Photo taken by Barb Dalton

Pipe Cleaners are a Fun Crafting Tool

But did you ever think about their origins?

I’m going through a curiosity phase; looking at everyday objects and wondering how they came about.

Pipe cleaners come in a variety of fun colours and are great for kids’ crafts — as well as educational ones. I’ve got a stack of supplies at school to help my students understand the parts of a neuron, the basis of our nerve cells.

Neurons!

They’re fairly cheap to purchase at a craft or dollar store. Made with chenille, the fuzzy fabric is secured to a thin, bendable wire that can be manipulated into any shape or form.

Did you know that chenille is the French name for caterpillar?

Did you also know that the name comes about in a literal sense? Back then, men smoked pipes, and a small wire was required to clean the device.