Crafting from pasta may sound like a craft from VBS in the 80’s but I promise, these bright and beautiful painted macaroni beads look all modern. Making these snazzy beads is quick and easy and a fun little process for your kiddos!
What do you need….
Pasta, any kind. We used our colored pasta for beads so we only chose to use pasta that had a hole to use for beading, like penne, rigatoni, macaroni, or ziti. If you were making this pasta to use as part of a sensory bin or collage feel free to use any shape.
You’ll also need paint. We used craft acrylic paint. I love it because it is inexpensive and comes in tons of great colors. However, it isn’t washable so use what works for your kiddos. Tempera paint would also work just fine.
Grab a few sandwich bags and some parchment paper from the pantry and you’re set.
Macaroni beads coming up…..
A bright coat of paint transforms pasta into something totally new. This process is one even the youngest artists can enjoy.
Put a handful of pasta into a Ziploc bag and add a squirt of paint. Start with one color or choose two and watch them mix. Shake, roll, and squish till the pasta is coated by the color.
Pour colored pasta out onto a piece of parchment paper and use fingers to separate it a bit.
What to do with these beautiful beads….
We added some accents using metallic Sharpie markers on the beads once they were dry. The metallic makes really beautiful accents on the pieces that already have a texture, like the penne pasta. Patterns and designs can be made on the smooth pieces, like the macaroni.
String them together on colorful and inexpensive hemp cord to create a necklace, a bracelet, or zipper pull. I love this cord for any type of beading or jewelry project for kids because it’s a little stiff. This makes it easier for kids to manipulate.
If you enjoyed making these colorful macaroni beads please consider sharing this post. Every single share helps me to bring you more fun projects and free printables!
[supsystic-gallery id=’28’]
