These braided pipe cleaner bracelets are so cute, and they can be made in less than 10 minutes using simple craft supplies. Combine pipe cleaners and beads to make these easy and fun pipe cleaner bracelets!
Pipe Cleaner Bracelets
Pipe cleaner bracelets are such a fun pipe cleaner craft! They’re so simple to make AND they’re a no mess craft (my favourite!).
Because these pipe cleaner bracelets are so easy to make, they’re a perfect activity for summer camp, Girls Scouts, or just for fun at home. It’s always cool for kids to wear jewelry that they make themselves! And even more fun to make friendship bracelets to give to their friends.
You can use 3 different colours of pipe cleaners or you can make your bracelet a single colour. Either way, this is a great project for kids to work on their braiding skills.
Check out our Pipe Cleaner Bead Bracelet video tutorial:
*Note: Scroll down for the step-by-step photo tutorial.
Looking for more pipe cleaner jewelry? Here’s some of our favourites:
4 Strand Pipe Cleaner Bracelet
Here’s what you’ll need:
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The full printable instructions are at the end of this post, but here’s a list of products on Amazon that are similar to the supplies we used:
Where can I get supplies?
If you don’t already have pipe cleaners and beads in your craft stash, this is the perfect craft to pick up supplies at the dollar store!
You can also find pipe cleaners and lots of bead options on Amazon. Michaels or another craft store will also have what you need.
What type of beads should I use?
The beads we used for the tutorial had a 6 millimetre diameter, and a 2 millimetre hole. You want a bead that has a hole large enough to fit over the pipe cleaner and, ideally, one that is round in shape.
You can use pony beads, but they will look crooked on the bracelet. Because the pipe cleaners are braided, they are bent in sort of a zig zag shape that’s noticable unless you use round beads. With a round bead you can’t tell, but the pony bead’s shape makes the angle more obvious.
What can I use instead of beads?
If you don’t have beads, you can try making your own! The Spruce Crafts has a great tutorial for making paper beads.
There are also a couple of materials you can use instead of beads. Replace the beads with a small tubular pasta like ditali, or cut a plastic drinking straw into bead-like pieces.
Another option is to make a plain braided bracelet. It won’t be as sparkly without the beads, but it still looks nice!
What else can I make with pipe cleaners and beads?
You can make other pieces of jewelry, such as our 4 Strand Pipe Cleaner Bracelet. You can also make pretty flowers or butterflies.
If you’re looking for a holiday project, try making a pumpkin or a snowflake!
How to Make a Pipe Cleaner Bracelet
Materials:
- 3 Pipe cleaners (12 inch length)
- 5 beads
Instructions:
Step 1: Start braiding
- Line up the ends of the pipe cleaners and twist them together several times, until about 1 inch of the pipe cleaners are twisted.
- Braid the pipe cleaners until 2.5 inches are braided.(To do this, bring the blue pipe cleaner over the green, bring the purple over the blue, and the green over the purple. Repeat.)
Step 2: Add beads
- Add a bead to the pipe cleaner in the middle (green), pushing it down against the braiding.
- Braid around the bead until the pipe cleaner that has the bead on it (in our case, the green one) is in the middle again.(To do this, bring the purple over green, the blue over purple, and the green over the blue.)
- Add a second bead to the bracelet on the middle strand (green).
- Continue braiding around it, again until the green strand is in the middle.
- Repeat these steps for adding the third, fourth, and fifth beads.
Step 3: Finish off bracelet
- After adding the fifth bead, braid another 2.5 inches.
- Twist the rest of the pipe cleaner ends together, just like at the start.
- Cross the ends of the bracelet over each other. Keeping the ends pinched together, slide it onto your wrist to make sure it will fit.
- Twist the ends of the pipe cleaners together, closing off the bracelet.
- Your braided pipe cleaner bracelet is complete!
Helpful Tip:
Making a braided pipe cleaner bracelet is super simple, but a lot of fun. You can customize the bracelets with your bead selection, as well as by the pipe cleaners you choose. Try making a friendship bracelet with your BFF’s favourite colours, or model the bracelet after your school colours!
Here’s even more pipe cleaner jewelry ideas:
4 Strand Pipe Cleaner Bracelet
3 Strand Pipe Cleaner Bracelets
Heart Rings from Pipe Cleaners
Our book Low-Mess Crafts for Kids is loaded with 72 fun and simple craft ideas for kids! The projects are fun, easy and most importantly low-mess, so the clean up is simple!
Where to buy:
You can purchase Low-Mess Crafts for Kids from Amazon, or wherever books are sold:
Amazon |  Barnes and Noble |  Books- A- Million |  Indiebound |  Indigo |  Amazon Canada
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