Here’s an A+ idea: Craft letters out of gold paper straws and pipe cleaners and you’ve got shiny charms to personalize place settings, arrange as decor for the holidays or any other celebration, or even hang from a tree as ornaments. Gold letter decor isn’t just elegant and affordable—making gilded initials is so easy, anyone who knows their ABC’s can do it!
All you need are some gold paper straws and gold pipe cleaners. Cut the straws into thirds—each one will give you three pieces that are about 2 inches long. Then thread the pipe cleaners through them, folding over the edges to secure.
Once you’ve got your letters there are so many ways to use them! You can make them with different colored straws to fit any party color scheme or room decor.
Tie them around a napkin as a placecard
Top a present with one to use it as a gift tag
Hang them from the branches of a tree or your chandelier as decor
Line them along the table to spell names or words like Joy or Peace
Scatter them across the kids’ table so little ones can see how many words they can make
Tape them to toothpicks to use as cake or cupcake toppers
Use them to create the couple’s monogram at an engagement party, shower, or wedding
Spell out Happy Birthday or Congratulations
Decorate a nursery or kid’s room
Hang them as a mobile
You can even make numbers using the same technique!
Mix them up with different shapes like straw stars or heart pipe cleaners
Making letters out of straws and pipe cleaners is also a simple, satisfying activity for a playdate or crafternoon. However and whenever you use them, these letters spell F U N.
What You’ll Need:
- Gold straws
- Gold pipe cleaners
- Scissors
How-To
Step 1 Cut the straws into thirds (each piece will be about 2.5 inches long.)
Step 2 Cut pipe cleaners into the lengths needed to create your desired letters. For example, for an A, you’ll want a pipe cleaner piece that’s a little over 4 inches long.
Step 3 Shape your letter using the straws for the straight parts and a pipe cleaner inserted in the straws to join the straws. For an A, for example, use the sharp end of the pipe cleaner to pierce holes in the middle of one side of two 2.5-inch pieces. Thread the pipe cleaner through the middle of one piece, pulling it out of the top, leaving about an inch of pipe cleaner sticking out of the hole in the middle of the straw. Pull the long end of the pipe cleaner through the middle of the second piece of straw, bending the pipe cleaner to create an upside down V, and folding the tiny bit of pipe cleaner that hangs out of the bottom of the straw up to secure the pipe cleaner into place. Poke the other end of the 1-inch piece of pipe cleaner into the hole in the second straw, to create the middle bar of the A.
For letters that connect in the middle like E, P, X, F, H, K, R, & B, snip a little hole in the middle of the straw to create the center horizontal line of the letter with a pipe cleaner. For example, with the E, you’d fold a pipe cleaner in half, and feed both ends through the center hole in the straw so that one went up and the other went down. Pull the ends out and bend them to form the top and bottom of the E, while the doubled end of the pipe cleaner makes the center bar. For the X, you’d snip a hole in both sides of the straw piece and feed one piece of pipe cleaner in through the top and out the middle, and another up through the bottom and out the middle.
For curved letters like an O, G, C, or Q, cut 2 pieces of straw about 1.5″ in length and make them the sides of the letter by feeding a pipe cleaner through both straws, so that the visible pipe cleaner is the curve at the top and bottom of the oval letter.
For letters with a diagonal like the letter S, make the diagonal a straw also at 1.5″ length, with the pipe cleaner making the top and bottom curves.
Step 4 (Optional) Tie a ribbon around a limb of the letter to tie it around a napkin or present, or hang as decor.
For more golden decor ideas using paper straws, click here.
