How to Dye Pasta For Crafts

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Dyeing and crafting with pasta can be a creative learning experience for youngsters and caregivers alike. There are many ways to color pasta including using craft paint, natural dyes from fruits and veggies, or even spray paint. This classic method uses food coloring.

Image Credit: Kelly Smith

Things You'll Need

  • Dried pasta, various shapes and sizes

  • Hand sanitizer (or rubbing alcohol)

  • Re-sealable plastic bags

  • Liquid food coloring

  • Wax/freezer paper

  • Decorative tape (optional)

  • Yarn (optional)

Image Credit: Kelly Smith

Easy as Squirt, Pour, Shake and Wait

Step 1: Squirt

Open up a re-sealable plastic bag and add one to two squirts of hand sanitizer. This helps the dye evenly coat the pasta. You can use one teaspoon of rubbing alcohol instead, but hand sanitizer is less messy.

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Image Credit: Kelly Smith

Step 2: Pour

Add in 20 to 30 drops of liquid food coloring. The fewer drops used, the lighter the finished product will be.

Image Credit: Kelly Smith

Step 3: Shake

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Add a handful of each type of pasta to the bag and seal tightly before lightly shaking the bag to evenly distribute the color.

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Image Credit: Kelly Smith
Image Credit: Kelly Smith

Tip

Make small batches in a variety of colors to maximize impact and artistic possibilities.

Step 4: Wait

Pour the dyed pasta out onto a piece of wax or freezer paper in an even layer and allow it to dry overnight.

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Image Credit: Kelly Smith
Image Credit: Kelly Smith

Make a Necklace

With a piece of tape, yarn and dyed pasta beads, there's a necklace in the making.

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Image Credit: Kelly Smith

Step 1:

Roll a small piece of tape onto the end of some yarn to make adding noodles easier for little fingers. The tape acts as an aglet.

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Image Credit: Kelly Smith

Step 2:

String pasta onto the yarn. Alternate the colors and sizes of pasta beads according to preference.

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Image Credit: Kelly Smith

Step 3:

Tie knots in between the larger noodles to hold them in place.

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Image Credit: Kelly Smith

Step 4:

Cut off the excess yarn once the necklace is your desired length and roll a small piece of tape on the end to form a matching aglet. Tie a bow and wear the necklace proudly.

Tip

Dyed pasta can also be used for children's crafts to practice sorting, making patterns, or creating artwork of all kinds.

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