7 Paper Clip Art That Enhances Your Toddler’s Imagination

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Paper clip art can help you make the most out of leftover office materials. What was supposed to hold files together has turned into a blank canvas of sorts. Turn a pencil into a flower, or craft a bracelet out of mere plastic sticks.

Because of its nature, paper clip art ideas are in abundant supply online. Yet, not every idea is fit for the general audience. Paper clip art ideas can range from easy to difficult, with the most popular ideas falling into the latter category.

Toddlers deserve to find enjoyment in simple crafting ideas too. Paper clip art uses minimal materials but produces fun and quirky outcomes, making them a perfect fit for the 3-6 age group.

Benefits of Paper Clip Art

Sparks Creativity 

Paper clip art turns mundane office materials into something new, lively and exciting. After all, these materials come in a variety of colors, shapes, and sizes which allow your toddlers to develop their creativity.

Watch your kids turn their clips into bracelets, or bend them hard enough to look like animals. Revel in the wonders of a child’s imagination, accessed by crafts and encouraged by paper clip art.

Fun 

Crafting can be tiring, and sometimes the effort it takes from you is not worth the final product. Thankfully, this is not the case with paper clip art. Through these activities, your toddlers will have fun imagining new shapes and figures for their paper clips.

Moreover, they will also enjoy watching these clips’ color variations come to life. Not only do paper clip art ideas spark creativity, they are simply loads of fun things to do with these creations. In an era where ‘fun’ is almost equal to looking at a screen, paper clip art is a breath of fresh air.

Low Cost 

Paper clip art ideas almost always use materials you have laying around the house. There’s no need to shell out on the finest crafting materials or appliances. Just scavenge through your crafting areas and find anything that has not been used for a while.

Saves Time

If you are teaching or homeschooling a kid, some class activities take more time than others. Easy paper clip art can be done in mere minutes. It does not take up as much time as harder crafts with more materials, though those are fun too.

7 Paper Clip Art To Enhance Your Toddler’s Imagination

1. Paper Clip Necklace (with/without tape, & with beads)

Photo from Tinkerlab

One of the easiest paper clip art ideas is a paperclip necklace. The premise is simple: unravel these paper clips and attach them with one another. Lock them in together and voilà —you’ve got your own paper clip necklace.  

Like many other crafts, there are multiple ways to do this. The first uses washi tape, which comes in different colors and patterns, inevitably adding more personality and art to your paper clip craft.

To achieve a washi tape button design, you have to connect a long string of paper clips together and wrap them with washi tape. You have the freedom to create a pattern: are all paper clips going to have washi tape? Is it every other paper clip? What washi tapes will you be using?

Other than paper clips, washi tape, scissors and your imagination are all you will need for this craft. Toddlers will have a ball with this paper clip art because it has multiple variations. Through time and practice, you might find a new way to build a paper clip necklace together.

2. Paper Clip Spiral Bracelet

Photo from StrangeDucks on Instructables Craft.com

If you know how to make a paper clip art necklace, then chances are you have an idea of how paper clip spiral bracelets work. To keep this craft safe, you can leave out the use of spirals and opt for a classic ‘insert paper clips with one another’ bracelet. 

Gather your paperclips, needle nose, or looping pliers, clasps, and jump rings to begin this crafting exercise. Using pliers, straighten out your paper clips as much as you can. Toddlers are encouraged to sit back and let the adults handle this step.

Next, you will be making your very first spiral. Using your pliers, grip the end of your paper clip, and loop it around the plier. Keep doing this with the free ‘straight’ areas of your loop, but stop when you’ve used half of your paper clip.

Repeat this step with as many paper clips as you want. Measure how many loops you will need to make a bracelet. Chain the links together using your jump rings of choice. Stop when you think the bracelet is the size you and your toddler want it to be.

Next, attach a clasp to lock in your bracelet, along with another jump ring. Admittedly, toddlers may have to watch and hold materials for adults doing this craft. However, when it comes to stimulating the mind, what is better than beautiful loops interlocking to make jewelry?

3. Paper Clip Earrings

Photo from Ohohdeco.com

Toddlers can have fun decorating and designing jewelry, which is why the next craft on this list is paper clip art earrings.

First, open a paper clip and make a triangle or any other shape you desire. Next, grab any paper you want — preferably with a color you like— and cut two long triangles in it. Fold this around the paper clip and glue it on. Cut out details or draw in designs to make your paper clip earring more unique!

4. Paper Clip Rings

Photo from Pinterest

The last and daintiest piece of paper clip art jewelry is paper clip rings. Best made with metal paper clips, this activity turns raggedy unused clips into sturdy rings.

Before you make these paper clip rings, first measure your ring finger. Toddlers will have fun with this customized element of the craft.

Once you have your measurements, take over this craft and use the pliers to straighten your paperclips. Flatten these clips as much as possible, because you will need them to be as malleable as they can be.

Using the same pliers, create a small loop at any of the ends of the paperclip. Circle the wire around that loop and create swirls. You can make another swirl at the end of the paper clip if that is the style you are going for (make sure you circle the wire in the opposite direction).

Finally, fit your ring and check if your sizing is right. You can check this using a mandrel. If you need to adjust its sizing, simply use your pliers again.

To make this craft more toddler-friendly, you can let your toddler design and dictate what they want the ring to look like. Measure their fingers, fit them in, and adjust accordingly. It’ll be like make-believe ring shopping!

5. Paper Clip Butterflies 

Photo from craftknowitall on Instructables.com

Veering away from the fun of paper clip art jewelry are these easy paper clip art butterflies. If you are with a toddler that’s more interested in art pieces than practical wearables, then these paper clip butterflies are the perfect craft for you.

These paper clip butterflies can be used as a home and plant decor. You can even use these as children’s party favors (or activities), patio decoration, and as a scrapbooking element.

To begin with, straighten up your large paper clip with pliers (or by hand for toddlers) and bend it in half. To create a loop, wrap this straight wire around a pencil.

Then, fold your paper clip vertically down by bending its center loop. Make little hooks on the ends of the paper clip to create a ‘butterfly’ looking body. Do these steps again with the smaller paper clip which will act as the butterfly’s wings (keep these open so that it looks like wings are sticking out).

Use the hair tie to hold this creation together! To add design, trace wings using your colored paper and cut it out. Tape these to your butterfly’s paper clip body.

6. Paper Clip Art Flowers

To match with your paper clip butterflies are these paper clip daisies.

Start by laying your paper clips around in a circle. Using your glue gun, place glue on the end of each paper clip and join them together. By the end of this step, you should have a body for your flower.

Next, add glue to the back of your gem and place it in the middle of the circle you just made. This should look like the middle of a flower. Once done, grab your pipe cleaners and wrap them around a pencil. Do this until the entire pencil is covered. 

Finally, glue the paper clip craft to where the pencil’s eraser is. By the end of this craft, you’ll have a cute addition to your office and/or school table. Toddlers will be happy to find out how much they can do by themselves and with only minimal supervision.

7. Paper Clip Art Angels

Photo from Super Mom Hacks.com

Craft a friend for your little one from scratch with this paper clip angel activity! Simply cut 11 inches of your chosen ribbon. Make sure it is ⅛ inches wide. Next, cut its ends diagonally. Twist the ends of the ribbon and insert it in your chosen bead’s opening.

Once the ribbon’s ends are even, loop one end to the paper clip. At this point, you are positioning your angel’s head onto its body. Once done, make a cow hitch to attach your angel’s head. Tie a knot on each side of the bead.

Trim the excess ribbon and your paper clip angel is ready for hanging!

How to Make Paper Clip Art

In general, paper clip art uses paper clips of various sizes to create a shape or an item. To make paper clip art, make sure you have your paper clips, crafting materials, and pliers ready. Though shaping paper clips by hand is an option, it is not recommended all the time. Toddlers, who may not make paper clip art every day, can use their hands provided they have gloves and proper adult supervision.

Making paper clip art can be as easy or as hard as you want it to be. How to make paper clip art? There are many ways, but these are the basics of every paper clip art craft.

Paper Clip Art: Enhances the Imagination, No Matter What Age!

Photo from Pinterest

Paper clip art is designed to be enjoyed by everyone. No matter the person’s age, there is pride in making something out of ‘nothing’. Putting flower pencils on your office desk can be as fun as making them for school. Shaping paper clips into Christmas angel ornaments for your Christmas tree can be as rewarding as making them for Santa.

There is no age when it comes to imagination, creativity, and fun. Paper clip art highlights this, and forms one of the innumerable arts and crafts ideas you can do at home.