Pasta is a tasty Italian food staple, but dry pasta can be used for some creative arts and crafts projects too. Kids love the fun they can have with the variety of different shapes and textures. They can make beautiful art with the pasta you already have sitting at the back of your cupboard. Try out these fun dry pasta art ideas the next time the kids are looking for something new to do. Use cheap brands as not to waste the more pricey pastas you may want to save for a meal. Remember, this pasta is not to be consumed, it’s for art only.

Hairdos

Take a sheet of sturdy paper, cardboard, or poster board and draw a large face on it. Or, your child can draw the face herself. Color in as usual, but leave off the hair. That’s where the dry pasta comes to play. Use non-toxic glue to create the basic outline of the way the hair will look. For long hair, use sticks of dry spaghetti and pat gently onto the glue lines. Make bangs by breaking the spaghetti into smaller lengths. For curly hair, try fusilli pasta for a bouncy look. You can even create eyebrows and mustaches with smaller pasta shapes like macaroni or fine bits of angel hair pasta. Let the glue and pasta dry completely and your child will have a fun pasta hairdo creation!

Necklaces

It’s very easy to make dry pasta necklaces and you can even beads for some added flair. Simply give your child a piece of sturdy yarn or thick string and tie a very large knot at one end, big enough so the pasta won’t slide off the string. Necklaces work best with pasta shapes such as rigatoni, ziti, penne, or even macaroni. Experiment with varying shapes and sizes for a unique look. If you have some colorful beads, the kids can alternate between the pasta and beads. This idea also works well to create bracelets and headpieces. Once all the pasta and beads are on the string, tie up both ends securely and the kids can slip the necklace over their heads. When they aren’t wearing the necklace, hang them on a hook in their bedroom as a handmade art piece!

Rainbows with Dyed Pasta

You can actually dye dry pasta into a rainbow of different colors! It’s easy to do. Simply place about 1/8 cup of rubbing alcohol with a few drops of food coloring into a zip seal bag. Add the dry pasta, shake it up, and let it sit for a few hours. Once the color sets in, your child can create colorful artwork with the pasta. She can glue the pasta to a piece sturdy paper in the shape of a rainbow or a field of vibrant flowers. You can stick to a theme, like Valentine’s Day by using only red dye and creating Cupid’s arrows and heart shapes. Create a field of grass with green dyed spaghetti broken into small blade-length pieces. The kids will love the rich hues and endless pasta-bilities!

Glittering Snowflakes

Bring the joy of a winter wonderland indoors as a work of art. Simply roll dry pasta in glue and dip and roll in blue and silver glitter. Once dry, glue the pasta onto sturdy paper in star shaped designs to become glittering snowflakes! The kids can draw snowmen and other winter backgrounds on the paper before applying the dry pasta. You can also use glittered pasta for necklaces with a little “bling” to them!

Have you and the kids ever made dry pasta art? What did you create?

For more fun activities like this, visit All My Children Daycare.

By: Melissa A. Kay