple colors tucked in a storage tote somewhere.
But for these wreaths, you’re going to want an upgrade.
These lux chenille pipe cleaners are incredibly plush and come in several beautiful shades of green, which give your finished wreaths more realistic colors. They are much plumper than your typical pipe cleaners, too, which is essential for this craft.
I purchased this pack of pipe cleaners in varying shades of green, and I couldn’t be happier. Let’s start with a quick list of essential supplies as well as some “nice to have” supplies to make this charming Christmas craft.
Need to have:
- Chenille pipe cleaners – the good ones (click here)
- Ribbon
- A pencil
- Wire cutters
- Craft glue (I used Aleen’s Clear Gel for the glitter) or hot glue gun (I used the glue gun for the pin backs)
Nice to have:
- These pin-backs
- Glitter
- (especially nail glitter in cute shapes)
Let’s Get Started
This is super simple. You’ll need four pipe cleaners per wreath. You’re going to corkscrew three of them and then thread them onto the fourth pipe cleaners.
Using a pencil or a similarly sized object (such as a pen or a large knitting needle), wrap a pipe cleaner snugly around the pencil, keeping each loop close to the previous one. Once you’re done, remove it and repeat the process two more times.
Now thread these three pipe cleaner corkscrews onto the fourth pipe cleaner. Twist the fourth pipe cleaner a couple of times so that the wreath is roughly 2 ½” across.
Snip the fourth pipe cleaner close to the twist. Now, gently push the corkscrewed pipe cleaners out of the way, and tuck the ends of the fourth pipe cleaner down along the fourth pipe cleaner. Slide the corkscrewed pipe cleaners back over this part, covering it.
Gently shape and fluff your wreath to the desired shape and fullness.
Next, add the pin back or glue a ribbon loop to the back for hanging. A glue gun works great for this. Push the pin back into the line of hot glue until the glue protrudes slightly from the holes on the pin. Once dried, this will help anchor the pin back in place.
Now, turn your wreath over and decorate it.
If you want to add glitter (and who doesn’t love glitter), do that before adding a ribbon bow. I found the easiest way to apply glitter without getting the chenille all gunky was to apply a few very small dots of craft glue, and then sprinkle or press glitter onto them.
You could even use red seed beads for holly berries if you want to be extra creative.
Make a small bow out of ribbon and glue it in place on your wreath. I found the glue gun easier for this because it dried faster.
And that’s really all there is to it. Take a good look at your sweet little wreath. Squee! Isn’t it adorable? Continue to make more until your entire work surface is covered in tiny wreaths.
I Made Like 50 of Them, Now What?
See? I told you they were fun and addictive. You’ve got plenty of options when it comes to deciding what to do with them.
- Thread a ribbon through the middle of the wreath and attach it to a gift.
- Hang them on a doorknob. (We have a rule in my house that any doorknob décor must be silent and not get caught when closing the door.)
- Put a ribbon on the back and hang them from the knobs on your kitchen cabinets.
- Hang them on your Christmas tree.
- Put a pin back on them and wear it on your coat. These are great Christmas treats for teachers, the gals in your book club, your favorite barista or anyone who needs a smile.
- Glue several to a length of twine for a cute and cheery Christmas garland.
- Don’t forget, Barbie likes to decorate her place for the holidays, too. These are a great accessory for everyone’s favorite fashion doll.
