P is for Pipe Cleaner . . .

. . . Pipe Cleaner Christmas Tree

 It's time for the 11th Annual Month of Holiday Cards Challenge at Beccy's Place.

Day 18 - P

P is for Pipe Cleaner,

Pipe Cleaner Christmas Tree

Pipe Cleaners are known as Chenille Sticks here in Australia

This fun kids Christmas craft activity was inspired by THIS * kids Pipe Cleaner Christmas Tree activity (details below * ).  To make it easier for me to prepare the activity kits, I decided to use my Silhouette Cameo to cut the holes and panels for the tree bases.  I have plenty of white Letter sized 300gsm cardstock in my stash, so the size was easily decided.  To take it up a level, as creative Little Hands love making cards, I worked out how these tree panels could become Christmas cards too.  Starting with a 5" x 8" panel, I spaced five 1/8" circles across the panel, 1" from the bottom.  I added a 1/4" circle to the middle of the panel, 1" from the top.  I cut a bundle of the tree panels (more than twenty), with two panels fitting on each sheet of cardstock.  While they were cutting, I scored and folded a bundle of "half Letter" card bases.  I cut a bundle of stars from gold glitter cardstock to top the trees too.  Once all the panels and stars were cut and the card bases folded, I gathered up my stash of pipe cleaners and Pony beads.  The Pony beads have a nice sized hole for threading pipe cleaners.

As always, I had to give the activity a trial run to make sure it would work OK and it was lucky that I did.  The pipe cleaners fitted through the holes perfectly, the beads threaded perfectly and the tape secured the bent ends of the pipe cleaners on the back of the panel securely.  Unfortunately, even though I used heavy weight 300gsm cardstock, it felt pretty flimsy while threading the pipe cleaners and the panel didn't sit flat.  Instead of making each panel double-layered, I adhered a panel of "packaging board" behind the panel, in the section between the top large hole and five lower holes, to reinforce it and worked great, keeping the panel flat and sturdy.  (Note to self: encourage husband to eat more cornflakes, the boxes are ever-so-handy.)  I popped a gold star on the top of the tree using foam squares beside the bulk of pipe cleaners going through the one hole.

... lots of panels ready and waiting for some pipe cleaner action!

I also tested making it into a card by securing foam tape and squares to the back of the tree panel.  To make it easier to align, I added a little liquid adhesive to give me a little wriggle-room.

Little hands are going to have fun making these Christmas Trees,

as I have assorted pipe cleaners (plain, green, coloured & glitter),

they can even make their own style by twisting them together,

assorted Pony beads along with their imagination, which is super creative.

... they will have creative fun while I'm secretly

developing their hand-eye co-ordination skills :)

PS - if anyone wants to come and join my "Pony Bead Emu Parade"

you're more than welcome.  I need to rescue all the beads that tried

to escape after their photo-shoot before the vacuum cleaner eats them!

PPS - I was super excited to learn that you can get star-shaped pony beads today!

Of course a pack jumped into my online shopping cart, can't wait

to head out tomorrow to pick up my Click & Collect order!

~~~*~~~*~~~

INGREDIENTS

Silhouette Cameo - to cut panels with pipe cleaner holes

300gsm smooth white cardstock

heavy board/packaging - to strengthen tree panel

assorted pipe cleaners - for threading trees

assorted Pony beads - to decorate the trees

tape - to hold the pipe cleaners in place

scoreboard and bone folder - to form half-letter card bases

(I looked it up and found that is no official name for half Letter size)

foam tape / squares - to pop tree panel on card bases

Helmar 450 Quick Dry - liquid adhesive to put on foam backing

... for a little "panel alignment wriggle room"

* Note: this fun Pipe Cleaner activity was inspired by the

"How to make a fun pipe cleaner Christmas tree activity" project

shared on "Twitchetts" blog.  I made a template instead of having

to hand punch the holes and I sized the panels so they could be

used to make Christmas cards for Little Hands to share. *

~~~*~~~*~~~

I have entered my kids Christmas activity in the

11th Annual Month of Holiday Cards Challenge at Beccy's Place