Caterpillar Craft

Craft time! Inspired by the caterpillars we are currently raising. I originally saw this on 'The Artful Parent' site. Lots of great ideas on her site.



The inspiration



End result



All that is needed are 7 pipe cleaners, and a pencil. We used 1 black and 2 each of 3 colors.



Start making 'beads' by wrapping them around a pencil. I found 4 wraps next to each other, and then 4 back over them makes a nice sized bead.



Here's what that will look like.



Thread 1 bead onto the black pipe cleaner to the center. Put the ends together.



With the ends together, thread the remaining beads on.



Curl the ends to make the antennae (on a caterpillar they are really called filaments).



Bend the filaments upward, and shape your caterpillar how you like.



Here are all of the caterpillars my gkids have made in the past couple of days. There is just something satisfying for a kid in bending pipe cleaners. I haven't quite figured out what it is. All I know is that they can sit, twist, wrap, scrunch, and ball up pipe cleaners for hours.



Lots of real caterpillars!