How to Dye Noodles--the Crafting and Edible Version!!!

Dyeing dry noodles for art collages, stringing awesome necklaces, or sorting by color is a breeze! Go back to kindergarten with this easy project.

*Note: This new recipe allows noodles to be used for craft projects, or technicolored meals!* Check out my blog, www.thehandmadeproject.com for more crafty tidbits.

Step 1 Take one willing two-year-old and post them next to you in the kitchen.

Comments

[Saunderella]

If NOT eating the noodles and done by an adult, here's another option for craft noodles: Dilute food coloring with rubbing alcohol. I teach 1st grade and have found that this makes the dye spread more evenly. Also, you can store the left overs because the alcohol completely evaporates. When you use water, you invite mold (and it's bad!).

To avoid dye on fingers, either rub hands lightly with shortening (edible versions of craft) or lotion (for nonedible). It really keeps the dye from soaking in.

[Selkiemum]

oooh! I've been looking for how to do this for ages! My kids are bigger now, but I'm going to make some ANYWAY, just to teach them how to do it!

[smokeybear]

besides, you will then have it in your 'closer memory' so you can do it with the grandkids later!

[The Handmade Project]

Cool! It is really easy and takes a matter of minutes :D

[marki_marku]

if you want to eat them can you cook them and the colour stays in?
I would like to make edible festive noodles for different events!
Ohhh and lovely pic by the way. I have one of my muddy feet with my daughter's muddy feet.

[The Handmade Project]

Hello!

I would test a few out, but I'm sure they'll cook just fine. Make sure that you let the noodles dry completely first.

Cheers!

Traci

[picknpaintpottery]

if the dye comes of on your hands then it will probably come off onto your clothes?  I am working with a day care in my pottey studio w/mom's clubs and thought this to be a fun project, but not if the dye rubs onto your skin.  I could spray  after they are dyed.

[The Handmade Project]

My daughter always seems to get the food coloring on her hands and from my experience, the food dye dries really fast on skin...

I would suggest wearing aprons as a precaution ;)

[Dawnie524]

Awesome! I also used it to dye white rice which we used for mosaic pics! Fun!

[The Handmade Project]

What a cool idea :D

[esdrak]

What lovely photo!

[The Handmade Project]

Thank you :D

[chinchymork]

how would you like to be dyed! i didnt think so!

[The Handmade Project]

I would love to be dyed, though I am already a beautiful shade of brown ;)

[chinchymork]

haha i guess ! i would be blue !!!

[livelaughlovelax]

Do you think you could eat them, or are they more for playing with? :) THANKS

[The Handmade Project]

As long as you use vinegar you'll be able to eat them! Bon appétit

[mommy2alisa]

Awe, Very cute pic!

[The Handmade Project]

thanks!

[apple_1218]

Is the pasta eatable?

[The Handmade Project]

Hello! The recipe that I have posted using white vinegar is edible. Bon appetit!

[theHPbee]

Hi! I really liked dying pasta for some noodle-themed presents for my friends. However, I did have a problem with the coloring. The pasta that I have was so yellow, that it affected all the coloring. I'm bleaching some pasta as we speak, but I was wondering how you got such vibrant colors, without making some extremely soggy pasta. Thanks!

[The Handmade Project]

Hello!

That's cool that you're making gifts with these noodles. I would suggest using a higher food coloring ratio to vinegar. Try twice as many drops of food coloring to say, 1/2 of vinegar...

What are you bleaching the pasta with? Be careful with that and mixing vinegar or some other harsh solution...

Happy crafting,

Traci Hudson,

My House Boutique, "Where life is handmade and heart-loved."My House Boutique, "Where life is handmade and heart-loved."

[theHPbee]

I had originally tried this with the rubbing alcohol. Is the vinegar an improvement or just to make it edible?

[The Handmade Project]

Vinegar is just to make it edible. Think Easter eggs :D Good luck!

[canida]

Cool, that looks easy!

[The Handmade Project]

It's so easy! Have fun :)

[porcupinemamma]

I wonder if setting the colours with vinegar would make the pasta safe for eating, or would the colours run in the boiling water? has anyone tried that?

[The Handmade Project]

We actually set the colors with vinegar at school and it did just as well! We didn't cook them, but I would think that if you let them sit for a while, it would be the same as a dyed Easter egg. Good luck! Traci

[mrs dennis]

is there something you could use to set the colour? or will it all run away eventually. everytime you play will it rub off or just the once?

[uniquelymehandcrafts]

You may want to use vinegar instead of alcohol. That is used to set Easter egg colors. And then you could use a spray varnish to give them shine.

[The Handmade Project]

Vinegar is a great, and obvious idea! Why didn't I connect dyeing noodles with dyeing Easter eggs? As for the varnish, most sprays are toxic, but there is a non-toxic version that you paint on. It's used for furniture for dollhouses. Great idea!

[The Handmade Project]

What do you plan on using these noodles for?

[The Handmade Project]

Have you dyed the pasta yet? Make sure that you wait until the pasta is dried completely until you use it. The rubbing alcohol is the solvent that should set the color just fine...let me know and we can troubleshoot this. :) Traci

[caturday_projects]

I loved these! :) I made an instructable for edible colored noodles at http://www.instructables.com/id/Colored_noodles_for_eating/

Maybe the 2-yearold cutie would like that? :3

[The Handmade Project]

Awesome!

[I_am_Canadian]

Can you cook them?

[garden burger]

no, it has rubbing alchohol

[carpespasm]

I think it would be a good addition to note that these are not for eating. Not everyone knows isopropyl alcohol is terrible for you. It turns into formaldehyde when ingested for anyone who's curious.

[The Handmade Project]

Agreed, but ??? It's a craft project. The warning has been added