Mother's Day Pasta Necklace Craft | Mer Mag

Pasta Necklace | Mer Mag

We’re re-thinking the macaroni Necklace this Mothers Day and coming up with few modern versions! Miss M and I had a lot of fun playing with pasta and we love our necklaces. In fact I love my necklace so much that I wish it was more durable than manicotti pasta noodles! I have a few other necklace ideas for our fun painted pasta and hope to drop a few more of those for you throughout the week so keep watch for those.

Jon helped me put together this sweet little video with Miss M. I love how it shows her working through stringing the noodles, scooping and sorting through the pasta noodles and making decisions. All important developmental milestones for a 2 and half year old. But you don’t have to be 2 1/2 to get into this! All my kids are totally on board – and I’ll admit that I’m a bit obsessed too!

pastaThere are so many ways to color pasta – such as dying it naturally (which I want to try next!). We painted ours using various types of paint. For the dark teal blue ones we spray painted a group of  various noodles together. My boys thought this looked like the coolest thing ever. I agree that it was really was fun to see the transformation. Playing with Pasta | Mer MagWe also hand painted some of them which all the kids really got into (especially the younger two).Playing with Pasta | Mer MagI chose to stick with just three colors. I’m a big fan of limiting a kids color palette. I think it helps them when making artistic decisions and plants little design seeds into their creative minds by not overwhelming them with too much information (although a rainbow of colors can be equally beautiful if done right so definitely play around with that at times too). Playing with Pasta | Mer MagBefore stringing the pasta noodles you can have your little one work on coordination exercises – such as having your toddler scoop from one bowl to the next. Encourage preschoolers to sort out colors, make groupings, do counting activities and more. The sound and texture of the pasta is really a fun sensory experience.

Playing with Pasta | Mer MagPlaying with Pasta | Mer MagAfter playing around I gave miss M a bit of ribbon to string on the pasta noodles. We taped off one end of a ribbon to make a point so that it was extra easy for little hands to work with.

Playing with Pasta | Mer MagMother's Day Pasta Necklace Craft | Mer MagMiss M made the sweetest necklace and we even made a few pasta bow hair ties for her little piggies. DSC_0218DSC_0268Mother's Day Pasta Necklace Craft | Mer Mag(on Miss M: Bonton Favori Flouced top and Olive Juice Kids Cotton Spring skirt in Kiwi. on Me: Baggy Muslin Abaya Linen dress)

I had been eyeing the manicotti noodles for a “mommy necklace” and she helped me put it together. Was so fun. I really think she loved seeing me with one too! A sweet little Mommy and Me moment for us.

Mother's Day Pasta Necklace Craft | Mer Mag

And if you don’t have any little ones around, don’t worry, you can still totally get into this. I’d totally sport a pasta necklace at a get together with friends right?Mother's Day Pasta Necklace Craft | Mer MagPlaying with Pasta | Mer MagThis year at Alt Summit 2015 I met a great group of ladies that are equally passionate about encouraging kids to create – The Rockin’ Art Moms! It was so cool to chat with them about life creating with kids. I brought up process art and the macaroni necklace and we realized that none of us had ever made the quintenssional macaroni necklace kids craft (as adults on our blogs – I think most of us made something like it as kids). So I suggested we all do a macaroni necklace DIY (or really anything out of Pasta!) and encourage our readers to join in on the fun! Thus the #themacaronichallenge was born!

macaroni_challenge_IG

Check out these other creative pasta craft ideas and join is in noodling around!

Macaroni Frames // Pink Stripey Socks

Art Assemblage with Kids // Art Bar

Painted Macaroni Necklaces // MollyMoo

Modern Pasta Necklaces // Mer Mag

Pretty Pasta Pendants // Pysselbolaget

Pasta Sculptures with Preschoolers // Meri Cherry

Macaroni Pom-Pom Flower Necklace //  Willowday

Pasta Art Activities for Kids // The Artful Parent

A Modern Macaroni Masterpiece // Handmakery

Stained Glass Pasta // Babble Dabble Do

Pasta Drawing Prompts // Picklebums

Painted Pasta Art // Learn Play Imagine

Mosaic Art Project for Kids // from Buggy and Buddy

Macaroni Mosaics // Tiny Rotten Peanuts

Spaghetti Tower Marshmallow Challenge // Tinkerlab

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Here’s how it works: Create your own unique pasta project (or do one of our projects) and post a picture in one or both of these two places:

1. The Rockin Art for Kids Facebook Page

2.  Instagram using the hashtag #TheMacaroniChallenge 

Challenge ends on May 10th, 2015. During this week the Rockin’ Art Moms will be sharing some of our favorite projects on our Facebook Pages.

BONUS: Everyone who joins us in the 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.

Dreamy Prize basket giveaway will include books from the Rockin’ Art Moms:

Playful (from Me!)  // The Artful Parent and The Artful Year from The Artful Parent // Tinkerlab from Tinkerlab //150 Screen Free Activities for Kid from Fun at Home with Kid // Happy Handmade (ebook) from MollyMoo

 

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28 Comments

  1. Reply

    Michelle McInerney | MollyMooCrafts

    April 27, 2015

    Love the big chunky pasta tubes, fun size pasta for kids for sure xxx
    …..and your video is adorable

    • Reply

      Merrilee

      April 27, 2015

      thank you Michelle! xo Mer

  2. Reply

    Gina

    April 27, 2015

    You have humor, education, fun and beauty all wrapped up in one great project. I love the oversized cannelloni necklace! I also really love that you mentioned limiting colors! It’s such a great techque for all te reasons that you mentioned and also boosting the formula for a balanced project. A favorite art teacher I know was once asked what was her trick to producing such beautiful toddler art and she answered that “she knew when to stop” this made me think you your thinking, too? Agreed. Love this. (and the little 2 1/2 year old!)

    • Reply

      Merrilee

      May 1, 2015

      love it Gina! And love what your art teacher mentioned. I agree…limiting their colors and options bring out beautiful creativity.

  3. Reply

    Bar

    April 28, 2015

    merrilee i love everything here! the colors, the photos (even your paint bowls are aesthetically pleasing). you have such a knack for beauty. also…very creative using the big pasta! they truly look like big wooden beads! xo bar

    • Reply

      Merrilee

      May 9, 2015

      Thanks Dear!!

  4. Reply

    Nadine

    April 29, 2015

    Yeah that’s a great idea. By the way where are the beautyful black girls sandals from?

    • Reply

      Merrilee

      May 1, 2015

      Thanks Nadine! The sandals are Salt Water Sandals and can be found in a number of stores online (these are actually navy blue but I do believe they have black ones too). xo Mer

  5. Reply

    Pysselbolaget

    April 29, 2015

    Again I’m think I’m in the wrong country! Only in America can you get pasta the size of paper tubes! I love them, and I love the fact your little girl thought of giving you a necklace as well. My little girl is big now, but I have a drawer full of necklaces from her, made in all sorts of materials. And I’m keeping them all 😉

    • Reply

      Merrilee

      May 1, 2015

      oh wow, no Manicotti noodles over there huh? Well I still think you have better pickings for a great many more things! xo

  6. Reply

    Ana

    April 29, 2015

    I love these! The huge pasta is so cool. And the video is lovely!

    • Reply

      Merrilee

      May 1, 2015

      thanks Ana! xo

  7. Reply

    Jennie

    May 1, 2015

    I’m completely in love with the barrettes! I’m not a fan of pasta necklaces (usually) but you’ve won me over. 🙂 Pinning!

    • Reply

      Merrilee

      May 1, 2015

      we love the barrettes too! thank you. And it’s fun to get a new look at pasta necklaces right? xo Mer

  8. Reply

    dana

    May 7, 2015

    This is so gorgeous…the colors, the photos, the project.
    I think my favorite part is the noodle hairclips! Genius 🙂

    • Reply

      Merrilee

      May 7, 2015

      oh thank you!

      xo
      mer

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