Dyed Pasta Necklace

{Pasta Necklace by Mia, Age 4}

Materials for Dying Pasta:

• tube shaped pasta
• food coloring
• bowls
• water
• vinegar 
• spoon or slotted spoon
• tin foil
• cookie sheets
• zippered baggies

Directions for Dying Pasta:

1. You will need one cup of water in a bowl per color of pasta you wish to dye.
2. Add 2 tablespoons of vinegar and food coloring. (The directions I found online call for about 20 drops of liquid color, but I used gel food coloring and just used a spoon to blend each color.)
3. Add pasta to the liquid mixture and let soak for about 20-30 minutes. (I used one cup of Ditalini, a short tube-shaped pasta for each color: pink, blue, green, and yellow, but other types of pasta such as macaroni, penne, rigatoni, and wagon wheels will also work if you are planning to use them as beads.)
4. Remove pasta from bowls and set on foil-lined trays. (I used a slotted spoon for this.) Discard dye or use to make coffee filter carnations. Allow pasta to dry over night.
5. Store dried pasta in zippered baggies.

Materials for Making Pasta Necklace:

• previously dyed pasta
• yarn, string, ribbon, etc.
• scissors
• tape (optional)
• cookie sheet or tray (optional)

Directions for Making Pasta Necklace:

1. Cut a length of yarn (or ribbon or string) and tie a knot on one end, making sure that it is large enough to prevent pasta from slipping off. (Tip: I like to actually make a small circle on the end before knotting and then use this as a place to secure the necklace when it is finished.)
2. If desired, wrap a small section of tape around the opposite end of the yarn so that it resembles the end of a shoe lace. This prevents the yarn from fraying when you thread the beads.
3. Thread beads onto necklace as desired. (Tip: I have found that placing a few beads onto a tray-- or cookie sheet if you don't have a tray-- is helpful. It gives you or your child a large enough area to work on, but it prevents the beads from rolling all over the place and making a mess. You can also store works in progress directly on the tray.)
4. Once your necklace is complete, tie off the end to the desired length and trim off excess yarn if necessary.
5. Wear your dyed pasta necklace or give it away, perhaps for Mother's Day.