Pasta Craft Ideas for Kids

School is soon to be over for the year. Little fingers will be into things they are not to be in. Kids will be complaining, "I'm board." What's a parent to do! Lets keep those little fingers busy with pasta crafts this summer.

If you are looking for some craft ideas to keep your children busy this summer, for at least an hour every now and then, I have some pasta crafts that about any age can do. Pasta crafts are very easy and don't require a lot of supplies. Basically the supplies are in your cupboards. If you have a toddler that still likes to put things in their mouths, I recommend that pasta crafts are not for them.

There are all different shapes and sizes of pasta. The next time you are at the store, pick up several bags. Pasta is very inexpensive, and you can even die it your self for an assortment of colors.

Here are a few ideas for your preschool age.

1. Decorate Jars - As you empty that pickle or mayo jar, wash, remove label and let air-dry. Let your preschooler fill the jars with an assortment of different shapes and sizes of pasta. These jars make a pretty decorative display in your preschooler's room. Different size and shapes of jars make a great display also.

2. Pipe Cleaners - Use pasta like, elbow macaroni, and let your preschooler thread the pasta onto the pipe cleaner then he or she can bend the pipe cleaner into different shapes.
Make sure you twist the ends so the pasta doesn't fall off.

These decorative shapes can be hung on different thing is the house and your preschool and act like it's an art gallery to show off his or her work.

Here are some ideas for your grade-schooler and up.

1. Bracelets and Necklaces - Using fishing line or jewelry thread, your grade-schooler can thread pasta to make beautiful jewelry. Different sizes and shapes of pasta will make the jewelry more interesting.

2. Make a Photo Frame - Take white cardboard and cut out the size of frame you want. You can use the cardboard that comes on the back of an actual picture frame, for a template. Then cut out the middle to fit the size of the photo you want to put in the frame. Glue different sizes of pasta shapes onto the frame, tape the picture on the back of the frame and you have a beautiful picture frame. You can even glue a magnet on the back of the cardboard for it to go on the refrigerator.

3. Landscape Scenes or Portraits - By using spaghetti and linguini, your child can make beautiful landscape scenes or self-portraits. The noodles have to be boiled just until soft. Then press the pasta onto construction paper. As the pasta dries it will stick to the construction paper.

Your child might want to draw his or her picture with crayons or a pencil before applying the pasta.

How to color pasta yourself.

Always supervise your child or do this yourself.

1. Boil a pan of water and add a handful of the kind of pasta your child wants to use for his or her picture. Add a tablespoon of cooking oil so the pasta doesn't stick together.

2. In order to color the pasta, add food coloring to the boiling pasta. Make sure you use a different pot for each individual color or wash pot between each coloring.

3. After you have cooked the pasta according to the directions of the package, drain the pasta.

4. Rinse the pasta with cold water, well.

5. Lay it out on paper towels to dry. Try to separate the pieces of pasta so they are not lying on top of each other, let cool before handling.

Now your child can design their picture. When the picture is finished, cover it with a sheet of wax paper and lay something heavy like, a phone book on top of the wax paper. Let the picture dry for a few hours. Remove the heavy object you used. The pasta will be flat, dried and stuck to the construction paper.