Chenille wire: what is it and what is it for?

Chenille wire is a plastic ornamental material with which you can create original toys, jewelry and decor items. This type of raw material is as simple as possible to operate, safe when handled properly, has an attractive appearance and high flexibility, allowing it to take any form. It is worth knowing in more detail about what this is and why a chenille wire is needed, what crafts can be made from fluffy wire for the New Year and other holidays with children.

Chenille wire is a kind of flexible material that has an unusual fluffy braid. It looks really unusual, has a thin and flexible structure. The material is called so because of its resemblance to caterpillars (fr. Chenille). However, in English-speaking countries, chenille wire has a much less harmonious name pipe cleaner, which reflects its true purpose - the cleaning of smoking pipes.

The fluffy coating structure in this case is not a whim, but an urgent need: it provides the material with good adhesion to the surface of the tube, working like a brush. In fact, chenille wire is a kind of brush, it only has a flexible structure, focused on penetrating into the most inaccessible places and channels. In addition, in many countries this product is popular as a retainer for a variety of things. The wire is used as a temporary lock, replacing buttons, etc.

Chenille wire bristles are most often made from fairly soft cotton-based materials, less commonly viscose silk. The most rigid products have inserts made of polymers (polypropylene, nylon) to improve cleaning qualities. For needlework, they often use a special type of chenille wire: with an elongated pile of polyester fiber. The structure does not change at the same time - the product has a core and a pile winding.

The main purpose of chenille wire is obvious. But the scope of its application is much wider. This material is actively used for creativity. These are crafts with children, a variety of household appliances, decor and decoration. Chenille wire is well suited for needlework due to its properties: flexibility, ease of cutting and connection. With the right approach, it produces durable and beautiful products that look very decorative.

You can make a lot of chenille. Among the most popular options are the following:

• Christmas tree decorations;
• figures of birds and animals;
• soft educational toys for babies;
• finger puppets;
• flowers and whole floral arrangements;
• details of carnival, theatrical costumes;
• decor and decoration of interior items.

The use of chenille wire is not limited to this. Its use depends solely on the imagination of the master, his desire to surprise others with his talents.

Chenille wire is a material that does not need additional decoration. But it is often used in combination with other types of popular ornamental foundations. For instance, chenille or chenille, which received its name because of its resemblance to the shaggy body of a caterpillar, looks good in combination with a similar wire.

Pompons are a great addition to chenille wire. Together, terry balls and a fluffy flexible base easily form unusual futuristic compositions. Shiny chenille goes well with silver and golden garlands, tinsel, Christmas balls. Chenille's matte texture is perfectly complemented by noble felt, voluminous pile fabrics of different densities. It can be combined with corrugated paper, beads and jewelry, natural materials, and even dry pasta.

When working with chenille wire, there are no difficulties.

Detailed workshops for beginners will help to turn a flexible chenille into an original craft or element of home decor with their own hands. It is only necessary to observe the following recommendations:

• always work with the material in a specially equipped place, which will avoid the loss of important elements, teach the child to discipline;
• always check the integrity of the wire before work; if children are to use it, the ends of each workpiece are bent, giving them a rounded safe shape;
• chenille is quite fragile, at its base is a thin wire; You do not need to bend it or deform it strongly, because the elements can break;
• as with any other wire, the ends of the chenille are quite sharp, which must be taken into account when working with it, observing safety measures;
• the connection of parts takes place using water-based glue; most often it is PVA or a silicone compound;
• The main work with the wire is to wind it onto rods of different diameters (pencils, markers, cylinders), as well as to give the desired shape by simply bending the products with your hands.

These are the basic rules that are recommended to be observed when working with chenille wire. It is enough to follow them to get a good result.

Perhaps the most popular chenille wire brought crafts for children. Toys for babies, souvenirs for the New Year and for decorating the Christmas tree from this material can be made even by preschoolers. At the same time, there will be no less joy from crafts than from the most expensive gift.

A simple option, suitable even for small children. To create a craft, you will need a narrow adhesive tape, scissors, cardboard, 2 pieces of light green and dark malachite wire, multi-colored beads. The order of the work will be as follows:

1. 1 wire of each color connected by twisting into a single "garland";
2. string the beads on the remaining 2 segments;
3. twist them so that the colors of the decorative elements alternate;
4. cut a circle from cardboard with a radius along the height of the future Christmas tree, form a cone from it, fix it with adhesive tape;
5. clockwise spiral wire without ornaments on the base;
6. wind the wire with beads counterclockwise, fasten it with the other part of the Christmas tree;
7. remove the workpiece from the cone, straighten; Christmas tree is ready.

This is the easiest version of the Christmas decor from chenille wire. Even a preschooler can easily cope with it.

To make a funny fluffy toy from chenille wire, you will need the following set of materials and devices:

• flexible base - 3x30 cm brown, 2x30 cm yellow, 15 cm white and 10 cm black;
• PVA glue;
• scissors;
• finished eyes and nose or beads.

The procedure is also as simple as possible, it includes the following steps:

• 1 piece of brown wire is bent so that it turns out 2 legs, stomach and tail; all places of bends are twisted;
• the long end is attached to the tail so that a quadrangular frame of the body and legs, resting on a flat surface, is obtained;
• a ring with a diameter of 3-4 cm is formed from 2 pieces of wire; an oval bends from it - this is a muzzle, a yellow chenille winds on top of it, the head is filled with the remaining brown;
• then a white strip is made between the eyes, the end of a piece of wire is fixed under a yellow spiral;
• the next part forms the neck, wraps around the body, the excess is cut off;
• the body is spirally wrapped in 3 pieces of brown wire from the tail to the head, a dense neck is formed;
• the remaining yellow wire is divided into segments (small for the paws and 2 core for the ears);
• double-looped ears are twisted in a spiral, attached to a white strip on the head;
• from small segments of chenille of white and black colors, spots can be made on the body of the toy;
• eyes and nose are fixed on the muzzle;
• yellow chenille is wound on the tips of paws; the dog is ready.

Among the basic techniques for working with chenille wire, spiral winding is always mentioned. Using it, you can get many interesting toys. To create a bunny, you need a plain chenille wire, ready-made eyes, a miniature nose pompom, glue and scissors, as well as a pencil, pen or marker.

The procedure is as follows:

1. to prepare a wire segment;
2. bend it with the letter M;
3. Twist the 2nd piece of wire onto a pencil to make a spiral;
4. thread the M-shaped segment into it so that protruding ears turn out, bend them slightly forward;
5. pull out the remaining parts of the wire below, bend in the form of paws, fix the ends on the lower edge of the spiral; form a ponytail or attach a pompom instead;
6. stick eyes and nose.

Chenille is an excellent material for making homemade holiday decor. For instance, it is easy to make snowfields out of it - just connect the 3 sticks of the base by transferring them in the central part. Further along the edges, short rays directed upward are fixed in pairs. In the center, a strass is fixed. Such a snowflake looks good on a Christmas tree or in the design of windows.

The wire simply bends along the contour of the base, a loop is formed at the top. You can decorate the product with beads.

For Easter, you can make decorations for the table in the form of bright eggs. For them, you can take the base in the form of a container of kinder surprises. It is lubricated with glue, twisted around with chenille wire in a spiral, achieving the most snug fit of the rows. If you use several colors, the product will look more elegant and festive. Ready and dried egg can be decorated with artificial paper flowers, beads, beads.

It will be very easy to make an original Christmas tree toy if you have the right material at hand. A two-color star made of shiny chenille wire will decorate any New Year tree, and if there are several such decorative elements, you can create a whole composition in the interior of the house. Even a child can cope with work. For the manufacture of crafts require green and red chenille wire, golden braid, a ruler and scissors.

The manufacturing procedure step by step will look like this:

1. twist 2 ends of a wire of different colors;
2. using a ruler, divide both elements into segments of 4 cm; twist at each such mark;
3. each area where the curl was made must be opened, giving the wave-like elements a rhombus with 2 green and 2 red faces; get a flat ribbon of geometric shapes;
4. the workpiece is folded into a circle, the ends of the extreme elements are connected, the resulting ring is straightened; it is very important to maintain the diamond-shaped, pointed shape of the edges;
5. in the upper part of the toy, a ribbon prepared in advance is passed through one of the elements, then bandaged and forms a bow; for the remaining loop you can hang the toy made on the Christmas tree.

Varying the color scheme, you can create crafts on different topics. Christmas stars can be silver or white-blue. On New Year's Eve, you can make them gold or red-green.

Metallized chenille wire is best suited to create spectacular jewelry in a contemporary style. It is more effective, well suited for creating holiday images. For a bracelet, it is better to take a material 30 cm long in 2 different colors. So the finished product will look even more interesting.

The procedure for manufacturing the product will be as follows:

1. take 1 wire, wind it on a finger, leaving the ends completely free;
2. remove the workpiece, connect all the rings on one side with the free end, stretch the second “tail” to the opposite edge and also secure the “spring”;
3. gently pry the arcs and pull them out, when the spring partially recovers, the workpiece will take the form of a half-bead; free ends should remain at the edges - through them the bracelet will be attached to the hand;
4. similarly create other blanks needed to assemble the bracelet; their number depends on the size of the wrist, but on average 7-8 half beads are enough.

Once all the details are ready, you can begin to assemble the bracelet. Elements are connected using preserved “tails”, twisted together into a single chain. The extreme nodes also unite, forming a completely vicious circle. The finished bracelet is tried on hand, if necessary, its size is easily increased with the help of additional modules.

Chenille wire is also good for creating miniature jewelry.To create a product, a small elastic band for hair, large white and red beads are useful. The ring itself is best made from red or other bright chenille. To create a decoration you need to follow these steps:

1. twist the chenille wire 30 cm long by threading an elastic band into it; so the product will be fixed on the basis;
2. a white bead is put on 1 of the ends of the wire, twisted 2 times for fixing, other parts are similarly fastened; it is easiest to arrange the beads in a circle, but you can choose any other scheme for their fixation;
3. 4 white and 1 red decorative element are enough for a small ring; Having formed the upper part of the ringlet, you can fix the edge of the wire, cut off the excess.

Hair ornaments made of chenille - for a party or for everyday wear - are very attractive and stylish. This material is great for creating rims, and for forming a real princess crown or unusual hairpins. You just need to show a little imagination.

This accessory is perfect for a party, and for a holiday at school, in kindergarten. The hair ornament holds well, looks stylish and fashionable. For the basis you will need a ready-made hair band - plastic or metal, without jewelry, as well as chenille wire - you can take a plain or several shades.

The procedure will be as follows:

1. fix the selected chenille length around the rim so that sharp spikes are obtained - at an acute angle, interrupting the base after each new element;
2. make 2 rows of smaller spikes, placing them in the gaps of the first level; continue work until the crown becomes elegant;
3. wrap the base of the rim with chenille of the same color; the crown is ready.

Similarly, you can create a decoration with stars. They are folded separately, fixed on the basis of its design with wire. If you want a carnival effect, bright pompons can be glued along the edge.

To make a simple elastic band for hair with an unusual decor of chenille, you need 6 bright pieces of material and 1 green for leaves. This is enough to form a flower. In addition, we need a gum base, on which all this will be attached. To create a decoration you need to follow these steps:

1. fold the wires for the flower together, cross over the gum, secure with a spiral;
2. to turn the resulting "rays" with a "snail" to the center; each petal must be bent;
3. nicely arrange all the elements in the bud relative to each other;
4. fix the wire on the base of the flower to create a leaf; bend each part of it so that an oval-shaped green plate is obtained, remove the sharp ends and fix them.

The whole variety of chenille crafts can be appreciated here. Turtles and teddy bears, miniature pieces of furniture, rugs and hats - The boundaries of creativity are always very wide for a true master.

Bright and simple butterflies - A cheerful addition to the floristic composition or window frame.

Fluffy chenille puppies at the right angle, the shots look like real live dogs.

Watch a master class on making chenille dogs in the video below.