How to Color Macaroni Beads
Macaroni noodles make great beads for children's projects, but how do you color macaroni without making a mess?
Things You'll Need
- Food Coloring
- Salad Macaroni
- Rubbing Alcohol
- Cookie Sheets
- Large Plastic Bags With Zipper Seal
- Measuring Cups And Spoons
- Small Plastic Containers With Lids
- Paper Towels
- Paper towels
- Cookie sheets
Instructions
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1
Mix 2 tbsp. rubbing alcohol and 3 or 4 drops food coloring in a small container. Set aside.
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2
Pour 1 c. uncooked salad macaroni noodles into a large plastic bag with a zipper-type seal.
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3
Add the colored rubbing alcohol to the bag.
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4
Zip the bag closed.
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5
Squeeze the bag gently with your hands for 1 or 2 minutes until the macaroni is evenly colored.
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6
Cover a cookie sheet with paper towels.
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7
Pour the macaroni out of the bag onto the cookie sheet. Spread it out and let it dry.
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8
Store colored macaroni in small, plastic containers with lids.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Use more or less food coloring to make darker or lighter colors.
Colored macaroni will dry in about 5 minutes.
Make beads using different types of macaroni.
Kids love stringing macaroni. See "Make Macaroni Bead Necklaces," under Related eHows, a great rainy day activity.
Once a macaroni has been colored, it is no longer edible. Warn children not to put it in their mouths.
Raw macaroni is a choking hazard for very young children.
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Comments
View all 7 Comments-
Becky Darling
Dec 13, 2010
I did not have alcohol, so I tried Vinegar and it worked very well. I did use a lot of food coloring just because I wanted it to be vibrant colors.
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pamk
Feb 05, 2009
You definitely need at least 10 drops of food coloring to 2 tablespoons of alcohol. It takes longer than 5 minutes to dry. I ended up using a hairdryer. I would not call the color "saturated", but it's not watercolor-y looking, either. I can't tell much difference between the green & the blue. If you can find less-yellow-colored pasta, it should do better. Yellow dye doesn't show well. In case you need a specific number of pieces (like I did), here's the breakdown: 2lb elbow (3200 pieces- 400 pieces in a cup!) 1 lb rotini (500 pieces) 1 lb shells (500 pieces) 1 lb farfalle (135 pieces)
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pamk
Feb 05, 2009
You definitely need at least 10 drops of food coloring to 2 tablespoons of alcohol. It takes longer than 5 minutes to dry. I ended up using a hairdryer. I would not call the color "saturated", but it's not watercolor-y looking, either. I can't tell much difference between the green & the blue. If you can find less-yellow-colored pasta, it should do better. Yellow dye doesn't show well. In case you need a specific number of pieces (like I did), here's the breakdown: 2lb elbow (3200 pieces- 400 pieces in a cup!) 1 lb rotini (500 pieces) 1 lb shells (500 pieces) 1 lb farfalle (135 pieces)
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alaurable
Jan 23, 2008
I just made these for the first time. After the first batch, I found MUCH more food coloring is needed for vibrant colors. The four drops suggested just rendered light, splotchy color. With 10 drops, I had the brightly colored beads I was hoping for!
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alaurable
Jan 23, 2008
I just made these for the first time. After the first batch, I found MUCH more food coloring is needed for vibrant colors. The four drops suggested just rendered light, splotchy color. With 10 drops, I had the brightly colored beads I was hoping for!
