Pipe cleaner flower

Pipe cleaners are a wonderful crafting tool for children because of their soft, fuzzy texture and flexibility. A toddler may need quite a bit of help to complete this craft, but an elementary school student should be able to complete it with minimal help. I made this flower with Emma to fill a vase she has in her play kitchen.

MATERIALS:

• 3 pipe cleaners, two green and the third whatever color you want your flower to be. You can use more flower-colored pipe cleaners to make a fuller, more 3D flower.

STEPS:

1) Fold the first green pipe cleaner in half. Leave a loop at the top (this will be a leaf on the stem) and twist together the rest of the two ends to form the bottom half of the stem.
	2) Add the second green pipe cleaner, folded in half, to the final twist in the first pipe cleaner (right before your leaf loop).
3) Twist together the second pipe cleaner, leaving some untwisted at each end to form two more leaf loops.
	4) Make four loops with your third pipe cleaner. These loops are the petals of your flower. Keep the ends of the pipe cleaner free, twisting them onto the “leaves” at the top of your stem to keep the bloom in place.

MaryAnne Kochenderfer

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MaryAnne lives is a craft loving educator, musician, photographer, and writer who lives in Silicon Valley with her husband Mike and their four children.