Pipe Cleaner Wire Sculpture Figures

Pipe cleaners in various colors — about 5-6 per figure, 15-20 total

A small cardboard base for display (optional)

Tape for mounting figures to the base (optional)

Gather pipe cleaners in various colors. Each figure needs about 5-6 pipe cleaners.

Take one pipe cleaner and fold it in half. The fold becomes the head — twist a small loop at the top. The two dangling ends become the body trunk.

Take a second pipe cleaner and twist it horizontally across the body just below the head. These are the arms. Adjust length by trimming or folding.

Twist two more pipe cleaners around the bottom of the body trunk for legs.

Bend the ends of arms into small hooks for hands and curl the leg ends into flat feet so the figure stands.

Now the fun part — pose the figure. Bend the limbs into positions. A runner mid-stride, a dancer with one arm up, a person sitting cross-legged.

Make a whole collection and arrange them on a cardboard base. Tape feet down for stability.

The twisting motion is excellent for in-hand manipulation. It requires fingers to rotate the wire while maintaining pressure — a complex motor skill.

Start simple — a person — then try animals (dogs, cats, birds), which require different body proportions.

If your child gets frustrated with proportions, remind them that wire sculptures are abstract. A figure with short legs and long arms is a style choice.

Wrap extra pipe cleaners around the body to add bulk, clothing, or hair. A red pipe cleaner spiraled around the torso makes a shirt.

Professional wire sculpture is a recognized fine art form. Alexander Calder started making wire sculptures as a child and became one of the most famous artists of the 20th century.