Lauren, actually, you may be able to use spaghetti after all. First cook the pasta and then lay it out on parchment paper in the shape that you want it to be in after it dries. (You might want to rinse it first to get rid of excess starch from the cooking water. Also, don't use oil when you cook the pasta.) It will shrink as it dries so you will have to experiment with it. The dried cooked pasta will not be brittle, nor will it be as strong as uncooked pasta. It will be somewhat delicate, but at the same time it will be just a little pliable.
I had some success cooking capellini (this is the thinest pasta, like angels hair pasta). After cooking, I braided three strands together to see if it would look like rope when it dried. It looked pretty good actually, but again, it isn't as strong as uncooked pasta, and I did experience some breakage with some of my braids. (It's important to dry it on parchment, as it will stick to other surfaces.) I ended up changing my project and didn't actually use it. However, it might work for your swag. You could paint it with a thinned royal icing to get the color you want.
The licorice ropes would be far easier, though, if you can find them in a local candy store.
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