How to Make Colorful Pasta Jewelry

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When it comes to craft supplies from the cupboard, few things are as cheap and versatile as pasta. Kids have probably been making art out of noodles since noodles were invented. One of the most popular uses for them is jewelry making.

The macaroni necklace is a perennial favorite of the younger set. It’s easy to make and fun to give as a gift for any occasion. Kids can color the noodles with food coloring to make a lovely piece. This makes a great rainy day project or an inexpensive birthday party craft for small children. Here’s how to do it.

Supplies

* Macaroni or other stringable pasta
* Rubbing alcohol
* Food coloring
* Small food storage bowls with lids
* Spoon
* Paper towels
* Fishing line or dental floss

Instructions

1. Pour just enough rubbing alcohol into a bowl to cover the amount of pasta you wish to color. Add enough food coloring to create the desired shade and stir.

2. Pour pasta into the alcohol mixture. Cover and let sit for about 15 minutes.

3. Drain alcohol mixture off of pasta. Lay out paper towels in a safe place, and spread pasta out on them to dry. Let sit for a few hours to ensure that the dye does not come off when handled.

4. Cut a piece of fishing line or dental floss long enough to make a necklace that can be put on over the head. String on pasta in alternating colors.

5. Tie ends of string together securely.

Tips

* Use pasta that is as light in color as possible. Pasta with yellow coloring will not turn out exactly the same color as the dye.

* If you prefer not to dye the pasta, use pasta that is already colored.

* Try using different shapes and sizes of pasta for variety.

* Add some Cheerios or other O-shaped foods to your necklace as accents.

* For a more refined look, add some clay or plastic beads.

* For a bracelet or anklet, substitute elastic string for the fishing line or dental floss.

* For darker color, leave the noodles in the coloring solution overnight. Keep in mind, however, that they will take longer to dry.

* Try painting the pasta. Use a thin paintbrush and poster paint to add designs or lettering.

* Make some pasta earrings to go with your necklace, bracelet or anklet. Just poke a small hole at the top of two pieces of pasta, and add an ear wire to each to make a unique pair of dangle earrings.

* Keep in mind that pasta jewelry won’t last forever. It will eventually break or start looking shabby. The good news is that it’s easy to make more.

Nature’s Art Box: From t-shirts to twig baskets, 65 cool projects for crafty kids to make with natural materials you can find anywhere. Grade 4-8-Martin contends that nature provides us with an abundance of art supplies and she invites readers to make use of these bounties in these 65 projects. She classifies the activities according to the material required: vines, twigs, cones, and moss; gourds, pods, husks, and seeds; clay, stones, sand, and shells; paints, inks, and dyes; flowers and leaves; and stamps, stencils, molds, and seals. Each chapter includes information about historical and ethnic uses for the natural substances. Projects range from baskets, picture frames, wreaths, necklaces, and gift wrap to body paint, amulet bags, and painted stones; from a chess set to shell buttons to an okra pod canoe and people. The projects display a respect for nature and art, and a simple, subtle beauty; they are not the cutesy, stylized projects described in so many contemporary books.

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