How to Dye Pasta the Easy Way!
How to dye pasta the easy way for kids crafts and sensory play! No mess, no waste and no rubbing alcohol!
I always keep a big batch of brightly coloured pasta on hand here in my daycare for the kids’ crafts and activities.
It’s great for threading necklaces, for sorting activities, and it’s especially wonderful to use as a base in our sensory bins.
Today I’m going to show you how to dye pasta using the easiest method I know of. (We also dye our rainbow rice this way, so check that out too – it’s excellent for sensory bins and crafts).
No-Mess, No Rubbing Alcohol
It’s quick and fun, there’s no mess, and unlike other recipes out there, it doesn’t contain rubbing alcohol.
To dye pasta, you’ll need:
- various types of dry pasta
- food colouring (we use Wilton Icing Gels because of their vibrant colours)
- white vinegar
- small bowl
- toothpicks
- container with lid
- baking rack
To keep the little hooligan busy while I preparing the activity, I filled a sectioned container with the pasta we would be using. She happily explored the pasta and scooped and poured it into a few different bowls while I got things ready. This, in itself, is a great activity for little ones.
We dye our pasta the same way we make our dyed rice for sensory play. Ours is a mess-free way to colour rice or pasta. There are no wasteful ziplock bags involved, and we don’t use rubbing alcohol to dilute and set the colour. We use vinegar.
Here’s how we do it.
Dyeing Your Pasta:
Time needed: 15 minutes
How to Dye Pasta
- Place pasta in container with lid
Pour your pasta into a container that has a tight-fitting lid.
- Add colour
In a small bowl, mix a generous dollop of food colouring with a teaspoon of vinegar. This helps to disperse the colour evenly over the pasta, especially if you’re using gel colouring which is quite thick compared to liquid colouring.
- Shake
Place the lid on (make sure it’s tight!), and let your little ones shake it like crazy!
- Check colour coverage
Pop the lid off to check the coverage. If your colour isn’t evenly distributed, sprinkle with another tsp of vinegar. Don’t worry if your pasta looks wet or soggy. It will dry quickly. The smell of vinegar will also dissipate as it dries.
- Dry your Pasta
Pour on to a baking rack, and set in a warm sunny place to dry. Ours only required a couple of hours beside the fireplace. Depending on the temperature of your home, you may need to let your pasta dry overnight.
- Store
Dry, dyed pasta will store indefinitely in a sealed container such as a plastic food storage container or a large glass jar.
That’s all there is to it!
When ours was ready, the wee one scooped all of the dyed pasta into a storage container.
How to store your coloured pasta?
Your dyed pasta will keep indefinitely as long as you store it in a dry place. I keep mine in a storage container with a lid or a large jar with a lid. Just make sure it’s thoroughly dry before packing it away for storage. We still have a little pasta left-over from a batch that we made two years ago!
Ways to Use Dyed Pasta for Play:
Sensory Play on a Mirror
Pasta Necklaces for Mother’s Day
Get the 3-5 Playful Preschool e-Book!
25+ Preschool activities by 25 bloggers, 10 printables, PLUS 50 links to activities not featured in the book.
Click to download your copy now!
Follow the Hooligans on Facebook!
Jackie is a mom, wife, home daycare provider, and the creative spirit behind Happy Hooligans. She specializes in kids’ crafts and activities, easy recipes, and parenting. She began blogging in 2011, and today, Happy Hooligans inspires more than 2 million parents, caregivers and Early Years Professionals all over the globe.
