Beaded Pipe Cleaner Indian Corn
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These beaded pipe cleaner Indian corn are so adorable! They’re really easy to put together and are the perfect addition to your Fall/Thanksgiving craft line up. These mini corn are cute, colourful and very inexpensive to make – you can usually find the supplies at the dollar store! There are sooooo many fun things you can make with pipe cleaners and pony beads! I’ll link to a few of our favourite crafts down below.
Autumn has officially arrived! It’s the season of pumpkin spice, cozy sweaters and the start of chillier weather (or at least at some point it will be… even here in Canada it’s still really warm out!). I love fall! It’s just so beautiful with the leaves crunching below your feet and all the pretty colours. These beaded pipe cleaner Indian corns are the perfect way to celebrate the new season!
Even though we LOVE Thanksgiving in our house, we haven’t done a ton of crafts to celebrate the holiday. (Don’t forget we celebrate Thanksgiving at the beginning of October in Canada, so it’s coming up quickly for us!) I don’t think I’ve ever been more inspired to make a corn craft – these are so cute!? I knew they’d be perfect to try out with the kids!
Indian Corn or “Calico Corn” is so beautiful and is known for it’s multicoloured kernels. It’s definitely a staple in Thanksgiving decor and you can find them everywhere this time of year. I can’t believe how realistic the craft version looks!? Using only pipe cleaners and pony beads, it’s super quick and simple to make. Plus, it’s super low mess! Pour the beads into a styrofoam cup to help keep them from spilling everywhere. I was inspired by the awesome craft over at Cutesy Crafts.
You know I love finding crafts that my kids can do on their own with little to no supervision. My kids got so excited when they saw these! They spent a good 20 minutes picking their colours. Then they sat in front of the TV while they threaded the beads onto the pipe cleaners. Even my 4 year old little guy wanted to make one. He didn’t quite have the patience to make the whole thing, but he managed to bead at least half of it before he asked me to finish it.
If you don’t have pony beads in fall or earth tones, just run with whatever colours you have on hand. Kids come up with the most AWESOME colour combinations, and they aren’t afraid to try new combinations. You might be surprised by how awesome neon corn looks!!
You know I love simple crafts! So if you have the beads and pipe cleaners out already, here are even more easy projects you can make with them:
Beaded Pipe Cleaner Butterflies
Beaded Pipe Cleaner Dragonflies
How to make Beaded Pipe Cleaner Indian Corn:
Here’s a list of what you’ll need. The affiliate links below will take you to products on Amazon that are similar to the supplies we used to make this craft:
- 4 Pipe Cleaners (12 inch length)
- Plastic Pony Beads (approximately 120 beads)
Grab four 12 inch tan coloured pipe cleaners and an assortment of beads in the shades you like best. I like to be really organized and have each colour bead sorted in its own little container. This also makes for an easier clean up!
Line up your pipe cleaners so they are even on each end and twist them together in the middle.
Next, evenly space each pipe cleaner and spread them into the shape of a star.
Start threading the beads onto each pipe cleaner, until all 8 are covered. Be sure to leave a little over an inch of pipe cleaner showing on each end so you have enough to twist your husks later on.
I ended up using 15 beads per row, and tried to mix up the colours without being too exact. No need for precision or patterns with this one, just go with the flow!
Once you’ve covered your star in beads it’s time to shape your corn! Carefully bend each end upward and gather the points together.
Next, take the tops of your pipe cleaners and twist them a couple times to secure the beads and form the corn “husks.” Be sure to leave some ends free and fan them out a bit.
Repeat as needed to create as many mini corns as your heart desires!
Stick with one colour theme or change them up as you go. Before you know it, you and your kiddos will have your very own bushel!
Once you’ve made all of your cute little corns, you could string them together and make a garland or group a bunch in a bowl for table decoration.
I even love the idea of going all out (what better time for being “extra” than Thanksgiving?) and making one for each place setting at the holiday table. They could hold a small name card and double as a little party favour that your guests can take home. I bet you could even find a way to fashion each one into a nifty napkin holder!
This beaded pipe cleaner Indian corn craft is SO FUN! And it’s so simple to make. All you need are two simple supplies that you can usually find at the dollar store. This is such a fun and easy kids craft and a super fun Thanksgiving activity. It’s a great craft for October or fall/autumn in general. I love how realistic they end up looking!
Even MORE ideas of what to make with pipe cleaners and pony beads:
Beaded Pipe Cleaner Butterflies
Beaded Pipe Cleaner Dragonflies
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
