Pipe Cleaner Turtle – Step by Step Instructions (Easy 30 minute project) Chenille Stems

pipe cleaner turtle 4 — Completed pipe cleaner turtle

Start with a single red pipe cleaner and bend it in half to find the halfway point. Cut it in half and bend both in half to find the halfway point. Bend both ends in toward this halfway point.
Hold these two pieces together in an X and twist 3 or 4 times until they are securely attached to each other.
Wrap a yellow pipe cleaner around the center of the X by alternating under and over each red pipe as you go around. Do this for two rotations.
Add a loop of blue pipe cleaners over the top by attaching each end to the red pipes near the end. Add another perpendicular to the first. The end of the red pipes will become the legs. The blue bubble over the top will be the shell.
Inside where the blue bubble is attached, add a circle of yellow pipe cleaner to create the outside perimeter of the bottom of the shell.
Bend a red pipe cleaner in half and secure the rounded between two of the legs with a small portion sticking out. The portion sticking out will be the tail. Attach the other end to the opposite side and leave as is for now. This will later become the neck and head.
Fill in the bottom by weaving yellow pipe cleaner around in a circular pattern, starting at the center and working your way outwards.
Fill in the shell by weaving blue pipe cleaner around the circle, starting at the bottom and working up.
Complete the head and neck by first bending the extra length of pipe cleaner back toward the body. Coil and additional pipe cleaner around the end multiple times to build up the head.
Bend the neck upwards and the legs downwards to complete this pipe cleaner animal. Add some googly eyes to give him a little personality and you are done!