Macaroni Jewelry

You will need: small macaroni (ditali pasta), nylon thread (or fishing line, coarse cotton thread, or nylon elastic thread), beads from old costume jewelry, watercolors or waterproof felt-tip markers, and clear nail polish.

Pour the macaroni on a paper or cloth towel on your working table. This prevents the macaroni from rolling.

Sort according to shapes and sizes. Choose macaroni of about the same size of inside opening so they will not overlap each other on the thread.

To color the macaroni, use watercolors or waterproof felt-tip markers. Brush macaroni lightly to get desired color, then seal with clear nail polish.

Cut a length of thread as long as you want the necklace to be, allowing one inch for fastening the ends.

Elastic thread should be used for bracelets and headbands.

Variety can be added with beads from old strands of costume jewelry. Plan the spacing of the beads and the macaroni before beginning to thread the necklace. Choose a large colorful bead for the center of the necklace and count the number of macaroni and beads you will need for each side.

When the beads and macaroni are all threaded on the necklace, tie the ends of the thread together with a square knot. Trim thread one-half inch from knot. If the necklace is too small to slip over the head, use a discarded clasp from an old necklace and fasten the ends of the thread to each part of the clasp.