Your child can be a plate of walking pasta thanks to this creative costume idea.

You'll need:

1 16”x16” piece of red
and white checked
fabric
1 spool of white (or
glow-in-the-dark)
plastic lacing
1 plastic plate and fork
flour and water
1 packet of brown
pompoms
brown acrylic paint
white glue
scissors
spray varnish
used white or yellow
candle

Directions:

1. Fold gingham fabric into a triangle. Wrap the kerchief
around your head (or whoever is wearing the
costume) and tie the corners into a knot at the back.
Fasten the plate on top of the kerchief where it will
sit on the head. We made two holes in the bottom of
the plate where a head band would sit, and pushed
bobby pins through the plate and the fabric and into
the hair to hold it in place. Untie the kerchief with the
plate attached and lay flat.

2. Cut random lengths of plastic lacing no longer than
20 inches in length.

3. Pour white glue into a ceramic bowl and pull each
piece of lacing through the glue using your fingers to
guide it and “squeegying” some of the excess glue
off at the same time. Messy but fun. This will allow
the lacing to stiffen and keep its shape as you create
your plateful of spaghetti.

4. Let the glue-covered plastic lacing curl into its natural
shape onto the centre of the plate to resemble a
piece of spaghetti. Continue this process until you
have a big pile of “noodles” on the plate. Let dry.

5. To make the “meat sauce”, mix flour, water and
brown paint together until you have a texture and
colour that looks like the real thing. (It will be darker
in colour when the sauce dries). Spoon over the top
of your spaghetti. Let dry.

6. To make the meatballs, drop brown pompoms into
your meat sauce mixture and massage into the
pompom. Place your pompom meatballs on top of
the meat sauce as desired. Let dry. Grate candle and
sprinkle on top like cheese.

7. Spray finished spaghetti, meat sauce, cheese and
plate with varnish being careful to protect the fabric.

8. Place a plastic fork near the edge of the plate and
glue in position.

Just add: a red checked shirt and some black leggings and
you’ll be the best looking dish on the street.

Originally published in ParentsCanada magazine, October 2013.