Looking for unique card ideas to give to your loved ones this holiday season? Turn regular pipe cleaners into Christmas trees, snowflakes, candy canes and wreaths and use them to decorate some adorable pipe cleaner Christmas cards for all your friends and relatives!
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Did December sneak up on anyone else this year? It seems like just yesterday that we were saying goodbye to 2020, yet somehow it’s already twelve months later and I can’t for the life of me figure out where all the time went.
With Christmas less than three weeks away, I’m happy to report that our tree is up and decorated, and that the gifts that we’re planning on giving our kids have been purchased and hidden in the storage area of our basement.
Now that those items have been taken care of, it’s time for us to figure out what we’ll be gifting our friends and relatives.
With four kids at home, we don’t have a ton of money to spare. So for the past few years, we’ve been favouring DIY projects that show our loved ones how much we appreciate them without breaking the bank.
And handmade Christmas cards are a great way to show friends and family how much they mean to you!
There are lots of cute Christmas card ideas out there, but many of them require a long list of complicated supplies that not everyone has at home. So I wanted to come up with something that was both unique and simple—and these pipe cleaner Christmas cards definitely fit the bill.
The only materials you’ll need to make these cards are cardstock, construction paper, pipe cleaners and glue.
And while they’re easy enough for kids to make (even toddlers can help twist the pipe cleaners into shapes!), they turned out so pretty that I wouldn’t hesitate for one second before giving them to friends, teachers, grandparents or any of the other important people in our lives.
So if you’re looking for a thoughtful Christmas craft idea that kids can make themselves, be sure to read the instructions below. After all, what better way to say “merry Christmas” to relatives than with a handmade holiday card from the little ones?
Required Materials
Here’s what you’ll need to make your very own pipe cleaner Christmas cards at home:
- White or beige cardstock (I used beige)
- Construction paper
- Regular and glitter pipe cleaners (see details below)
- Scissors
- Hot glue gun and glue sticks
- Liquid school glue
As far as the pipe cleaners (also known as chenille stems) are concerned, here are the colours you’ll need for the various pipe cleaner crafts that are used to decorate the cards:
- For the candy cane: 1 red, 1 white, 1 glitter red
- For the Christmas tree: 1 green, 1 glitter yellow
- For the snowflake: 2 white (you can also use silver)
- For the wreath: 1 red, 1 green, 1 glitter red
Of course, you’re more than welcome to come up with more ideas and use whichever colours you see fit!
How to Make Pipe Cleaner Christmas Cards (Step-by-Step)
1. Cut Cardstock
Start by cutting down the pieces of cardstock so that each one measures 10 x 7 inches.
I used a paper trimmer because I love how clean the cuts are and how easy it is to cut several sheets at once. But feel free to simply use scissors if that’s what you have at home!
2. Fold Cardstock
Fold the cardstock widthwise to create 5 x 7 inch Christmas cards. This will allow them to fit inside standard A7 envelopes.
3. Cut Construction Paper
Cut each piece of construction paper into two rectangles measuring 4 x 6 inches.
You’ll be using just one rectangle per card, so you’ll only need one sheet of green paper and one sheet of blue paper to make all four cards. (Adjust the quantities as needed if you’re making more.)
If you place the rectangles of construction paper on top of the folded cards, they should fit nicely and leave a small half-inch border all the way around (as pictured above). But don’t glue them on yet—this will come later!
4. Create Pipe Cleaner Shapes
What can you make out of pipe cleaners for Christmas? As it turns out, quite a lot. (In fact, there are lots of other possibilities that haven’t been covered in this tutorial.)
In order to make your DIY Christmas cards, the next thing you’ll need to do is make shapes out of pipe cleaners.
If you’re in need of inspiration, follow our step-by-step instructions to find out how to make pipe cleaner candy canes, Christmas trees, snowflakes and wreaths.
But if ever you’re feeling creative, feel free to come up with your own designs instead of using the ones below. These are tons of cute Christmas pipe cleaner crafts you could use!
Making a Pipe Cleaner Candy Cane
- To make a small candy cane out of pipe cleaners, start by twisting a white pipe cleaner and a red pipe cleaner together
- Bend one end of the twisted pipe cleaners into the shape of a hook
- Place the candy cane on top of a trimmed piece of construction paper and cut off any excess pipe cleaner so that the shape fits nicely within the rectangle
- To make a pipe cleaner bow, bend a red glitter pipe cleaner in half, create two loops and twist your chenille stem around the middle
- Wrap the bow around the middle of the candy cane to keep it in place
Making a Pipe Cleaner Christmas Tree
- To make a mini Christmas tree out of pipe cleaners, start by bending a green pipe cleaner in and out multiple times, increasing the length each time, to create a triangular-shaped tree
- Bend a yellow glitter pipe cleaner into five tiny points, making sure to leave a bit of extra pipe cleaner on either end
- Cut off any excess pipe cleaner and bend all the points inward into the shape of a star
- Use the longer ends to close the star shape and place the star on top of the Christmas tree
Making a Snowflake with Two Pipe Cleaners
- To make a simple snowflake out of pipe cleaners, start by cutting a white pipe cleaner into four equal pieces
- Twist the four pieces of pipe cleaner together at the middle to create eight arms for the snowflake
- Cut a second pipe cleaner into eight equal pieces
- Place each piece of pipe cleaner under one of the snowflake’s arms, then pull it upwards and twist it in place to create a “V” shape at the outer end of each arm
Making a Pipe Cleaner Wreath
- To make a Christmas wreath out of pipe cleaners, start by twisting a green pipe cleaner and a red pipe cleaner together
- Bend into the shape of a circle, place on top of a trimmed piece of construction paper and cut off any excess pipe cleaner to ensure that the closed circle fits nicely within the rectangle
- Twist the ends together to form a closed loop and arrange the twisted pipe cleaners in the form of a circle
- To make a pipe cleaner bow, bend a red glitter pipe cleaner in half, create two loops and twist your chenille stem around the middle
- Use hot glue to attach the bow to the wreath
5. Glue Pipe Cleaners to Paper
Once you’re done creating your Christmas pipe cleaner crafts, use a hot glue gun to glue the pipe cleaner shapes to pieces of construction paper. (If you’re making this craft with young children, you’ll want to do this yourself for safety reasons.)
Since hot dries really fast, I don’t recommend covering the whole pipe cleaner before you press it down onto the construction paper.
Instead, place a dot of glue in the middle of the pipe cleaner shape and press it onto the paper. Then, gently pull up each end and place more dots of glue in strategic locations, starting in the middle and moving outward, until the whole shape is glued to the paper.
You can always use liquid school glue for this step, but it won’t work as well. You’ll probably need to place something heavy on top of the pipe cleaners while the glue dries, and the construction paper may become wavy due to the extra humidity. (I speak from experience.)
The best glue for pipe cleaners is definitely hot glue, and that’s what I recommend you use for this craft. While it’s out, you can also use it to make this cute watercolour and glue Christmas light craft with your kids!
6. Glue Construction Paper to Cardstock
Position each construction paper rectangle on top of one of the cards, making sure that the border is even all around, and glue it on using liquid school glue. (You may be able to use a stick of glue instead, but given the weight of the pipe cleaners, I wanted to make sure the construction paper would stay put.)
Once the glue is dry, your card is ready to send. Write a message on the inside and mail it to the recipient in an A7 envelope… or hand-deliver it for a more personal touch!
I love the way these cards turned out, and I’m sure there are lots of other shapes you could make with the pipe cleaners.
Which is your favourite? I’m having trouble choosing between the candy cane card, the snowflake card and Christmas tree card!
Related Christmas Card Ideas
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