Have you ever struggled with finding the perfect, simple, affordable gift to give someone you love or care about? Maya Stanley was thinking the same thing, when looking for a gift for her friend, and she stumbled upon a video online of “DIY Pipe Cleaner Rose Tutorial for Beautiful Flowers”. This video inspired her into buying pipe cleaners and learning how to make flowers, which eventually caught the attention of her classmates as she was making them during her art class.
Stanley was intrigued by how colorful and unique they were, so she decided to give it a try. She spent hours watching different videos, selecting her favorites and saving them for later. Inspired, she went to the art room and asked Mrs. Newton for some pipe cleaners. Although the supply was limited, Stanley didn’t get discouraged, and with what she had, created a small rose that amazed her with how well it turned out. She then decided to buy more pipe cleaners and other materials she needed, and from there, she started teaching her friends how to make their own flowers.
She caught the attention of her fellow classmates Savannah Durand, Luca Micoletti, Madelyz Zhuno, Heidi Nicole, Andy Chacha, and her art teacher Hannah Newton. With patience and enthusiasm, she began to guide them step-by-step through the flower-making process. Using a combination of pipe cleaners in different colors, wire, scissors, and hot glue, Stanley showed them how to make the petals, stem, and center of the flower. Mrs. Newton shared her thoughts about the activity, “I thought it was great, I was very proud of Maya, and I thought it was really cool she brought her own idea, and so many people were interested. I was especially proud of her for taking the time to teach people a new thing. So many people were inspired and she was successful in teaching other students”. Savannah expressed how much she enjoyed the process and how much she loved connecting with people she didn’t know before, “I love being able to sit with a group of people i may have not known and had the experience to bond with new people while making this beautiful pipe cleaner flower. Maya made the task itself very easy as she did an amazing job going around to everyone and helping them with every step depending on where you were in the craft.” Another classmate, Madelyz Zhuno, also shared how fun it was to experiment with colors and designs. “The way you can twist and bend pipe cleaners to make petals and stems is amazing. It’s creative and doesn’t require many tools or materials. They are easy to shape, and I can make colorful flowers that last a long time!”
Mrs. Newton watched her students immersed in the project and couldn’t help but feel deeply proud of Stanley. “I was just really proud of Maya, for her teaching ability, and how broad of an audience it was going to be. It interested so many different friend groups.” For Mrs. Newton, such activities not only promoted creativity but also strengthened the bonds between students, creating an atmosphere of collaboration and shared learning, “I thought it was especially cool because she taught her friends, she went beyond her friend groups to teach other people.” Everyone agreed that, beyond how fun and relaxing the process was, the flowers they had made represented something much bigger: creativity, collaboration, and shared effort. These flowers were not only a visual gift but also a reflection of teamwork and the dedication of each participant in making those beautiful flowers.
Steps on How to Make Your Own Pipe Cleaner flowers
Step 1:
Materials:
- Brown: 30cm x 6 15cm x 15
- Green: 30cm x 3
- Gray: 30cm x 1
Step 2:
Cut three short pipe cleaners, fold them in half, and thread the long pipe cleaner through the center
Step 3:
Tie a knot at the junction of the long pipe cleaner, fold it back, and wrap the short section around the middle.
Step 4:
Fold the tail end and shape it into a petal
Step 5:
Take one side of the folded pipe cleaner and use your two knuckles to measure to fold on one side. Take the other side and do the same thing. Leave a tail so you can wrap it around the entire thing.
Step 6:
Take your 30cm wire and hot glue your middle stem to the bottom of the wire. You want to take your 5 petals and glue them around your middle stem. If you want you can take green pipe cleaners and wrap them around the 30cm wire. And then you are all done.
