These beaded Christmas tree star ornaments look beautiful and are a quick, easy, mess-free craft that children can make (or help make). You need only a few supplies and a few minutes and you’ll have your tree looking starry!
Supplies needed:
- pipe cleaners
- pony beads
Instructions:
1. String 10 beads on a pipe cleaner. Double the pipe cleaner over the first bead to hold it on.
2. Pass the pipe cleaner back through the first bead in the string and pull it tight to make a circle of beads.
3. String five beads on the pipe cleaner. Skip one bead in the circle and push the pipe cleaner through the second bead.
4. Pull the pipe cleaner tight. You can shape the beads a bit to make the point.
5. Continue this pattern to make five points of the star. Strive five beads on the pipe cleaner, skip one bead and thread the pipe cleaner through the next bead.
6. Once you have all five points on your star, make a loop at the top of one star with the pipe cleaner. Then thread the pipe cleaner back through a few beads and make a little “knot” to hold it in place. Cut off the excess pipe cleaner.
These can made with any colour pipe cleaners and pony beads. You could theme them to your Christmas tree, use Christmas colours, or stick to yellow and white to have a more realistic-looking star. These are very light ornaments and easy to hang on the tree.
With children:
My daughters (ages 4 and 2) helped me with this project. I had to start the first bead for them, but then they could thread on the next beads. It was a great counting project for them and also a good way to practice fine motor skills.
With other beads:
These same stars can be made with seed beads and thread (and a needle), or with any size beads and thread. I learned to make these as earrings (two stars put on an earring hook) when I was a teenager.
For quick reference, here are all the steps again:
Have fun!
I love this idea Bonnie! I love how simple it is for the little kids, but it looks GREAT for those of my older children who require more realistic crafts. Awesome.