Start out with two pipe cleaners. Gather them together on one end.
2String the first bead.
While holding both pipe cleaners together on one end, string a medium-sized bead through that end. Slide the bead down about two inches.
3String a large bead.
Next, string a large bead and move it down until it sits right next to the first bead. These two beads will be the wand's centerpiece so you can use beads that are different from those that you will use for the rest of the heart wand.
4Bend the pipe cleaners.
Move the two pipe cleaners away from each other and bend them downwards to define the top arcs of the heart frame.
5String more beads.
String 8 medium-sized beads on each pipe cleaner. Move the beads up along the pipe cleaner until they are adjacent to the centerpiece beads.
If you want to use smaller beads, you can string up to 12 beads on each pipe cleaner. Do not use too many beads to avoid a top-heavy wand.
6Twist below the last bead.
Twist the the two pipe cleaners together right after each pipe cleaner's last bead.
7Connect the center bead.
Connect the center bead to the base of the heart frame. Do this by folding the short length of pipe cleaner below the center bead around the pipe cleaner joint you made in Step 6.
8Bind the pipe cleaners.
The remaining length of pipe cleaner below the beaded heart is long enough to be the wand's handle but not not rigid enough. To make it sturdier, wound a third pipe cleaner around the entire length of the pair of pipe cleaners.
9Make a drinking straw handle.
Insert the bound pipe cleaner handle through a drinking straw. Use a transparent drinking straw if you want the color of your pipe cleaner to show through.
10Cut the drinking straw.
Cut the excess length of drinking straw.
11Glue the drinking straw to the heart.
For safety, fix the top of the drinking straw to the base of the beaded heart using a glue gun. Tie a ribbon around this joint to accent your wand.
Have fun with your lovely beaded wand! Check out more crafting ideas below.
More Ideas
Use a variety of beads.
String a variety of beads in Step 5 for a different look. You can do a combination of small and medium-sized beads or accent with fancy beads (e.g. gold or pearl beads, star-shaped beads) like those used in the wands below.
Accent with curly ribbons.
Besides tying a ribbon below the beaded heart, you can also tie curly fabric ribbons, crepe paper strips or metallic shreds.