Read The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle, then make this adorable caterpillar craft with pipe cleaner.
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The Very Hungry Caterpillar, written and illustrated by Eric Carle, is a preschool must-read book loved by generations of kids. Read the story to learn about the days of the week, counting, and the life cycle from caterpillar to butterfly.
Then make your own cute and fuzzy caterpillar craft together. All you need for this one are pipe cleaners (aka chenille stems), wiggly eyes, and a bit of glue.
Note that some pipe cleaners are a bit sharp on the metal ends, so little kids should be supervised. Make sure you tuck the ends inside the finished craft or smooth them down.
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How to make a caterpillar
Supplies
- pipe cleaner, one each in red, green, blue, and black
- a pair of wiggly eyes, yellow if you have it
- white school glue
Instructions
1. Make the body base.
Start with the black pipe cleaner. Fold it in half and gently press a crease. Hold the two point ends and bend the whole thing into a curve. The two points will be the antennas.
2. Make the head.
Next, grab the red pipe cleaner. Hold the antennas with one hand and wrap the red pipe cleaner around the black to create the caterpillar’s head. Wrap the red loosely to create a ball shape, tucking both ends inside.
3. Add blue to the body.
In the book, the caterpillar is a watercolor blend of green with hints of blue. To create that effect, use one blue pipe cleaner. Wrap it down the length of the body from the head to the end. Pinch the ends down.
4. Add green to the body.
To finish the caterpillar body, use two green pipe cleaners. Start with the first one and wrap it loosely around the body from the head to about the middle. Cover the black and some of the blue, leaving some of the blue showing through. Wrap the second green pipe cleaner from where the first ends to the tip. Tuck in all the end points.
5. Add wiggly eyes.
Glue a pair of yellow wiggly eyes to the front of the red face. Hold the eyes in place until they set, then let the caterpillar rest until the glue is dry, about 5 minutes.
6. Shape the caterpillar.
Finally, bend the caterpillar body into a gentle S curve. Adjust it as needed so the caterpillar can stand. You can also gently bend the antennas to shape.
When your very hungry caterpillar craft is complete, display it with your books or enjoy it as a fuzzy little toy.
This would also be a fun craft to make as part of a bug or nature week. Although we made ours in book character colors, you could easily swap the pipe cleaners. Learn about real caterpillars and make a few fuzzy friends to match!
Printable instructions
Very Hungry Caterpillar Craft
Materials
- pipe cleaner, one each in red, green, blue, and black
- a pair of wiggly eyes
- white school glue
Instructions
- Make the body base.
Start with the black pipe cleaner. Fold it in half and gently press a crease. Hold the two point ends and bend the whole thing into a curve. The two points will be the antennas. - Make the head.
Next, grab the red pipe cleaner. Hold the antennas with one hand and wrap the red pipe cleaner around the black to create the caterpillar's head. Wrap the red loosely to create a ball shape, tucking both ends inside. - Add blue to the body.
In the book, the caterpillar is a watercolor blend of green with hints of blue. To create that effect, use one blue pipe cleaner. Wrap it down the length of the body from the head to the end. Pinch the ends down. - Add green to the body.
To finish the caterpillar body, use two green pipe cleaners. Start with the first one and wrap it loosely around the body from the head to about the middle. Cover the black and some of the blue, leaving some of the blue showing through. Wrap the second green pipe cleaner from where the first ends to the tip. Tuck in all the end points. - Add wiggly eyes.
Glue a pair of yellow wiggly eyes to the front of the red face. Hold the eyes in place until they set, then let the caterpillar rest until the glue is dry, about 5 minutes. - Shape the caterpillar.
Finally, bend the caterpillar body into a gentle S curve. Adjust it as needed so the caterpillar can stand. You can also gently bend the antennas to shape.
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