Noodle necklaces

I have become a bit addicted to pinterest. Have you been there and seen this virtual pinboard? It's "a place to catalog the things you love". Check it out if you haven't already been (they also have an app). That's where I got the idea to make noodle necklaces with Cedar. It's been so hot out so we need inside projects. Someone had posted a recipe for dying the noodles that was super easy. I was curious and gave it a try. All you need is hand sanitizer, dried noodles of your choice, and food coloring. Most likely all things you have on hand. Put some noodles in a baggie, add a glob of sanitizer, then add a couple drops of food coloring and mix it up. It depends on how many noodles you are coloring, but about a teaspoon of sanitizer. You can always add more. I hate using zip lock bags but it really is easier for clean-up with food coloring and it's also fun for little ones to squish around and shake, like this: The sanitizer mixes with the food coloring and coats the noodles. I guess it also cleans them as well! :) Cedar is still learning her colors and she liked to mix them. We started coloring macaroni noodles, until I realized they might be too small for necklace making, then we stepped it up to penne noodles. Which one is purple?Then we looked at them closer…Eli supervisedNext it was time to lay the noodles on a cookie sheet to dry outside. I have an old cookie sheet that's been retired from the kitchen. It didn't take long for them to dry. Aren't they pretty?Definitely fun to dig your hands in. Then it was time to string them up for our necklaces.
The first one we made was too small for Cedar, but fit Eli perfectly. He also wore it as a crown.The finished product…Look at that wild hair!