How to Make a Macaroni Necklace

by
Project Summary
  • Total Duration: 1 hr
  • Difficulty Level: Suitable for kids

We pasta-tively adore this craft! Creating macaroni necklaces is a wonderful activity for children of every age. If you are a busy parent—letting your child work on these as you prepare your own pasta dinner makes excellent use of time and creates an opportunity for family connection in the kitchen.

For little children, crafting pasta necklaces provides a terrific way to develop fine motor abilities through threading practice. Older kids can also have fun creating macaroni necklaces by trying different ways to fasten the pasta to the string, or adding “friendship bracelet” knots and designs.

Pasta can be dyed and colored in numerous ways. You may follow the technique described below, which resembles dyeing Easter eggs, or choose acrylic or tempera paint to decorate each pasta piece separately. A fine-tipped paint brush can also be used to apply accents such as stripes or dots to your completed painted or dyed pasta necklace.

Macaroni necklaces are only the beginning. Plenty of other crafts for kids can be created with pasta. Try making bracelets, hair clips, garlands, and shellfish. Use this necklace as a starting point for exploring additional art projects.

Supplies Needed

Tools / Equipment

  • 1 jar or bowl containing 2 cups of water
  • Baking sheet or platter
  • Cord
  • Pair of scissors
  • Paintbrush (optional)
  • Colander (optional)

Supplies

  • Selection of uncooked pasta: macaroni, rigatoni, penne, ditalini, ziti (the pasta possibilities are limitless!)
  • Paint or coloring for food
  • 1/2 cup of vinegar
  • Transparent acrylic finishing spray (optional)

Directions

։

  1. Mix Vinegar with Water

    Begin by coloring your pasta. The process is very similar to coloring an egg. Combine vinegar, water, and dye to create the mixture. Use one jar for each shade.

    1. To begin coloring, pour 2 cups of water into a large jar or bowl.
    2. Add 1/2 cup of vinegar to the water.

    Create a Rainbow of Shades

    For pasta in several colors, prepare multiple jars or bowls filled with water and vinegar.

  2. Place Pasta in Water and Vinegar

    Put the pasta you wish to color into the water-and-vinegar solution.

  3. Stir Paint or Food Coloring into the Mixture

    Add paint, or 4 to 5 drops of food coloring (use more for a richer shade), to the water-and-vinegar solution. The mixture should be highly concentrated with the color you intend to use on your pasta.

  4. Let Pasta Soak in the Jar or Bowl

    1. Leave the pasta submerged in the coloring solution for 20 minutes.
    2. Remove a piece occasionally to see how the color is developing.
    3. When the shade looks too pale, let it sit longer or mix additional pigment into the water and vinegar.

  5. Allow Pasta to Dry on a Cookie Sheet or Tray

    1. Carefully empty the dye solution into the sink. A colander can help prevent any pasta from going down the drain.
    2. Transfer the colored pasta to a cookie sheet or tray, then leave it out to dry.
    3. Let the pasta dry for approximately 30 minutes.

  6. Cut the String with Scissors

    1. First, measure the string to determine the desired length of your necklace.
    2. After choosing the length, cut the string with a pair of scissors.

  7. Make a Knot in the String

    Pass the string through one pasta piece, then secure it with a knot. This keeps the remaining pasta beads from slipping off.

  8. String Pasta onto the Cord

    1. When using hollow pasta shapes such as penne, ziti, rigatoni, or ditalini, take the loose end of the string and pass it through eachpiece of pasta.
    2. Keep threading pasta “beads” onto your necklace until it looks finished to you.
    3. For more space between the beads, try making sizable knots in the string between each one.

  9. Fasten the Necklace

    1. Leave sufficient string at either end so you can fasten the necklace shut.
    2. For a secure closure, take the threading end and pass the string through the first pasta bead attached to it.
    3. Next, knot the two string ends together to seal the necklace.
    4. If desired, decorate your pasta necklace with painted accents.

    Preserve the Color

    For paint or dye to remain on the pasta through extended use, think about coating the completed project with a transparent acrylic finishing spray.

Leave a Comment