Thanksgiving Necklace Craft

Make a fun wearable craft for Thanksgiving using pasta that you dye yourself! This is a fantastic preschool craft for Thanksgiving. We wanted to put together a craft that would tie in a bit of the Native American side of Thanksgiving. Since beads were so important to the Native American culture (jewelry, currency, etc.), we decided to "make" our own beads from pasta and put together our own necklaces for Thanksgiving. This turned into a very simple Thanksgiving history lesson for our preschool daughter, as well as a great craft to work on fine motor skills and pattern recognition with her. But most importantly, it was a Thanksgiving craft that she really enjoyed!

What you'll need:

  • Red, yellow and orange dyed pasta Here are the instructions for making dyed pasta
  • Yarn or jelly bracelet type material (for sale at craft stores)
  • Scissors
  • Tape
  • Toothpick (optional)
Method for older children
  • Cut the length of string that you would like your necklace to be - it's best to cut this slightly longer than you will need.
  • String the yarn through the pasta to create your necklace.
  • Tie the ends of your necklace together and trim any excess.
Method for younger children
  • Cut the length of string that you would like your necklace to be - it's best to cut this slightly longer than you will need.
  • Tape one end of the string to a table or book, etc.
  • If using yarn, tape a toothpick to the other end of the yarn to create a stiff end or "needle" for the children to use to string through the pasta. If you are using the jelly bracelet type material this won't be necessary.
  • String the yarn through the pasta to create your necklace.
  • Tie the ends of your necklace together and trim any excess.
 thanksgiving necklace craft
dyed pasta step 1
dyed pasta step 2
make a necklace
thanksgiving craft