Make a fun, simple ornament with Little Shape Beads! You can hang the wreath onto a festive tree, wrap around a doorknob handle or hang from a wall display.

You’ll need:

• R2195 Little Shape Beads

• 3 holiday-colored pipe cleaners

First, arrange your materials neatly on a flat surface. You will need to place all three pipe cleaners side by side with a bowl or container of the beads. I suggest you place one bowl between two students to share as they thread their beads.

You won’t need to use the third pipe cleaner until later. Set it aside until the end when you will use the third pipe cleaner to make the wreath ribbon.

Bend both of the first two pipe cleaner lengths in half. Each of these halves will be used to make the main part of the wreath. Place both halves together so that their center corners meet up. Next, take one center bead. Choose a color for the center bead that stands out from the rest of the pattern. This way, you can easily keep track of where to place the beads at different intervals across the wreath. Thread the bead through the two ends on one side down to the middle of the pipe cleaners.

The wreath will have sections of beads patterned in intervals. Each interval should have about 3-4 beads. Choose a pattern with the colored beads to follow as you thread across the wreath. Place the first three beads through one of the pipe cleaner ends on one side. Repeat the same for the second end on the same side. Next, bring the two ends of the pipe cleaner together and string an interval bead through both ends to secure the first section of the wreath.

Repeat the steps for making the bead intervals to the end of the pipe cleaner on one side. When you are finished beading the first half, repeat the steps for beading the other side. Finish off both ends with interval beads. 

To make a circular wreath shape, pull both ends of the pipe cleaner wreath together. Twist each of the ends of the pipe cleaner wreath to secure the wreath shape. Leave the wreath aside and return back to the extra pipe cleaner you will use to make the ribbon. Fold the pipe cleaner in half as you did for the previous two pipe cleaners.

Place the inner corner of the fold between two intervals in the wreath. Twist the ribbon pipe cleaner to secure it onto the wreath. Next, make a loop with each end of the pipe cleaner then tie a knot.

You can attach a paper clip or piece of ribbon-string to the top of the wreath to hang it off a branch on your Christmas tree or from window suction cups. Change up the combination of colors or the patterns in the wreath to make unique versions of the festive bead wreath!