Easy Pasta Necklace

Most little girls love making easy pasta necklaces – really, they like any and all jewelry crafts, don’t they? We used dyed pasta to make these adorable, quick, and easy necklaces. With Spring coming up soon, these necklaces will bring the burst of Spring colors in your home!

easy pasta necklace

Did you know there are over 350 types of pasta around the world? That’s a lot of pasta necklaces! Pasta has a fun and rich history that you could include in your necklace-making adventures.

pasta necklace for kids

Here are some fascinating, fun facts about pasta!

Fun Pasta Facts

  • The word pasta originates from the word “paste” which means combining wheat and flour.
  • Chinese people have been known to eat pasta since 5,000 B.C.— move over Italiano friends!
  • The noble Thomas Jefferson is credited for introducing macaroni to the United States. He fell in love with a macaroni dish in Naples. Can macaroni and cheese lovin’ kids squeal right there?!
  • Flat pastas work better in cream-sauce recipes while round pasta clings better to the tomato-based sauces.
  • October is national Pasta Month. Any excuse to make extra lasagna is a good one!
  • A French man by the name of Antoine Zerega established the first pasta factory in America in Brooklyn, New York, in 1848.

easy pasta necklace kids can make

We had a great time making our necklaces. I was happy to see that my almost two-year-old enjoyed this project almost as much as my preschooler. As we were making them, the girls wanted to make a necklace for everyone! Their list of recipients kept growing and growing — by the end it included grandmothers, Sunday School teachers, and everyone between! These pasta necklaces are famous for Mother’s Day gifts, but why not give them as “Just Because I Love You” gifts?

Easy Pasta Necklace

Materials:
– various types of pasta
– rubbing alcohol
– food coloring
– plastic cups or bowls
– plastic spoons
– yarn
– plastic yarn needles (available at Walmart)
– hot glue gun

Directions:
1. First, you’re going to need to dye your pasta. I did this without my girls since they’re so young. It’s not a terribly messy process, but I knew we would have tons of stained clothes on our hands if I let them participate. For full instructions, see this blog post.
2. Attach bow tie pasta to tube-style noodles using a hot glue gun. We also glued some other noodles together to make larger beads and attached a tube to the back for easy stringing. Again, my little girls are too young to help with this, but older children may enjoy this process with proper supervision.
3. Allow time for your kiddos to explore the pasta – they’re going to want to touch it and examine it before they settle down and get to work.
4. After they’ve had time to explore, have children arrange their pasta “beads” into beautiful patterns.
5. Using the yarn and plastic needle, string pasta until you’ve reached the desired length.
6. Leave a long tail so the necklace is easy to put on and take off.

Got extra cute and colorful pasta sitting around? Don’t throw it away! You can save it for more fun crafts or sensory bins. Do you have a toddler who is learning her colors? Toss the colored pasta on a large work surface and teach color sorting skills. You can also take pasta and glue them onto paper for some simple art projects. Have fun with your amazing pasta!

If you have any leftover pasta that has not been dyed, try Super Simple Chicken Alfredo Recipe. It’s great for a craft/cooking lesson and helps you get a creamy, cheesy dinner on the meal in 30 minutes or less. It’s also great for guests if you serve it with a fresh green salad and garlic bread.

Want more kid-friendly recipes and craft ideas? Follow Lauren on Pinterest or Daisy Cottage Designs.