Pipe Cleaner Snails Craft

This fuzzy pipe cleaner snail craft is such a cute little activity for kids.

It’s simple, budget-friendly, and only needs a few basic craft supplies.

Kids can make these snails when they’re bored, during spring break, on a rainy day, or as a quick summer craft.

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They can also use them for pretend play, fairy gardens, small decorations, or just as cute little trinkets around the house.

Why Kids Will Love This Snail Craft

This craft is easy enough for younger kids, but still fun for older kids too.

The pipe cleaners are soft, bendy, and easy to shape, so kids can make the snail body, shell, and eyes with their hands.

The finished snails look adorable in different colors, and kids can make a whole little snail family if they want.

It’s also a nice craft for building fine motor skills because kids get to twist, wrap, curl, and shape the pipe cleaners.

Supplies You’ll Need

You only need a few simple supplies for this snail craft.

Use 2 pipe cleaners in the same color for the snail’s body and eye stalks.

Then use 1 pipe cleaner in a different color for the curled shell.

Self-adhesive googly eyes are the easiest, but regular googly eyes with glue will also work.

How To Make A Pipe Cleaner Snail

Start by taking the 2 matching pipe cleaners and holding them side by side.

Now, twist the two pipe cleaners together, leaving a little space (almost 1.5 inches) from one end, as these will be curled later to make the eyes.

Twist them tightly all the way down to make one thicker fuzzy body.

Now, curl the end into a small spiral about 2 to 3 times.

These little curled parts will become the snail’s eye stalks, so leave them sitting at the top.

Try to leave the curled eye stalks open at the top so they still look like two separate snail eyes.

Now take the third pipe cleaner and wrap it tightly around a pencil or pen.

Keep wrapping until the whole pipe cleaner is curled around the pencil.

Then carefully slide the curled pipe cleaner off the pencil.

It should look like a small spring or coil.

After that, slide this coiled pipe cleaner onto the end of the twisted body.

Push it up until it reaches the spot where the two body pipe cleaners are twisted together near the top.

This coiled part helps make the snail look fuller and gives the body that cute fuzzy shape.

Now take the long end of the pipe cleaner body and curl it tightly into a spiral.

This spiral will become the snail’s shell.

Keep curling it around itself until it looks like a round shell sitting on the back of the snail.

Once the shape looks right, add googly eyes to the two curled tops.

Stick one googly eye on each little spiral at the top.

If you’re using regular googly eyes, add a small dot of glue and let them dry before playing with the snail.

And that’s it. Your fuzzy pipe cleaner snail is ready.

Optional Grass Base

If you want the snail to stand up more easily, you can make a simple grass base.

Take a green pipe cleaner and bend it back and forth in a zigzag shape so it looks like grass.

Then place the snail on top of it.

You can glue the snail to the grass base if you want it to stay in place, or just set it there for pretend play.

This makes the craft look even cuter, especially if kids are making a garden or fairy scene.

Fun Color Ideas

These snails look adorable in bright colors.

Try using pink and yellow, blue and green, purple and orange, or any color combo your child likes.

Kids can also make each snail a different color and give them names.

If you’re doing this as a group activity, place different pipe cleaner colors on the table and let kids mix and match.

Tips For Younger Kids

For younger kids, it helps to show them the first snail slowly before they make their own.

You can also curl the eye stalks or wrap the shell pipe cleaner around the pencil for them if needed.

Self-adhesive googly eyes make this craft much easier because kids can stick them on without waiting for glue to dry.

If you use glue, let the eyes dry before kids start moving the snail around.

Where To Use These Pipe Cleaner Snails

These little snails are fun for pretend play, fairy gardens, spring crafts, bug themes, and classroom activities.

Kids can place them on paper leaves, add them to a garden craft, or use them as cute decorations on a shelf.

They also make a sweet little handmade gift for siblings, friends, or grandparents.