Easy Clothespin Crafts for Kids
by Karen & Grace Morris
Need to keep the kids busy? With Clothespin crafts for kids, you can make flowers, animals, and people. Some projects also make great toys. So let's get the kids excited about creating these plain wooden pins!
There are two types of clothespins, ones with springs and doll pins. The doll pins also come in non-roll. There are at least two sizes of each, regular and mini. The clip clothespins sometimes come in an extra small mini. You can find colored wooden pins.
Click to go to the individual clothespin crafts for kids.
Bunny Pin
You can pin this cute little bunny on your shirt for Easter. :)
You will need;
- A mini non-roll clothespin
- A white and pink paint stick
- Back permanent marker
- Hot glue
- Pinback (also called bar pins)
With the white paint stick, paint the pin. Let dry and paint again. You will need two or three coats before it is white enough.
Paint the round end pink.
With a black marker, make eyes.
Turn the bunny over and glue a pin back to the back.
People Clothespin Crafts for Kids
These are called doll pins for a reason. :)
Ballerina
Come on and dance with me. These clothespin crafts for kids would look cute on a Christmas tree.
You will need;
- A mini non-roll clothespin pin
- Yarn
- Fork
- Scissors
- 6-inch piece of a pipe cleaner
- Permanent markers
Place the clothespin on the back of the fork with the tongs facing the same way. Cut a small piece of yarn and place between the tongs of the fork and pin. Next, wrap the yarn around the fork and pin several times.
Take the yarn in the center of the tongs and pull the clothespin and yarn off the fork. Tie the yarn tightly into a knot. Cut the sides of the yarn and fluff.
Fold the pipe cleaner in half and wrap the center under the round part of the clothespin. Bend the ends in a curve so that it looks like the ballerina is holding her arms over her head. With a marker, add eyes and a mouth.
Woodland Fairy
They dance around in the woods. Gliding gracefully across the leaf covered ground.
Supplies;
- A mini non-roll clothespin
- Green felt
- Scissors
- Green thread
- Sewing needle
- Tacky glue
- Brown and green paper
Cut a 3 1/2 circle from green felt, zigzagging the edge. Fold the circle in half and make a slit so that it will fit on the clothespin. Cut slits from each zigzag to almost the center. Then round the edges of the skirt.
Sew the skirt on the clothespin. Place a drop of glue on the front and back so that the skirt will stay in place.
Cut a small strip of brown and green paper. Roll the brown paper several times. Wrap the green strip around the brown paper. Let some of the green hang down to make the hair. Glue the hair to the top of the clothespin.
Pirate Toy
Avast ye matey! Let's make this toy for hours of fun! Then look for ye buried treasure! But beware of the beautiful mermaid, for I heard she is a pretty thing for ye eyes.
To make the Mermaid
You will need;
- A mini non-roll clothespin
- Pattern from PDF
- Craft foam
- Craft string
- Curling ribbon
Download and print the FREE PDF. Cut two pieces for the mermaid's tail out of craft foam. Cut two pieces of 4 1/2 inch pieces of curling ribbon.
Place the craft string between the tongs of the clothespin and wrap around several times.
Place the tail pieces over the bottom of the tongs. Wrap the string around the craft foam and up the clothespin.
When you get to the round part, add the ribbon to the top. Wrap the yarn around the ribbon and down the clothespin. When you reach the tail, place the string under and wrap around one of the tongs.
To make the Pirate
Supplies;
- Black, red, and white craft string
- 6-inch piece of pipe cleaner
- Permanent Marker
Place the black string between the tongs of the pin. Wrap around the center of the clothespin several times. Then wrap around one of the tongs to the bottom and then back up. Wrap the other leg about halfway so that it looks like he has a peg leg.
Wrap the red and white string together around the center of the pin.
Bend the pipe cleaner in half. Wrap it around the clothespin just under the rounded part. Bend the ends back to make arms.
Wrap the string around each arm and under the rounded part of the pin.
With the marker make a large circle with lines on each side for the pirate's eye patch. Make a small dot for the other eye.
Boat
Every pirate needs a boat to sail. When he is done, he can place his clothespin crafts for kids inside the container.
You will need;
- Empty cream cheese container with a lid
- Brown permanent marker
- Orange and blue streamers
- Glue
- Plastic drinking straw
- Black and white craft foam
- Hole punch
- Two clip clothespins
Glue the orange streamer to the sides of the cream cheese container.
Color the top of the container with a brown marker.
Place some glue in the center of the lid. Add the blue streamer so that it looks like water.
To make the flag pole, cut 3 1/2 inches from the straw.
Cut a flag shape 3 by 1 1/2 inches out of black craft foam. At one end of your flag shape, make sure that you have a strip of craft foam that is thin enough to fit inside the straw.
Cut a skull shape from white foam and punch two holes for eyes. Glue the skull to the center of the black flag.
Add the flag to the straw. Clip the other end in the clip clothespin. Place in the boat. Add the pirate to the boat. Place the mermaid on the blue “water” on the lid.
When you are done playing, you can place everything back in the container. You will need to take the craft foam flag out of the straw, but everything will fit inside.
Find More Pirate Crafts Here
Animals
Small clip clothespins make great animal legs. For Animal clothespin crafts for kids, you will need craft foam, markers, and the patterns on the clothespin crafts for kids FREE PDF.
Horse
Supplies;
- PDF
- Craft foam
- Craft string to match the foam
- Two mini clip clothespin
- Wiggly eyes
- Hot glue
Download and print the FREE PDF. Cut the horse out of craft foam.
Wrap the craft string five times around a 1 1/2 inch piece of cardboard.
Pull the string off the cardboard and wrap the string around one end and tie a knot. Cut the loops on the other end to make the tail.
Hot glue the tail to the end of the horse. Add wiggly eyes to each side. Clip on the legs.
Zebra
You will need;
- White craft foam
- Black Marker
Use the horse pattern to cut out the zebra from white foam. Make diagonal lines with the permanent black marker. Make a dot on each side for the eyes. Add the legs.
Pig
Supplies;
- Pink craft foam
- Pink button
- Wiggly eyes
- Tacky glue
Print the PDF and use the large circle and oval to make the pig.
With tacky glue, glue on the button for the nose. Add wiggly eyes.
Glue the circle to one end of the oval. Clip the pins on the oval for legs.
Cow
You will need;
- White craft foam
- Black marker
- Tacky glue
Use the small circle, larger circle, and oval on the PDF to make the cow. On the small circle, make two small dots in the center with the black marker to make a Holstein cow.
Glue the small circle to the larger circle. Add wiggly eyes. Glue the larger circle to one end of the oval. Clip on the legs.
Flowers
Use this clothespin craft for kids as a color matching activity.
You will need;
- Colored mini clothespins
- Craft foam that will match the clothespins
- Green pipe cleaners
Cut a 1-inch circle from craft foam. Punch a hole near one end.
Place the pipe cleaner through the hole so that you have a short end and a long end.
Fold the long end up and make two ovals. Bend the ovals into leaves. Add six clothespins around the circle.
Wasn't it fun making clothespin crafts for kids? Now you can play with your animals, people, and flowers that you have created!
