We’ve dyed pasta a few times now and used it to make pasta necklaces, pipecleaner caterpillars, and pasta collages, so when the Rockin’ Art Moms issued a macaroni challenge,* I was all over it. I was familiar with using pasta for kids arts and crafts but also excited to branch out and try something new.
We ended up doing two new pasta art activities for kids, both hits.
First, though, we dyed our pasta which is super simple.
How to Dye Pasta
MATERIALS
- Dried pasta, various shapes and sizes as desired
- Plastic ziploc-type bags
- Rubbing alcohol
- Food coloring (liquid not gel) or liquid watercolor paint
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Place your pasta shapes in the plastic bag, one bag per color.
2. Add a tablespoon or so of rubbing alcohol, close the top, and massage the bag to distribute the alcohol.
3. Open the bag, add your food coloring or liquid watercolor paint, close the bag again and massage to distribute the color.
4. Spread the pasta out on cookie sheets or a wax paper-lined surface to dry.
Now you’re ready to use the colored pasta for kids art activities!
Now that you have your pasta dyed, here’s a video showing Pasta Arts and Crafts in action! And don’t forget to scroll down to get the step-by-step instructions.
Pasta Art Activity #1 – Pasta Sculptures
We started with this pasta sculpture idea and returned to it several times over the past week. The kids especially liked working on these during our read-aloud time.
MATERIALS
- Colored pasta shapes
- Air dry clay (we used Sculpt-It! because we had it on hand, but Crayola air dry clay or homemade air dry clay would both work well, too)
- Pipecleaners
- Small wood dowels (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
Use the air dry clay as the base of your sculpture and poke pipe cleaners and/or dowels in the clay. String with pasta beads. Add additional pipe cleaners and pasta as desired until the sculpture is complete.
You can also press colored pasta into the sculpture base or into air dry clay on it’s own.
The kids each made and decorated doughnuts this way.
And little pasta people.
And you can, of course, use the pasta shapes with just pipe cleaners, threading them on for bracelets, sculptures, spirals, or even letters.
Pasta Art Activity #2 – Pasta Mandala Collage
We made these when Maia had a friend over and everyone loved them!
MATERIALS
- Colored pasta shapes
- Sturdy paper plates
- Glue
INSTRUCTIONS
Glue the colored pasta shapes on the paper plate in a radiating mandala design.
You can also make a face collage, as Maia did, or any other pasta design you like.
Want more pasta art ideas?
Now that you’re excited about the potential of pasta, check out some of these other arts and crafts projects you can make with it!
14 More pasta art activities for kids
- Pasta Drawing Prompts (on Picklebums)
- Pine Cone and Pasta Art Assemblage (on Art Bar Blog)
- Dyed Pasta Mosaic Art (on Buggy and Buddy)
- Modern Macaroni Masterpiece (on Handmakery)
- Painted Macaroni Necklaces (on MollyMoo Crafts)
- Macaroni Mosaics (on Craft Whack)
- Painted Pasta Art (on Learn Play Imagine)
- Macaroni Pom Pom Necklace (on Willowday)
- Pasta Sculptures with Preschoolers (on Meri Cherry Blog)
- Frames Decorate with Pasta (on Pink Stripey Socks)
- Pasta Stained Glass (on Babble Dabble Do)
- Pretty Pasta Pendants (on Pysselbolaget)
- Macaroni Necklaces (on Mer Mag)
- Spaghetti Tower Marshmallow Challenge (on Tinkerlab)
Everyone who joins us in the Macaroni Challenge will be entered in an amazing Rockin’ Art Moms Gift Basket giveaway. The winner will be selected at random from the entries and announced on Instagram and the Rockin’ Art for Kids Facebook page on Sunday May 10th, 2015.
Update: Challenge and giveaway now over
Prize basket giveaway will include 6 books from the Rockin’ Art Moms:
The Artful Parent and The Artful Year from The Artful Parent // Playful
from Mer Mag // Tinkerlab
from Tinkerlab //150 Screen Free Activities for Kids from Fun at Home with Kids
// Happy Handmade (ebook) from MollyMoo
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23 Comments
Michelle McInerney | MollyMooCrafts
April 27, 2015 at 4:07 pmOf those pasta people are just killing me with their cuteness. LOVE LOVE xx
Jean Van't Hul
April 27, 2015 at 4:55 pmHa! Thanks, Michelle! They had fun with those! One of them even has wings. :)
Bar
April 28, 2015 at 11:39 amLooking through all of you pasta suggestions made me realize that I need to do this with my art class!! we have TONS of pasta left over. We are totally making mandalas. Thank you for these suggestions!! Your blog is always so full of awesome ideas!! xo bar
Jean Van't Hul
April 28, 2015 at 1:42 pmSo glad you like the ideas, Bar! And I bet your students would enjoy making the mandalas!
Jean Van't Hul
May 3, 2015 at 6:28 amOh! You’re welcome, Bar! I bet the kids will enjoy the mandalas!
Pysselbolaget
April 29, 2015 at 4:09 amHow clever to dye pasta with food coloring! I must try it. Painting pasta turned out to quite messy ;) Food coloring and paper plates is now on the list of crafts supplies in need of getting. Thank you for all your valuable tips!
Jean Van't Hul
May 3, 2015 at 6:26 amYou’re welcome! Dyeing the pasta this way is virtually mess free and so easy! Painting it sounds fun, though… :)
Ana
April 29, 2015 at 7:21 amThese are gorgeous! I love both the mandalas and the sculptures! Thanks for the great ideas :)
Jean Van't Hul
May 3, 2015 at 6:26 amThanks, Ana!
Allison
April 29, 2015 at 5:46 pmI love all the creations! The photo of the dyed pasta in the top right makes me want to dive in and create. Gorgeous!
Jean Van't Hul
May 3, 2015 at 6:25 amThanks, Allison!
[email protected]
May 1, 2015 at 7:17 amLove the pipe cleaners and pasta sculptures – great idea!
Jean Van't Hul
May 3, 2015 at 6:25 amThanks, Erin!
Paula Lago
May 2, 2015 at 9:40 amAW!! I love this!! It’s a rainny weekend here in Argentina, so we’re going to do some of this!! Great ideas!
Jean Van't Hul
May 3, 2015 at 6:24 amYay! So glad, Paula! Enjoy!
Tobi
May 3, 2015 at 2:49 amIs this safe for toddlers? Never used rubbing alcohol before and wondered if my 20mth old put it in his mouth if it would be ok?
Jean Van't Hul
May 3, 2015 at 6:24 amTobi, I would worry more about the choking hazard potential with a 20 month old. The rubbing alcohol dissipates quickly.
Rachelle | TinkerLab
May 8, 2015 at 2:52 amThese sculptures are so much fun, Jean! And I love how you combined the pasta with clay AND glue. Awesome.
Sonia
October 18, 2015 at 7:20 amGreat idea!
But how much pasta to the rubbing alcohol/dye??
Thanks!
Shanice Jones
July 25, 2018 at 6:10 amgreat plan
Toni
August 6, 2018 at 7:53 pmI was wondering that too. My pasta doesn’t look as dark as yours. What am I doing wrong. Am I using to much alcohol?
Nalini Chugani
October 30, 2018 at 10:27 amThis is such a great idea! Where can we find those plastic containers you used to put the pasta in after its dyed?
Jean Van't Hul
November 2, 2018 at 8:37 amHi Nalini! That’s a segmented hors d’oeuvre tray that I bought at a dollar store. You can find similar ones many places, including thrift stores. They are great for putting different collage materials in!