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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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:
Bow Tie Pasta Ornaments
Pasta Snowflakes
Pasta Flowers Craft
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!
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