Dyed Pasta Necklaces

Today we are playing along for the first time with Christie from Childhood 101.  Once you have read this fun "We Play" post you can head over to the Childhood 101 We Play Link Up and check out what other families have been playing lately.

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Pasta necklaces have been a HUGE crafting hit in our family.  Mum loves the price, Brian loves the "threading",  Daddy loves being silly wearing necklaces around his head and the Mum's at Playgroup think I know what I'm doing.

Here's how to make some dyed pasta necklaces for yourself:

1.  Start with some white vinegar (or water), food colouring, pasta (tubes, so you can thread them) and zip lock bags.

2.  Add a small amount of vinegar (or water) to a zip lock bag and then a few drops (I went nuts and did about 10) of food colouring to the bag.

3.  Pour in some pasta.

4.  Mix it up and then drain straight away on paper towel lined plates.  Repeat with remaining colours.

5.  Once the pasta has drained off I dried mine on baking racks.  So that the paper towel didn't stick and continue to make the pasta soggy.

6.  When the pasta is completely dry add them to a container and mix them up.  Use some string (I used a plastic craft string available by the roll from a $2 shop) and let your child start threading.  It's best to tie one piece of pasta to the end of the string so they don't keep falling off.  Also if you can find the plastic string it's more sturdy and easier for the kids to thread.

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[Tips]:

• I dyed half of my pasta in water and the other half in vinegar and didn't really find much of a difference. Obviously the vinegar smells a little, but it's not too harsh.
• You will notice that my pasta has little cracks in it.  And I'm not sure if that's due to the pasta quality or dying process?  In any case these pasta pieces have held up for lots and lots of play and repeated "empty the container all over the floor" games.  Some pieces have shattered over time.
• Next time I would buy pasta that is cut on a straight line and not a diagonal so they sit better on the necklace.  And I'd probably try a pasta that has grooves in the surface, hoping that will avoid the cracked look.
• This makes an awesome birthday gift.  It's super cheap and easy to make and provides hours of fun.