One of the projects in our Coming Soon updated Spring Bs unit is this super easy to make Wooden Beaded Caterpillar. If you are following the current online curriculum, the Wooden Bead Caterpillar would take the place of the Butterfly Life Cycle Collage scheduled in week eleven. It makes a sweet companion project for the Coffee Filter Butterflies.
Materials:
- Wooden Pony Beads (mixed colors – or paint your own)
- Pipe Cleaner
- Craft scissors/wire clippers for cutting piper cleaner wire (nail clippers make work)
Directions:
To begin this project, create a loop at the end of a piper cleaner. Twist the end around making a lasso shape.
Carefully flatted the lasso so that it is folded in half.
Twist each end of the lasso to create the antennae.
Slide your first bead onto the piper cleaner from the opposite side of the antennae. (If your wooden bead is filled with dry paint, you can use a yarn needle or similar to clean it out.) Be sure to cover the original twisted edge with the first bead.
Continue adding beads in a colorful pattern until your caterpillar reaches your desired length, or when you only have about 1 1/2″ of pipe cleaner left.
Hold the beads in place and fold over the end of the pipe cleaner over the last bead.
Twist the end of the pipe cleaner around the main pipe cleaner a few times.
Trim off the excess pipe cleaner.
Adjust the antennae and shape your caterpillar.
When you are done creating Wooden Bead Caterpillars, be sure to try out our Coffee Filter Butterfly craft.
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