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Pipe Cleaner Sunflower Craft

Looking for fun and engaging summer crafts for kids? This delightful pipe cleaner sunflower craft is perfect for little hands and offers a wonderful opportunity to strengthen fine motor skills.

Plus, creating these cheerful flowers can add a touch of sunshine to any room! This project combines creativity with learning, making it a nice addition to a sunflower unit study or themed lesson plan.

Cute sunflower made using pipe cleaners and a pencil standing up in a small vase. Decorate faux sunflowers decorate the back of the picture. Text on lower half says Pipe Cleaner Sunflower Craft on a light green splash brush stroke.

Gather your materials and let’s dive into this sunny, hands-on project that will brighten up their day and your home!

Fun Facts About Sunflowers

Sunflowers are fascinating plants that can grow up to 12 feet tall. They are known for their bright yellow petals and large, round centers.

Did you know sunflowers can track the sun’s movement across the sky? This phenomenon is called heliotropism.

Sunflowers are also known for their seeds, which can be eaten as a healthy snack or used to produce oil.

Sunflowers originated in North America and were cultivated by Native Americans for their seeds.

Due to their vibrant appearance, sunflowers are also known to be symbols of positivity and happiness.

Sunflower made with pipe cleaners on a pencil laying on a white table. An artificial sunflower lays across the top of the photo.

In addition to their beauty, sunflowers are used in various products, such as cooking oil, animal feed, and biofuel.

Sunflowers have a unique ability to clean up environmental pollution. They are often used in phytoremediation projects to remove toxic substances from the soil, such as lead and arsenic.

This makes sunflowers not only beautiful but also environmentally beneficial.

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate and a participant in other affiliate programs, we earn a commission on qualifying purchases.

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Benefits of Making Crafts

Crafting offers numerous benefits for children. It helps develop fine motor skills, which are essential for tasks like writing and buttoning clothes.

Engaging in crafts also promotes creativity and allows children to express themselves artistically.

Crafts can improve hand-eye coordination as children work on precise tasks like cutting, gluing, and coloring.

Additionally, crafting can enhance problem-solving skills as children learn to assemble different parts to create their final project.

Making crafts can also boost a child’s confidence.

Completing a craft project gives children a sense of accomplishment and pride in their work, which can encourage them to take on new challenges and be more creative in other areas of their lives.

Close up of completed pipe cleaner sunflower craft for kids.

Fun Sunflower Crafts for Kids

Sunflower crafts are a great way to keep kids engaged and entertained while learning about this beautiful flower.

From paper plate sunflowers to tissue paper creations, there are numerous ways to make sunflower crafts.

These activities help children develop fine motor skills and creativity. For more sunflower craft ideas, check out these links:

These projects provide an excellent opportunity for kids to explore their creativity and enjoy hands-on activities.

They are simple to set up and offer hours of crafting fun for children of all ages.

Kids’ Books About Sunflowers

Books about sunflowers can provide additional learning opportunities for children. These books can teach them about the life cycle of a sunflower, its uses, and its history.

Reading about sunflowers can spark a child’s curiosity and encourage them to explore nature.

These books are perfect for storytime and can complement your sunflower craft activities, making learning more comprehensive and enjoyable.

Sunny: Life Cycle Of A Sunflower, A Story Of Life And LoveSunny: Life Cycle Of A Sunflower, A Story Of Life And LoveSunny: Life Cycle Of A Sunflower, A Story Of Life And LoveA Seed GrowsA Seed GrowsA Seed GrowsVincent Eats SunflowersVincent Eats SunflowersVincent Eats SunflowersNational Geographic Readers: Seed to PlantNational Geographic Readers: Seed to PlantNational Geographic Readers: Seed to PlantSunflower HouseSunflower HouseSunflower Housevan Gogh and the Sunflowers: An Art History Book For Kidsvan Gogh and the Sunflowers: An Art History Book For Kidsvan Gogh and the Sunflowers: An Art History Book For Kids

 

Pipe Cleaner Sunflower Craft Supplies

To create this project, you will need green, brown, yellow, and orange pipe cleaners (aka chenille stems), a pencil, and a glue gun.

These materials are affordable and readily available at any craft store. The pipe cleaners’ vibrant colors and flexibility make this craft fun and easy for kids.

Using a pencil to shape the pipe cleaners ensures a sturdy stem, while the glue gun secures the petals and leaves.

This project helps children develop fine motor skills as they twist and bend the pipe cleaners.

The simplicity of the materials makes it an ideal activity for kids of all ages, encouraging creativity and providing a sense of accomplishment.

Shop some of my favorite craft supplies on Amazon!

How to Make a Pipe Cleaner Sunflower

First, bend the yellow and orange pipe cleaners into a zigzag with four peaks on each one. Then wind the brown pipe cleaner into a spiral shape.

Top image shows orange and yellow chenille stems folded in a zigzag pattern. Bottom image shows a brown stem being coiled into a circle.

For this next part, we highly recommend using a low-temperature glue gun. It dries quickly and secures all the pieces better than tacky glue.

Adult supervision is needed for children handling hot glue, or an adult can assist with assembling after the kids prepare all the pieces.

Glue the yellow petals onto the back of the brown circle you created, spacing them out to allow room for the orange petals.

Showing the yellow and orange chenille stems bent to create petals and hot glued to back of coiled brown one.

Then, glue the orange petals onto the back, lining them up in between the yellow petals.

Next, coil the green pipe cleaners around the pencil to form the stem, and twist another green pipe cleaner around the pencil to make the leaves.

Top image shows green pipe cleaner tightly wrapped around a pencil and the eraser end sticking out. The bottom one shows additional green stems used to create leaves and the flower head glued to the top of the pencil.

Make sure to leave enough of the pencil lead area out so the kids can still write with it! Finally, glue the flower part to the pencil stem. 

How Does This Project Improve Fine Motor Skills?

This pipe cleaner sunflower craft is excellent for developing fine motor skills.

Manipulating the pipe cleaners requires precise hand movements, which can help strengthen the small muscles in the hands and fingers.

Coiling the pipe cleaners around the pencil and bending them into shapes also enhances hand-eye coordination.

Close up view of finished sunflower craft using chenille stems.

These skills are crucial for everyday tasks such as writing, buttoning clothes, and using utensils.

The repetitive actions involved in this craft, such as twisting and bending, can also improve dexterity. This makes the project fun and beneficial for a child’s development.

Creative Flower Crafts for Kids

In addition to the pipe cleaner sunflower, there are many other creative flower crafts that kids can enjoy.

These crafts can introduce children to different types of flowers and allow them to experiment with various materials and techniques.

For more creative flower craft ideas, check out these links:

These projects are perfect for sparking creativity and providing hours of fun.

Each craft is designed to be simple yet engaging, making them suitable for children of all ages.

Crafts like the pipe cleaner sunflower can make developing fine motor skills fun for children. These activities enhance hand-eye coordination and stimulate creativity with their colorful designs.

Engage your young learners with this simple craft tutorial. Follow the easy steps to create a fun and educational project. Watch your child’s skills and creativity flourish as they complete this delightful craft!

Pipe Cleaner Sunflower Craft

Pipe Cleaner Sunflower Craft

Yield: 1
Active Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Estimated Cost: $10 or less

Create a bright and cheerful pipe cleaner sunflower! Simple craft project for kids.

Materials

  • Green, Brown, Yellow, and Orange Pipe Cleaners (about 2-3 of each color)
  • Pencil

Tools

  • Glue Gun

Instructions

  1. Bend the yellow and orange pipe cleaners into a zigzag with four peaks on each one.
  2. Wind the brown pipe cleaner into a spiral shape.
  3. Coil the green pipe cleaners around the pencil. 
  4. Use another green pipe cleaner to make the leaves by twisting it around the pencil.
  5. Glue the yellow petals on the back of the brown circle pipe cleaner. Space them out to allow room for the orange petals. 
  6. Glue the orange petals in between the yellow petals.
  7. Glue the flower part to the pencil stem.

Notes

Kids will need an adult’s help with the gluing. A hot glue gun works best because it dries quickly. 

Leave the lead part of the pencil exposed so kids can still use the pencil!

Did you make this project?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest

Beth

Tuesday 13th of August 2024

Love all things sunflower, Darcy! Thanks for sharing! Creatively, Beth

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