Pasta Christmas Tree
It’s so easy to make a pasta Christmas tree! Transform simple supplies into beautiful homemade Christmas decorations. Who knew that dried pasta could become so – dare I say – elegant?!
This is such a simple and inexpensive Christmas craft, made with cardstock and pasta noodles. It’s fun for both kids and adults – a perfect activity for the holiday season. Use our free printable template to create 3 different sizes of pasta trees!
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DIY Christmas Tree from Pasta
Materials:
- Cardstock(or thin cardboard)
- Shell pasta(medium size, uncooked)
- Silver spray paint
- Red ribbon
- Free Printable Cone template
Instructions:
Step 1: Find what you need
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Gather your supplies and materials.
Step 2: Make the cone
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Print out the cone template (link in materials list above) and cut along the line for the cone size of your choice.
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Trace the cone template on to cardstock.
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Cut the cardstock along the marked line.
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Roll up the cardstock into a cone shape and secure it with scotch tape.
Step 3: Attach the first row of pasta shells to the cone
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Add a bit of hot glue on the back of the pasta shell (the rounded side) near the point of the shell.
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Attach the shell to the bottom of the cone while the cone is sitting flat on your table or work surface.Place the pasta so the bottom part sticks out at an angle and touches the table. This will ensure the tree sits flat once it’s complete.
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You should now be able to see where the glue needs to be placed on the cone. Apply a short line of glue from the glue gun, enough to attach several pasta shells.
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Attach the next few pasta shells. Make sure to keep the cone flat on the table and place the shells so the top points line up at the same height.
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Continue to add small lines of glue and attach the pasta shells as you go, completing the bottom row.
Step 4: Fill the rest of the cone with pasta shells
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Add glue to the back of a pasta shell to start the second row.
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Place the shell above and in between two shells from the first row.
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Apply a short line of glue for the next few pasta shells.
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Continue adding pasta shells to fill the second row.
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Keep adding rows of pasta in the same way until you reach the top of the cone.You may need to pick and choose the shells that will fit properly as you finish each row (some shells are rolled more tightly than others and will be able to squeeze in smaller spaces).
Step 5: Spray paint the pasta tree
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Once the hot glue has dried, remove any long strands of glue.Hold the tree at the top and spray paint the bottom, making sure to cover the bottom of the shells in the first row.(Be sure to use spray paint outside or in a well ventilated area.)
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Spray paint the rest of the tree and allow it to dry for about 30 minutes.
Step 6: Add a bow (optional)
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Cut a piece of ribbon (around 10 inches) and tie it into a bow.
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Apply glue tape or hot glue to the back of the bow.
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Attach the bow to the top of the pasta tree.
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Your pasta Christmas tree is complete!
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Make different sizes of noodle Christmas trees using our printable template for a fun and festive grouping!
Grab the free printable cone template here:
Take the guess work out of making a perfect cone shape by using our cone template! Click the link below to open the pdf template, and then print the template on cardstock.
You can also use regular printer paper and trace the cut out cone shape onto cardstock or cardboard.
>>>Free printable cone template<<<
There are 3 cone sizes – 6.5 inch, 8 inch and 9.5 inch. We used the medium (8 inch) size cone for the pasta Christmas tree featured in the tutorial above.
What size Christmas trees does the cone template make?
The small tree is 6-1/2 inches tall, the medium tree is 8 inches tall, and the large tree is 9-1/2 inches tall.
How much pasta do I need to make a noodle Christmas tree?
You can probably make 3 – 4 trees (depending on their size) out of a regular 1 pound box of pasta shells. We had a large bag of pasta (around 2 pounds) and used about half of it to make 2 small trees, 1 medium, and 1 large tree.
Can I use a different type of pasta for this pasta craft?
We love the look of the pasta shells, but you can definitely use other types of pasta to make your tree. Both bowtie pasta (placed sideways) and penne look great on a pasta tree.
How else can I decorate my pasta Christmas tree?
There are so many different ways to customize the decorations on your pasta tree! You can add bowtie or wagon wheel pasta as the star on top of the tree, or you could string ditalini pasta on fishing line as a garland.
You can also glue beads or sequins to the inside of the pasta shells to look like Christmas ornaments, or brush mod podge on the tree and sprinkle it with glitter.
How can I colour the pasta without spray paint?
If you don’t want to use spray paint you can use a paint brush and acrylic paint to paint your pasta Christmas tree. Or make your own coloured pasta by dying it with food colouring!
These festive pasta Christmas trees look amazing on a mantel or as a centerpiece! Spray paint them silver, or choose another holiday colour like gold, metallic green, or red. You could even paint them white for a snowy looking Christmas tree!
Here’s even more pasta craft ideas:
Our book Low-Mess Crafts for Kids is loaded with 72 fun and simple craft ideas for kids! The projects are fun, easy and most importantly low-mess, so the clean up is simple!
Where to buy:
You can purchase Low-Mess Crafts for Kids from Amazon, or wherever books are sold:
Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Books- A- Million | Indiebound | Indigo | Amazon Canada
