Ready to make some Pipe Cleaner Superheroes?
First, grab your supplies:
- Pipe cleaners
- Felt, for capes
- Straws – we used paper straws, but regular straws are just fine (and much cheaper)
- Googly eyes
- Pony beads
- Wooden beads – we used 3/4 inch diameter beads
- Tacky Glue
- Hot glue
- Scissors
- Markers – we used Sharpie oil based paint markers. They bleed less on wood than regular Sharpies.
Step 1: Start by drawing hair and superhero masks on the wooden beads.
Step 2: Glue on googly eyes – SO CUTE! Then draw a little mouth.
Step 3: Grab three pipe cleaners. Twist them together in the middle. I found that three “twists” was enough to hold them securely together. Then adjust them so that they are in the arrangement shown.
Step 4: Slide three pony beads onto BOTH of the bottom two pipe cleaners. This will form the body.
Step 5: Cut a straw into 8 one inch segments. (Or feel free to adjust the size!) We found that we could get 7 segments out of each straw, so you’ll need two straws per superhero, with quite a bit left over.
Step 6: Build each limb by sliding on a straw segment, then a pony bead, then another straw segment.
Step 7: Bend the ends of the pipe cleaners into hands and feet. I found that it helps to wrap some of the excess around the wrist or ankle to make it secure. Then trim off any excess ends.
Step 8: Slide the head onto the final two pipe cleaners. Then trim off the excess.
Step 9: To make the head more secure, attach it with Tacky Glue. Squirt some glue onto the pipe cleaners. Then slide the head on. We had a little bit of glue ooze out at the bottom of the head. Just wipe off the excess with a paper towel.
Step 10: Cut out a cape from felt and use hot glue to attach it to the backs of the arm segments.