Easy DIY Pipe Cleaner Himmeli Ornaments; Day 2
Like easy DIY Christmas ornament crafts? Try these DIY pipe cleaner Christmas ornaments also called a Himmeli ornament that are easy to make with kids.
If you like this post you might like our 12 days of Paper Christmas ornaments.
Last year we had some super fun pipe cleaner wreath ornaments in our 12 days Christmas. This year Thalita from The Learner Observer is here to share a fun and kid-friendly Christmas ornament for you and it’s super on trend and will look fabulous on your Christmas tree.
If you could name one big, huge trend with bloggers what would it be? I would have to say Himmeli! Are you furrowing your brow at me wondering what on earth a Himmeli is? Well, maybe if I show you this it’ll start to make sense…
A little background: these Christmas ornaments originated in Finland and are typically made of natural straw. To make these extra kid-friendly (without needing to cut any straw or use a needle), I tried making these out of pipe cleaners, and wouldn’t you know it, it worked!
How to Make Kid-Friendly Himmeli Ornaments
Supplies:
- colorful pipe cleaners,
- baker’s twine
- scissors!
I didn’t choose typical Christmas colors, as you can see – I just loved those shades of pink so much, I had to have them! The great thing is that now I can potentially use these after the Holidays!
Colors to try:
- white pipe cleaners
- gold pipe cleaners
- silver pipe cleaners
- red pipe cleaners
The only color I might avoid (if hanging these on a green tree is green pipe cleaners. A brighter color will make sure they don’t get lost on a tree. However if you are putting them on a garland or such chose any color you love.
How to Make This Pipe Cleaner Christmas Craft:
Each Himmeli will need 3 pipe cleaners.
Step 1:
Fold two pieces of pipe cleaner in half.
Step 2:
Hook those two pieces together to form an ‘X’.
Step 3:
Fold up each of the 4 ends – you’ll want about 2″ from the center, though simply going halfway can also work!
Step 4:
Using your third piece, start folding it/twist around one of the 4 bends.
Step 5:
Continue all the way around, making sure all sides are even.
Step 6:
When you finish step 5, you’ll have a kind of Himmeli house!
Step 7:
Flip your ‘house’ upside down and connect two of the ends together in the middle (two farthest apart from one another, so top and bottom of the diamond). Little twists work well to connect the end of the pipe cleaner, and then you can fold over the pokey end if desired.
Step 8:
Connect the final two pieces. And you’re done with these pipe cleaner ornaments, such a fun little Christmas craft.
In all honesty, once you get the hang of the pattern this might take you about 2 minutes per ornament. Not too shabby, right?
And you can totally get the kids to assist, which is great for those fine motor skills! They will be especially helpful with the first few steps. The trickiest part is attaching that third pipe cleaner, then they can help with the final two steps as well. All you need to do now is attach the baker’s twine and hang them up however you’d like!
I used some washi tape to attach the thread to the wall for these and hung them up easy peasy!
I love the added sparkle! But of course you could dress them up with pony beads, glitter, pom-poms, or even hang plastic icicle ornaments from the bottom any of your favorite craft supplies.
They’re also kind of great clumped together on a table. They start to make a sort of geometric sculpture as you stack them up, which can be kind of fun!
Of course they’d also look great on a tree as actual ornaments, or if you want to hang them up as the Finnish do, hang them from the ceiling for a fun mobile-like feel! And if you like to have a little fun with your Christmas decor, try a winter forest cloche with cotton balls or a Christmas cactus!
I’d love to hear about your pipe cleaner Himmeli ornament experience if you end up trying this!
Questions and Answers:
Q. What Christmas decorations can you make with pipe cleaners?
A. So many cute options. Here are some links to other great homemade Christmas ornaments to try:
- Easy Pipe cleaner wreath ornaments
- Tiny Tinsel Trees: pipe cleaner Christmas tree
- Mini Snow Globe Ornaments
- Wired and beaded or pipe cleaner snowflake ornaments
Q. What are pipe cleaner crafts?
A. Pipe Cleaners are small stiff but shapeable wires that have a short fur like covering. They come in many colors and finishes, and are great for crafting because they hold the shapes that you fold them into.
Be sure to check out Day 2’s other projects from some of my favorite bloggers:
Thistlewood, Inspired by Charm, Funky Junk, Shanty 2 Chic and Songbird Blog
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Thalita is a mom of twins, teacher, and blogger over at The Learner Observer. She is a frugal DIY-er and avid lover of thrift store scores with a passion for making over spaces with pieces that are both meaningful and beautiful. Favourite colour? White. Favourite food? Ice Cream. Favourite Pastime? Instagram, where she shares an abundance of pictures of her twin boys along with her latest home reno and decorating adventures!
These are so cute and so simple to make. I think my tree need a few of these!!
xo Michael
Thanks Michael!
These are so cute and colourful! And I learned a new term today! 🙂
My children will love making this fun craft to hang on our tree. Thank you for a great activity to keep them happy and busy while waiting for cookies to bake.
Picking up some white and silver pipe cleaners tomorrow. Last year we hung snowflakes from the ceiling. This year we’re doing Himmeli! Too cool. Thank you for sharing this. Tweeting and subscribing. – @Renmeleon