Beaded Holiday Ornaments

This easy project allows children to create ornaments for the entire family to enjoy. Little ones will have a wonderful time making holiday ornaments to display or share.

Project Instructions

Give children a number of pipe cleaners and craft beads to get started. Help children bend the ends of their pipe cleaners to prevent the beads from sliding off. Demonstrate how to string the beads on the pipe cleaners to create patterns. An easy pattern to begin with is a red bead followed by a white bead. Once children create this pattern, bend the top of the pipe cleaner into hook to create a candy cane shape.

Other easy shapes are circles for wreaths and triangles for Christmas trees. Simply fold a brown pipe cleaner to the base of the triangle to create a tree stump. A pipe cleaner can be twisted around the final decoration to act as a hook for hanging. Another fun decoration for a tree is a garland. Cut a number of pieces of construction paper into long strips. Place a piece of double-sided tape on one end of the paper strips. Show children how to fold the opposite end of the paper onto the tape to create a loop. Then, help little ones connect a new strip of paper onto the loop to form a chain. This is another great way to encourage children to think about patterns.

Craft Materials

• Pipe Cleaners
• Craft Beads
• Construction Paper
• Double-sided Tape

Children will feel a sense of pride when they hang ornaments they made on the Christmas tree. They will also have fun giving their ornaments away as holiday gifts!

Feedback from Crafts Mom

This craft is super fun and the my child loved to take the beads and make the candy cane. There are so many Chistmas season type shapes you can make and there are so many different colors and types of beads you can buy. Very fun!