Many unusual materials are used in needlework. Sometimes they initially had some most primitive application, but over time they became materials for creativity. For example, chenille wire was originally invented as a tool for cleaning smoking pipes, and its “great-grandfather” was an ordinary chimney sweep ruff.
Is it worth it to do chenille wire yourself?
Many materials for creativity can be done with your own hands, avoiding the expensive purchases in the stores of goods for needlework. But can self- made chenille wire become a practical alternative to the purchased option? To answer this question, you need to take a closer look at this interesting material for creativity. The fluffy "caterpillar", and this is how the word chenille is translated from French, consists of two thin wires tightly twisted together, and between them are fibers - a synthetic fiber that creates "fluffiness". Yes, if you set a goal, then at home you can twist the chenille wire. But will the time and material costs of such labor be justified? Probably not. Even if you twist the wire on a special machine, on which at the end of the last century craftsmen twisted chains for cheap jewelry, it will not be as high-quality, fluffy and neat as bought in a specialized store, which means that it is made in a large enough quantity on special equipment. In addition, today chenille wire is a common material, you can buy it as much as necessary, and in such colors that you can imagine.
Crafts with children
The chenille wire is a good material for children's creativity. It is safe, pleasant to the touch, has bright colors, easily bends and straightens if necessary back, cut with scissors. Children can easily create almost any toy they want from such material, and adults will only have to suggest creative options.
Finger toys
Due to its qualities, chenille wire is a universal material for making toys - simple and primitive, but at the same time very, very cute. Even young children with the help of adults can master some of the techniques of this skill using chenille wire. A workshop on the manufacture of finger toys will begin with the preparation of materials. It will be required:
- Chenille wire of different colors.
- Large fluffy balls or plastic beads.
- Toy eyes, spouts.
- Universal adhesive.
- Scissors.
So, the child will make the toy, and the adult will only help. On the finger you need to wind the wire. Remove carefully. Draw a fluffy ball with eyes and nose, if necessary, then glue a mustache, ears, which can also be made of a "caterpillar". When the glue dries, stick the ball-head on a coiled spring. The finger toy is ready!
Waiting for the New Year
Very funny and easy-to-make New Year's crafts made from chenille wire. From a fluffy "caterpillar" you can even make a mini Christmas tree. After all, this is a universal material - chenille wire. The master class will show and tell you how, what and why:
- cut the green wire as follows: 3 long pieces - for winding the trunk and connecting parts, also, depending on the number of tiers, 3 pieces of the same length, for example, 5 tiers, which means 3x5 = 15 pieces;
- prepare a strong, poorly bending wire, you can use a four-wire electrical wire;
- thin-nose pliers - flat-nose pliers with thin ends - twist the wire;
- threads in tone - if you need to fix the parts in place.
First you need to collect all the tiers - twist the same three segments together to make a six-pointed star.
Each such “snowflake” is supplemented with sprigs-branches, screwing them with thin-nose pliers and fixing them with threads on a knot. It should be remembered that all individual branches on each of the 6 rays of the same tier should be the same length, decreasing from the center to the edge.
When all the snowflake tiers are ready, wrap the thick wire tightly with three pieces of chenille wire to make the trunk. At a height where the first tier of branches will be located, stop.
Now you should collect the Christmas tree. Start from the bottom - the biggest snowflake-tier, then smaller, smaller, ending the Christmas tree with the crown of a 4-radiant tiny star. Tiers should be attached using the three segments that form the trunk. They tier tightly pressed to the base, then the wires are again twisted to a certain distance, and the next tier is attached.
Thus, the Christmas tree grows. On it you can stick fluffy balls, bought specially or also twisted from a "caterpillar", hang up "candy canes" made of two pieces of chenille wire - red and white, make beads on a Christmas tree from beads . Happy New Year!
Summer's soon!
But the chenille wire, although it is fluffy and warm to the touch, is not necessarily only winter crafts. From it you can make a huge number of summer toys. Flowers have not bloomed yet, you can make a cute bouquet for a window - twist flowers from multi-colored wire, securing the petals with a large bead, in which the stem is also secured. Set flowers in a peat pot, painted and filled with sisal.
With the help of a fluffy "caterpillar" you can make funny decorative toys - butterflies, caterpillars, spiders will help revitalize everyday life.
Chenille wire is grateful material. He gives a malleable response to any manipulation of even a small child who can create interesting toys with a pair of segments of a fluffy "caterpillar", helping to decorate the world.