Homemade Pasta Bead Necklace
For this week’s ScholarShare 529 Toddler Time at Home, we are creating homemade pasta beads and using them to create necklaces! Play with colors and develop your little one’s fine motor and sensory skills with this fun and simple activity. This project requires some prep time so we suggest preparing the beads a day in advance.
guidelines + materials
AGE: 4 and under
TIME FRAME: 1 hour (1 day for pasta to dry)
SUPPLIES:
- Rigatoni Pasta
- Plastic Bags
- Food Coloring
- Water
- Baking Sheet
- Parchment Paper
- Paper Towels
- Straws
- Scissors
- Cheerios
- String
- Tape
Toddler Time at Home: Pasta Bead Necklace
Amy and Oli will show us how to make homemade pasta beads which can be used to make a necklace!
directions
1. Put a handful of pasta into a plastic bag. You might want to do 3-5 different color pasta beads. So have one plastic bag of pasta for each color you choose.
2. Put 4-5 drops of food coloring in a plastic bag. Repeat this for each plastic bag. Use a different color for each bag.
3. Pour about 1 tablespoon of water into each bag. Close the bag all the way and rub the pasta around so the color and water spreads around all the pasta.
4. Lay parchment paper and paper towels over a baking sheet. Then put the dyed pasta beads on top of the paper towels to dry for 1 day.
5. Cut straws into 1-2-inch long pieces and pour a cup of Cheerios into a small bowl. The straws and Cheerios can be used to decorate your necklace as well.
6. Cut a string for the necklace. Make sure to measure the string around your neck with some slack and room for tying it at the end.
7. Tape one end of the string to the table and put a small piece of tape on the other end. This prevents the string from unraveling so it’s easier to thread the beads, straw and Cheerios. Then start threading the beads, straw and Cheerios onto your necklace!
8. When you’re done, tie the ends together and wear your necklace!
