Compostable Napkin Rings

Ingredients:  ziti and cotton string
Equipment:  tape, table, scissors, measuring device
Ornament:    marker, dye, yarn, your call

1. Take 14 pieces of ziti and like them down next to each other.  Sort for size if you like, but it’s not essential.

2. Take ~66” of string.  Tape 1 1/2” at each end.  Tie a loose knot about halfway along the length.

3. Thread all 14 pieces of pasta onto the string in a row.

4. Undo the knot, holding both ends of the string in one hand to keep the pasta from sliding back off.  Slide the pasta to within 3 to 6” of one end.

5. Lie the assembly down on the table, placing the ziti next to each other with the string zigzagging through the row.

6. Take the long end of the string and feed back through each ziti in turn.

7. When all pasta is threaded twice, go back up to the end away from the loose strings and tighten the string, tugging it snug from both sides on each piece of pasta down the line.

8. Fold the ends together and feed the long end back through the original ziti.  Though you could tie off at this point, that tends to leave an irregular gap between the two ends, instead feed both ends once more through the neighboring ziti such that you end up with the ends coming out next to each other on the same size of the ring.  Tie off ends with a double knot.  Trim.

9. Decorate with color, patterns, yarn, or nothing.  If using color, remember that the ziti will spin around to the inside and out again.  Let any ink dry before handling.

10. Take home and use.  Make yourself a set to match (though don’t match them too closely or it defeats the purpose and makes it hard to tell whose napkin is whose).

11. When it gets cracked or otherwise damaged, throw in the compost.

If I get around to it, I'll try to remember to add the illustrations to this.  It should be easy enough to follow as is.  If you have questions, feel free to email info@LocalActionPA.org.

I thought I'd invented it, but I've apparently just reinvented the wheel.  It turns out others have seen this done in the past with elastic cord (to make bracelets, etc, though we prefer the compostable variety).