Making Pasta Angel Ornaments

Craft: Noodle Angels

While looking for an old post of mine, I found requests for instructions on how to make the Macaroni Angels. I am so sorry I didn't see them before last night. I have taken pictures with the list of materials needed and if the instructions are not clear enough please email me and I will answer any questions. Again I apologize for not answering sooner.

Editors Note: We have set Vi's submission up as a craft project, including her photos with accompanying instructions. We have also recreated a materials list and instructions separate from, but in addition to, the photo notes and lists. Thanks to Great Granny Vi for providing the answer to your feedback. Enjoy.

Materials:

• wooden beads 16mm - some already have faces painted on them
• craft paint - white and hair colors (black, brown, tans, etc.)
• pasta - bowtie (farfalle) for wings, small elbow (arms), and rigatoni (body)
• rice for the hair
• gold thread for hanging
• gold chenille stems or gold wedding bands for halos
• narrow ribbon for the bows
• cardstock or any scraps from old greeting cards that are colored on one side for song books
• tacky glue or hot glue and glue gun

The "heads" had the faces painted on already. I painted the rice "hair" after it was glued on. On some, I used hot glue. For others, when I had the time, I glued with tacky glue. These angels are only 2 1/2 inches long. It depends on the size of the pasta pieces.

Directions:

I glue the pasta together and then paint it white.

I pull a loop of gold thread (or thin fishing line) through the hole in the bead, stuff glue in and around the hole and dip it in the rice.

Let it dry, being sure the hanger is secure.

After the body is dry and the head is dry, I glue the head to the body and paint the rice hair color. Then make a bow and glue it at the neck.

Fold a piece of cardstock or stiff colored paper for the song book and glue it between the arms. And you are done!

They make nice package ties or Christmas ornaments. They do take a lot of time. I try to assembly line them.

I took off one arm so you could see how they are glued on and how the "book" is glued between the hands.

Macaroni (Pasta) Angel Ornaments

These are instructions for making macaroni angel Christmas ornaments. My mom Susan made these for all of her children and friends many years ago. I was a young child at the time and thought it was just about the coolest thing ever. Ornaments like these adorn our trees to this day.

This project does take some time waiting for parts to dry. I would suggest doing a few at the same time, step by step, this way when you are done you will have more than one and can give them away to all your friends and family.

The cost of the supplies can be expensive because some of the pastas are unique, but most are available in a good supermarket (you can cook all the leftovers!). You can make lots of angels or eat the leftover pasta. We've made these to look like different people.

Supplies:

• wheel pasta (collar)
• bowtie/farfalle pasta (wings)
• elbow macaroni (arms)
• Rigatoni pasta (body)(
• Acini di pepe (small little balls) pasta (hair)

Paint:

• gold tempura/acrylic paint
• brown tempura/acrylic paint
• white tempura/acrylic paint
• black tempura/acrylic paint
• gold spray paint
• white spray paint
• gold glitter paint (for accents)

• thin tip permanent marker or if your so lucky to have one, a wood burner
• gold and/or iridescent pipe cleaners
• clear glue
• hair colored embroidery thread (for long hair)
• natural unfinished wooden beads (20mm)

1. Glue a wheel pasta on top of a rigatoni pasta. Let dry completely.

2. Attach two elbow macaroni to the sides of the rigatoni right under the wheel pasta as arms. Let dry completely.

3. Attach a bow tie pasta to the rigatoni on the opposite side as the arms. This will be the wings. Let dry completely.

4. Once everything is dry you can decide if you want to paint the body or if you want to keep in natural looking. It is recommended that if you want to keep it natural colored to spray it with shellac so it won't absorb moisture.

Angel Heads (wooden beads):

1. Paint the bead the color you would like, let dry.
2. For short hair, put glue on the bead where you would like hair (leave room for face) and roll in the anici di pepe pasta, let dry, then paint it the color desired. These look good all the same color (see little gold angel).

3. For long hair, put some glue inside the bead hole then take a few strands of embroidery floss and stuff it part way down into the hole, let dry. Then take glue and put it on the wooden bead where you would like the hair to fall, press the embroidery floss on to the glue, let dry.

4. Draw on a face with a thin tipped permanent marker or burn features on with a wood burner.
5. Cut down one of the pipe cleaners and attach the two ends together to make a circle. This will be the halo. Glue to the top of the head.

Putting It All Together:

1. If you want the bodies to be a different color than the head, make sure to spray paint them before putting the angel together. If you want them all one color including the head, leave off the halo and spray paint the whole angel, flipping it over once it is dried on one side.
2. To attach the head to the body, take another short piece of pipe cleaner and put glue on one end and stick it into the middle of the wheel pasta. Put glue on the other end and place that end into the hole in the wooden bead, this will help secure the head in place. Now glue around the bottom of the wooden bead where the head touches the wheel pasta, for extra security.

Finishing Touches:

1. Now your angel is put together and can be embellished with glitter paint if desired.
2. Put a string through the wheel near the wings and tie the two ends together, to hang. Normally we use a very thin gold cord for the hanger, thin ribbon will also work.

3. You can make these look like your friends and family by adjusting the skin color, hair color, eye color etc. You can even write the name of the person on a piece of leather or fabric and glue to the lower part of the angel body.

Craft By Susan Sanders-Kinzel and Stella Sanders Rivét

By Stella Bui-Rivet

Craft Project: Pasta Angel

This is an ornament that the kids can help make. A nice addition to the tree. My version is rather unique since I use a tree branch for the body, a bead from an old car seat for the head, and popcorn for the hair.

Supplies:

• tree branch about the size of your finger
• Bead for the head, any bead will do
• Popcorn hair
• Bowtie for wings
• Elbow macaroni for the wings
• Gold Chenille stem for Halo
• about 12 inches of red ribbon and a small piece of cardstock for the book
• Hot glue or thick tacky white glue
• White acrylic paint and small paintbrush
• Sharpies, red and black for face features

Instructions:

Glue bead to top of branch. Add popcorn for the hair, arranging around the face.

Glue Bowtie pasta to the back for wings, and elbow macaroni to the sides for arms. At this point, paint the entire angel white. Using picture as a guide, make eyes and mouth with sharpies. tie a bow and glue under the chin.

Cut a piece of card stock about 1/2x1 inch and fold in half for the song book. Wrap the chenille stem around a sharpie to form a halo, and cut to size. Glue to the top of the head. Glue ribbon to top of head inside the halo to form the hanger.

The instructions are also in a PDF file for which you may need Acrobat Reader to view. Download Acrobat Reader

Click Here to download the Pasta Angel Instructions in PDF format.

By Harlean from Hot Springs, Arkansas

By Harlean Greathouse