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Flour salt water ornaments


The Best Salt Dough (for Ornaments and Crafting!) to Make with the Kids

Learn how to make classic salt dough with the kids, with baking, painting, and storage info. This method is straight forward, easy, and thorough—and they a perfect kids holiday gift for grandparents, teachers, and loved ones!

Salt Dough 

This salt dough is a staple of childhood and I love doing this Christmas activity with my kids each year—and throughout the rest of the year too! We love to make salt dough handprints, ornaments, and sometimes, just any old shape they want to. It’s an easy project that we can do together—and then share as kid-made holiday gifts, keepsakes, or house decorations.

Salt Dough Recipe

Making salt dough at home is as easy as combining three pantry staples together into a dough. It’s fairly fool proof (as long as you follow the measurements!) and is a recipe that even little kids can help make.

Ingredients in Salt Dough

To make this recipe, you’ll need:

  • table salt
  • all-purpose flour
  • water

TIP: That’s it! (I buy store brand, cheap flour for this since project to keep it very budget-friendly. )

How to Make Salt Dough Ornaments Step-by-Step

Here’s a look at how to make the dough for this salt dough. Scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full information. 

  1. Measure out the flour and water. (photo 1)
  2. Add the water. (photo 2)
  3. Stir with a wooden spoon. (photo 3)
  4. Keep stirring until the dough is mostly together and is hard to stir any longer. (photo 4)
  5. Knead a few times with hands to bring the dough together. (photo 5)
  6. Place dough between two pieces of parchment paper and roll out. (photo 6)

TIP: You can divide the dough in sections so multiple kids can have their own dough to work with.

How to Cut Out, Bake and Decorate Salt Dough Ornaments

Once you start rolling, here’s a look at what will follow if you want to make these into ornaments. (Skip the hole poking if you want to just make these as shapes for the kids to paint. )

  1. Roll out, changing directions occasionally, until about 1/4-inch thick. (This may not get precise if you’re working with kids and that’s okay!) (photo 1) 
  2. Stamp cookie cutters. (photo 2)
  3. Remove the dough around the shapes, then either transfer the whole piece of parchment paper to a cookie sheet OR transfer just the shapes to a parchment-lined cookie sheet. (photo 3)
  4. Poke holes so you have a place for a string to hang as ornaments. (photo 4)
  5. Press in a hand to make a handprint, if desired. (photo 5)
  6. Bake, let cool and decorate! (photo 6)

TIP: Re-roll any remaining dough after Step 3 here to make additional ornaments.

Salt Dough Handprint Ornament

Capturing a handprint in salt dough is a perfect grandparent gift, or a keepsake ornament to make for your own tree. I love pulling out our little collection year after year. Know that getting a good print may take a few tries if doing a baby’s hand!

TIP: Check the size of your round cookie cutter against your child’s hand to make sure that it’s big enough. You may need one that’s 4-5 inches in diameter.

Best Paint for Salt Dough Ornaments

If the kids are wearing smocks, the table is protected, and you are reasonably sure they won’t paint all over their hands and faces, I like using regular acrylic craft paint since it holds up best on crafts. With younger kids who may wind up wearing more of the paint, I’d recommend tempura washable paints.

TIP: We put our paint into the base of old egg cartons since we always have those on hand. You can also use paper plates.

How to Preserve Salt Dough Ornaments

To help preserve your finished dried ornaments, you can coat with a layer or two of Mod Podge or spray with a sealer. Either work well. I’d recommend coating or sealing both sides, so do one side and let it dry, and then do the second side. If using the sealer, do it in a well ventilated area without the kids too close by.

TIP: To store these ornaments from year to year, you’ll want to wrap in bubble wrap. Store in a container that won’t be banged around, dropped or exposed to excess moisture.

Why is my salt dough puffing up?

If you mistakenly use self-rising flour, they may puff. And sometimes it happens randomly. Keep the oven temperature low and if it happens consistently, you can try baking at an even lower temperature for a slightly longer amount of time.

Tips for Making the Best Salt Dough Ornaments

  • If the dough is too wet and sticky, knead in a little more flour. If it’s too stiff, add a little more water. There is a big range in the way different flours absorb liquid, so there is a normal range of variation in liquid needs. It should be easy to work with—soft and not too stiff and not excessively sticky.
  • Use paper lollipop sticks or a skewer to make your holes.
  • Use a 4-5 inch round cookie cutter to make handprint ornaments.
  • Tie on baker’s twine or thin ribbon to hang as ornaments.
  • Try to get the dough to an even thickness before baking so the ornaments bake evenly.
  • Bake for the time indicated and then longer if your ornaments still feel soft. They should be firm to the touch without much give.
  • Let cool fully before painting.
  • If you want to paint the background of a handprint ornament, do that before you paint the inside of the hand. Let dry before adding a second color. Some people like to paint the whole thing white or cream to give it a more finished look.
  • Use acrylic craft paint for older kids who can be trusted with paint and tempura washable paints with younger toddlers.since it holds up best on crafts. With younger kids who may wind up wearing more of the paint, I’d recommend.
  • To help preserve your finished dried ornaments, you can coat with a layer or two of Mod Podge or spray with a sealer.

I’d love to hear your feedback on this project and what your kids thought of it, so please comment below to share!

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 2 hours

Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes

Author Amy Palanjian

Cuisine American

Course Holiday

Calories 1kcal

Servings 2 dozen ornaments

  • ▢ 4 cups flour
  • ▢ 1 cup table salt
  • ▢ 1. 5 cups water

  • Mix the ingredients together in a large bowl using a wooden spoon. When it becomes too stiff to stir, use clean hands to bring the dough together.

  • NOTE: If the dough is too wet and sticky, knead in a little more flour, about 1 tablespoon at a time. If it's too stiff, add a little more water, about 1 tablespoon at a time. There is a big range in the way different flours absorb liquid, so there is a normal range of variation here. It should be easy to work with—soft and not too stiff and not excessively sticky.

  • Knead a few times until the dough is uniform and soft, about 3-5 minutes.

  • Divide dough into 2 or 4 sections and roll out to about 1/4-½ inch thick between two sheets of parchment paper. This will help prevent sticking.

  • Cut out with cookie cutters. Transfer shapes to a parchment-lined baking sheet.

  • Repeat rolling and cutting out shapes to use up the dough.

  • Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.

  • Do a 4-5-inch circle and press in a child's handprint if desired.

  • Use a paper lollipop stick or a skewer to make a hole to hang as an ornament.

  • If making ornaments, bake for 90 minutes to 2 hours; if baking handprints, bake for 2-3 hours. Continue baking both ornaments and handprints as needed until they are until just firm to the touch, checking every 20 minutes. (It's not a problem if yours take longer than the initial baking time—it varies based on thickness and size...which will likely vary if you are baking these with kids!) They do not need to be rock hard, but should not feel squishy. Handprints will likely take longer than smaller ornaments and may take closer to 4 hours.

  • Remove from oven, let cool, and paint if desired with acrylic or washable tempera paint.

  • Once paint is completely dry, seal with Mod Podge if desired.

  • Mixing Bowl

  • parchment paper

  • Mini Cookie Cutters

  • Divide the recipe in half to make a smaller portion of dough if desired.
  • Use paper lollipop sticks or a skewer to make your holes.
  • Use a 4-5 inch round cookie cutter to make handprint ornaments.
  • Tie on baker's twine or thin ribbon to hang as ornaments.
  • Try to get the dough to an even thickness before baking so the ornaments bake evenly.
  • Bake for the time indicated and then longer if your ornaments still feel soft. They should be firm to the touch without much give but do not need to be rock hard. It is not a sign of a problem if yours take longer than mine did to bake—flours and ovens vary!
  • Let cool fully before painting.
  • If you want to paint the background of a handprint ornament, do that before you paint the inside of the hand. Let dry before adding a second color.
  • Use regular acrylic paint for older kids who can be trusted with paint and washable tempera paint with younger toddlers.
  • To help preserve your finished dried ornaments, you can coat with a layer or two of Mod Podge or spray with a sealer.

Calories: 1kcal, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 1g, Calcium: 31mg, Iron: 6mg

Tried this recipe?Rate in the comments and tag @yummytoddlerfood on IG!

Salt Dough Ornaments (+ How to Make Salt Dough)

Jump to How-To

Salt dough ornaments are the sweetest little homemade gift and such a fun Christmas tradition!

You can make them for the whole family or classroom with hardly any effort and there are plenty of fun personalization options. Kids will have a great time making these!

Click HERE to save this recipe for Salt Dough Ornaments to Pinterest!

Making Salt Dough Ornaments

When my daughter, Madeline, was in elementary school she received a homemade salt dough ornament from one of her friends.

I thought that was the cutest idea for kids to gift to one another and I loved that it was a fun friend gift that didn’t cost a lot of money.

Christmas crafts as gifts for school friends aren’t something I’d really considered before – surely buying stuff was easier? But after she came home with that adorable ornament, I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

In years past, usually on a snowy afternoon when everyone is tired of playing in the snow, we whip up a batch of these cute Salt Dough Ornaments to hand out to friends. We keep it simple with solid colors, and classic shapes like Christmas trees and snowflakes, but red and white candy canes or yellow bells would be super cute and festive, too.

Salt Dough Ornaments are actually really easy to make and are the perfect activity for kids to do during the month of December. Especially on days that are too cold or snowy to play outside. Usually those days are abundant here in Colorado.

When Kevin and I got married, we decided on decorating two Christmas trees each year — one downstairs in the formal living that is all matchy-matchy and perfect.

It sits in front of the windows and looks so pretty with the tree’s white lights and ornaments in shades of blue, silver, and gold glowing through the windows at night.

Even though it is a decorator tree, there are a few special-to-me ornaments on it that just happen to fit the color scheme, and every year we try to add a couple new ones.

Upstairs in the hallway outside of the kids game room is a tree with all of their collector ornaments. That tree contains all of the cute handmade things the kids made in class in years past, and multi-color lights. It’s totally tacky in the best way possible.

This year, we made a couple extra of these salt dough ornaments to put on our memory-filled tree and I look forward to more in years to come. I don’t think making salt dough ornaments is an activity that kids will ever really grow out of.

Salt Dough Ingredients

This is the best salt dough recipe! If you’ve never learned how to make salt dough, don’t fret — it’s so easy to make your own homemade ornaments! Here’s what you will need to make a batch of this salt dough:

  • All-purpose flour
  • Salt
  • Water
  • Essential Oils for scenting (optional!)

In addition to these key ingredients to make the dough, you’ll also need some additional materials for shaping and decorating your homemade ornaments:

  • mixing bowl
  • mixing spoon
  • rolling pin
  • cookie cutters
  • food coloring or acrylic craft paint (or keep them naturally colored)
  • drinking straw (this helps cut the hole for threading ribbon or twine to string the ornament)
  • parchment paper
  • twine or ribbon

That’s it! Any other tools you use are up to your personal preference depending on how you’d like to customize your homemade salt dough ornaments.

For the complete ingredient list and detailed instructions, scroll to the bottom of this post for the FREE printable recipe card.

Click HERE to save this recipe for Salt Dough Ornaments to Pinterest!

How to Make Salt Dough Ornaments

Salt dough ornaments are super simple to make yourself at home! Here is an overview of the steps you’ll need to follow. For full details, make sure you scroll down to the free printable recipe card which you can keep for your records and use year after year.

  1. To make this salt dough ornament recipe, you first need to whisk together the salt and flour.
  2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the water and food coloring (or paint).
  3. Make a well in the flour mixture and slowly pour in the colored water, mixing after you’ve added half of the liquid.
  4. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes on top of parchment paper or baking mat until the dough is smooth and colored throughout.
  5. Roll out the salt dough, then cut it out using your cookie cutters of choice.
  6. Place the salt dough ornaments on a parchment paper lined baking tray, then cut a hole near the top with a drinking straw.
  7. Then, bake at 200 degrees F for an hour, or until dry (varies on size and thickness of ornament).

Can I Make Salt Dough Ahead of Time?

Yes, you can make salt dough ahead of time, up to 5 day. Store it in the refrigerator in a completely air tight container or sealed ziplock bag. You can also use a vacuum sealer if you have one.

Storing it air tight is necessary because you don’t want to let the dough get dried out before you’ve had a chance to roll it!

Making salt dough ahead of time is a perfect way to eliminate some of the to-do the day you want to make the dough if you don’t have time to do it all in one day.

This works best when left naturally colored or colored with food coloring. I don’t recommend making it ahead of time if adding acrylic paint as the paint could dry out or degrade when stored for a length of time in the refrigerator.

How Do You Add Color To Salt Dough?

There are two different ways to add customized colors to salt dough – using food coloring or using acrylic paint.

Adding Food Coloring to Salt Dough

Food Coloring To add food coloring to the salt dough, you’ll only need a few drops unless you are looking to achieve very deep colors. You can mix different colors to create different hues beyond the typical food coloring color options.

I prefer the gel food coloring over traditional food coloring because you don’t need to use a whole bottle of coloring to achieve intensely colored dough.

What Paint Can You Use In Salt Dough?

Acrylic Craft Paint is best for using with salt dough in my experience. For solid colored salt dough, add 6 ounces of acrylic craft paint to the water and mix, then combine (slowly) with the flour and salt mixture. Stir until mixed, and then knead.

When adding paint to the salt dough, make sure you cover all surfaces with parchment paper or butcher paper so you don’t end up damaging your kitchen surfaces.

You can also use an old baking mat if you don’t care about it potentially getting stained. I prefer butcher paper or parchment paper because it makes the mess easy to clean up.

When you are kneading the salt dough, you will want want to wear gloves so that the paint doesn’t transfer to your hands. You can use surgical gloves or kitchen cleaning gloves (again, they might stain!).

This time around, as you can see in my photos, I decided to add white acrylic chalk paint to my salt dough to achieve a brighter white color and a matte finish. Then, I stamped the dough using a snowflake rubber stamp.

If the dough is too sticky, simply add extra flour and salt in a 4:1 ratio (such as 4 tablespoons flour and 1 tablespoon salt) until the dough is easily handled. It should be firm but not dry.

Can You Paint Salt Dough After Baking?

Yes, you can bake salt dough after your ornament has completely dried. I recommend acrylic paint for this as well. You can use small paint brushes to add details to your ornament, which works especially well if your ornament has three dimensional texture to it.

Can You Add Glitter to Salt Dough?

Yes! Adding glitter to salt dough gives a nice affect and can provide fun customization options. Keep reading to learn how to add glitter to salt dough ornaments – there are 3 different ways!

There are a few different ways that you can add glitter to your salt dough.

  • One way to add glitter to your salt dough recipe is by adding flakes of glitter – 1 tablespoon at a time until you like the ratio of glitter to dough.
  • Another way to incorporate glitter in your salt dough recipe is by adding acrylic paint that contains glitter or shimmer to your water, and then mixing that into the flour and salt when you prepare your dough. When I add paint to my dough, I add 6 ounces of paint to the recipe as written.
  • Lastly, you can incorporate glitter in your salt dough ornaments by painting clear craft glue onto parts of your ornament that you want to have glitter and sprinkling loose glitter flakes on top of the glue. The ornament should be dry before this method is used.

How to Personalize Salt Dough Ornaments

You could make salt dough ornaments for your family, the classroom, coworkers – you name it!

And your limitations are only set by the cookie cutters you own. If you want to take it one step further, you can even personalize the ornaments for the recipient!

All the different combos you could make, all the Christmas cookie cutters I just happened to have in the pantry… the possibilities are endless.

Here are some of my favorite ways to personalize these salt dough ornaments:

  • Take some mini ABC cookie cutters and stamp the middle with the recipient’s last name initial, monogram, or first name.
  • Stamp the ornament with that year’s date, or a date of special significance.
  • Lightly stamp a design within the cookie cutter using another, smaller cookie cutter.
  • Hang two ornaments together on the same string, for example two shapes that have significance for the person you’re giving them to.

How to Stamp Salt Dough Ornaments with Texture

If you want to add interesting textures or patterns to the surface of your salt dough ornaments, you can do so by pressing different types of materials, tools, or other items that you might have in your home into the surface of the dough before baking.

Some great options for adding texture to your salt dough are:

  • lace
  • cookie stamps
  • leaves
  • rosemary sprigs
  • pinecones
  • pine needles
  • rubber crafting stamps
  • ribbon
  • bottoms of crystal vases

Press the dough firmly with these items to leave an imprint in the dough but don’t press all the way through. You just want to create a texture on the surface that will remain after baking.

Objects or stamps with deeper more pronounced textures and grooves give the best finished appearance after baking and drying. Items that have very small, intricate details will not yield ideal results.

Scented Salt Dough Ornaments

Did you know that you can make scented salt dough ornaments, too? Adding essential oils to your salt dough will give it a great scent that you can enjoy in your home!

Have an artificial tree but love the smell of fresh, real Christmas trees? Scented Salt Dough ornaments are a great way to give an artificial tree a natural pine scent. Simply add 5-15, depending on your preference, drops of Fir Essential Oil. I like Siberian Fir best!

Another great scent to add to salt dough ornaments is Cinnamon Essential Oil! This will make your house smell like Christmas! A Christmas-y blend that I like is Holiday Joy, which has cinnamon along with orange and a few other essential oils.

The sky is the limit, really! You can add any essential oil scent you like, it doesn’t have to be a holiday themed smell.

For best results, you will want to air dry any salt dough ornaments that you have added essential oils to so that the scent remains longer.

When adding essential oils to your dough I definitely recommend wearing gloves when handling the dough as some people are sensitive to essential oils on their skin.

Have a Salt Dough Ornament Making Party

Pair this fun activity with a mug of your favorite hot cocoa and a round or two of Christmas Book Bingo by the fire.

Grown ups will love this Spiked Peppermint Mocha Hot Chocolate  and kiddos will like a mug of Candy Cane Hot Cocoa. If mulled ciders are more your style, try this Spiced Pomegranate Apple Cider.

Just make sure your favorite Christmas Tunes are playing in the background!

That sounds like just about the most perfect winter afternoon I could ask for. I hope it does to you too.

Looking for more fun Christmas activity ideas for kids to pair with making these salt dough ornaments? Check out my post on Tips to Prepare for a Fun Winter Break with Kids

Save this recipe for Salt Dough Ornaments to Pinterest!

How Many Ornaments Does this Salt Dough Recipe Make?

The number of ornaments you will get from this salt dough recipe varies based on the size of the ornament, however this recipe made approximately 18 three inch sized circles in my most recent batch.

After you cut out the shapes for your ornaments, combine any leftover scraps and knead until smooth and combined, then re-roll and cut out more shapes. Repeat until you don’t have any salt dough left.

What Type of Salt Should I Use?

To make this recipe for salt dough, you will use regular table salt! There is no need to buy anything special.

Tips for Making Salt Dough Ornaments

The hardest part of making these salt dough ornaments is simply making sure that your work surface remains dye-free.

I recommend covering your work surface with parchment paper or a plastic table cloth. Something inexpensive that you don’t care if it gets stained or that you can just throw away, the dollar store is great for this. Large sheets of butcher paper also works incredibly well!

Wearing gloves and aprons will help make sure that clothes and fingers aren’t dyed red and green when you’re making your salt dough ornaments.

The number of ornaments you will get from this salt dough recipe varies based on the size of the ornament, however this recipe made approximately 18 three inch sized circles in my most recent batch.

After you cut out the shapes for your ornaments, combine any leftover scraps and knead until smooth and combined, then re-roll and cut out more shapes. Repeat until you don’t have any salt dough left.

Why Does My Salt Dough Puff Up?

Are you wondering why your salt dough ornaments turned out puffy? Typically there are two things that cause salt dough to get puffy: either your oven is too hot or you used self-rising flour.

The first reason that your salt dough ornaments might be puffing is the temperature you bake at. You want your oven to be pretty low. This recipe calls for a 200 degrees F oven.

If you find that your salt dough ornaments are still turning out puffy, then try an even lower temperature. Temperatures lower than 200 degrees F work just fine for baking your salt dough and result in less puffiness. Your ornaments will just take longer to bake and dry out at the lower temperature.

The second reason that a salt dough ornament might puff after baking is because you used self-rising flour. In this recipe it is important to use all-purpose flour as it contains no leavening agents (baking soda, baking powder, etc).

Can You Air Dry Salt Dough Ornaments?

Yes you can make salt dough ornaments without baking them, however I don’t typically choose to make them that way.

No-bake salt dough ornaments take a lot longer to harden because you’re letting them dry out naturally. The benefit to making no-bake salt dough ornaments is that air drying the salt dough eliminates all chance of puffiness.

To air dry your salt dough ornaments, prepare the recipe as instructed, eliminating any cooking spray. Then, place them in a warm, dry place on a flat surface (such as a cookie sheet).

Let the salt dough air dry naturally for about 3-5 days, larger or thicker ornaments may take up to a week to air dry.

How Long Do Salt Dough Ornaments Last?

Properly prepared salt dough ornaments that have fully dried will last for decades! The most important tip for long lasting salt dough ornaments is to make sure that you let them dry out all the way – and that you don’t let them get damp. If they dampen, they can mold.

That means, when you pack your Christmas Ornaments up after the Holidays that you need to store them in a way that they won’t get wet.

I recommend air tight plastic ornament bins rather than cardboard boxes, which can get wet and damp due to humidity or leaks in your home. You can even add silica packets to your ornament storage to help mitigate any dampness that does occur.

Salt Dough Ornaments that have gotten wet or have already begun to mold, unfortunately should be thrown out for health reasons. Better safe than sorry!

More Homemade Gift Ideas:

If you love to make homemade gifts for friends, neighbors, teachers, or anyone else on your holiday gift list, you might like to try a couple of these ideas, too.

Instead of throwing out broken bits of crayon, learn How to Make Recycled Crayons and try melting down your scraps and reshaping them into something new. For Christmas-themed crayons, look for silicone molds that are Christmas Tree or snowflake shaped.

Featuring lemon, oil, sugar and salt, this All-Natural Moisturizing Kitchen Hand Scrub is a simple DIY gift to prepare – perfect for the holiday season. Teachers will love this pampering item. For something extra special, pair it with a mani/pedi gift card or some fun new nail polish colors.

This Rosemary Mint Sugar Scrub is another homemade gift any woman in your life would love. It’s easy to make and can be used all over your body.

Homemade bookmarks make fun crafts for kids and also super cute gifts for them to pass out to friends at school; check out these 8 Cute DIY Bookmark Ideas.

And there are 45 more Homemade gift ideas here!

What are your favorite homemade holiday gifts?

Love this recipe for Salt Dough Ornaments?
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Materials

  • 1 cup All-Purpose Flour
  • 1/4 cup Table Salt
  • 1/3 cup Water, plus 1 tablespoon
  • Food Coloring or Paint (6 ounces acrylic craft paint)
  • 1 Drinking Straw
  • Nonstick Baking Spray
  • Parchment Paper
  • 1 roll Colorful Ribbon (1/8 to 1/4-inch wide), Twine, or String

Tools

  • Mixing Bowl
  • Mixing Spoon
  • Surgical Gloves, or kitchen gloves
  • Rolling Pin

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 200°F. Place the rack in the center position.
  2. Prepare a large baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper. Next, line the work area with butcher paper to prevent your counters or table from becoming stained.
  3. In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt until well whisked. In a glass measuring cup, stir in the water and food coloring or paint.
  4. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and slowly pour in the colored water, starting with half the amount and adding more as needed to form a firm dough that is moist but not sticky. Stir well.
  5. While wearing the surgical gloves, knead the dough with your hands for approximately 10 minutes (on top of the parchment paper), or until the dough has become smooth and the color is distributed throughout.
  6. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a 1/4-inch thickness on the parchment paper. Use whatever shaped cookie cutters you’d like to cut out the dough. Additionally, you can stamp the dough with various items to create texture or with ABC stamps to personalize the ornaments with someone's initials, last name, or year.
  7. Combine any scraps that are leftover and knead, then re-roll with the rolling pin and cut out additional ornaments. Repeat until all of the dough has been used.
  8. After cutting the ornaments, transfer the cut shapes onto the parchment paper lined baking sheet. Use the straw to cut a small hole near the top (where you’d like to hang the ornament from). Discard the small circular piece of dough that you remove to create the hole.
  9. Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake for 1 hour, or until dry. Flip the ornaments half way through baking so that the underneath side can dry out as well.
  10. When done baking, remove from oven and let cool completely on a wire rack. After cooling, thread the ribbon or string through the holes and tie to hang.

Notes

Do not ingest this dough. It is not intended for eating.

WHAT PAINT CAN YOU USE IN SALT DOUGH?

Acrylic Craft Paint is best for using with salt dough in my experience. For solid colored salt dough, add 6 ounces of acrylic craft paint to the water and mix, then combine (slowly) with the flour and salt mixture. Stir until mixed, and then knead.

If the dough is too sticky, simply add extra flour and salt in a 4:1 ratio (such as 4 tablespoons flour and 1 tablespoon salt)

When adding paint to the salt dough, cover all surfaces with parchment paper or butcher paper so you don’t end up damaging your kitchen surfaces. Wear surgical gloves when kneading the dough so paint doesn’t transfer to your hands.

CAN I MAKE SALT DOUGH AHEAD OF TIME?

Yes, up to 5 days. Store it in the refrigerator in a completely air tight container or sealed ziplock bag. You don’t want to let the dough get dried out before you’ve had a chance to roll it! This works best when left naturally colored or colored with food coloring. I don't recommend making it ahead of time if adding acrylic paint.

HOW MANY ORNAMENTS DOES THIS SALT DOUGH RECIPE MAKE?

The number of ornaments you will get from this salt dough recipe varies based on the size of the ornament, however this recipe made approximately 18 three inch sized circles in my most recent batch.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

  • Gel Food Coloring

  • Adjustable Rolling Pin with Removable Rings

  • Non-slip Silicone Pastry Mat

  • Christmas Cookie Cutters Set

  • Mini ABC and Number Cookie Cutters

  • Baking Sheet

I originally shared this fun recipe for Salt Dough Ornaments on Food Fanatic, but I thought you’d like to see it here on Good Life Eats.

Works from salt dough. Recipe for making salt dough for modeling

A lot of different materials are used to make handicrafts. One of the most inexpensive and convenient is salt dough. It's easy to make your own. It is a flexible and easy-to-work material. You can do crafts with children, starting from a very young age. Kids like to roll out the dough with a rocking chair, squeeze out different figures with molds. This exciting activity is inherent not only to children. Many artists and craftsmen make their wonderful work from salt dough.

The article presents different options for making crafts from this material. Step-by-step instructions and photos of finished works are given, there are useful recommendations and tips.

How to prepare the dough?

There are several recipes. Let's introduce you to some of them. Practice and experience will help you choose the most successful one.

First recipe . You need to take two glasses of sifted premium wheat flour, 1 glass of salt (only fine "Extra" is suitable), 50 ml of PVA glue and water (approximately half a glass). In dry form, salt is mixed with flour, then slightly warm water is gradually poured in small parts, and everything is well mixed. Glue is added at the end. If before that the mixture could be prepared with a mixer or dough mixer, then you will have to work with the glue with your fingers. It is necessary to knead until a homogeneous plastic mass. The finished material is placed in the refrigerator for half an hour.

Second prescription . The following recipe for making salt dough for modeling includes the following ingredients: wheat flour - 200 grams, any salt - 400 grams, cold water - 250-300 ml. Salt is poured into cold water and mixed until completely dissolved. It is advisable to strain the liquid at the end so that the grains do not get into the batch. Then the flour is sifted through a fine sieve and small portions are introduced into the bowl.

When everything is well mixed, the container is covered with a cotton napkin and sent to the cold for a couple of hours. It turns out a strong material, suitable for any work from salt dough.

Starch mass

There are recipes for making dough at home using starch. The following ingredients are needed: potato starch - 1 tablespoon, a glass of cold water, a glass of wheat flour and the same amount of salt.

Pour a tablespoon of cornstarch into cold water and stir thoroughly to avoid lumps. This mixture is poured into an enameled bowl. Then pour half a glass of boiling water, also stirring constantly. You should get a thick substance.

Separately, dry flour and salt are mixed in a bowl. Then, with a spoon, gradually add the cooled jelly. To perform work from salt dough, you do not need to make it too soft, it is better if it is tight.

Butter Dough

Ingredients needed:

  1. 1/3 cup salt.
  2. Two teaspoons of baking soda.
  3. Glass of cold water.
  4. A glass of wheat flour.
  5. Spoon of vegetable oil.

Pour all dry ingredients into a bowl and mix. Separately, add water and oil to the container. The resulting liquid is poured into bulk products and put on low heat, while constantly stirring with smooth movements. You need to check the consistency of the dough. It's ready when the mixture starts to stick to the spoon. The fire must be turned off, and the dough should be transferred to an empty plate. When it reaches room temperature, knead it well with your hands.

Storage

If you don't know how to store salt dough, then this advice will not be superfluous. So that the modeling material does not dry out, it must be placed in a plastic bag. A plastic food container is also suitable. It should be tightly covered so as not to let air through.

If you did not have time to put the mass in the bag and it dried up, then do not worry, it's not scary. You need to add a little water, let the dough stand and soak in the liquid, and then knead everything well again.

Toys

Salt dough can be used to make various toys. To play the store, you can mold vegetables and fruits, fish and sausage, bakery products (loaves, bagels, buns, bagels) and much more. In addition to playing in the store, each child will need such a set of products for playing "daughters-mothers".

In the children's kitchen, you can put them on plates, invite dolls to visit, set a festive table. The child's fantasy is well developed, so that such things can be used quickly. To make the details bright and colorful, they can be painted with gouache. So that later in the game the child’s hands do not get dirty, the products are opened with varnish.

Cute hedgehogs

These salt dough toys are made by rolling them into a ball shape, then you need to press it a little on the sides to make an egg. The muzzle of the beast is made sharp by stretching. A tiny ball is attached to the tip of the nose. The eyes are first pressed in with a stick. Then the same balls are inserted into the holes.

To make such beautiful identical spines, you need to use nail scissors. They need to cut pieces of dough, moving with scissors in a circle. You can attach an apple or a pear to the needles, and a fungus will do. Then the product is put to dry and painted. You can add food coloring during kneading directly into the dough and mix thoroughly. Then the entire material will be evenly dyed.

Fruit

Salt dough can be used to make fruit. It can be whole volumetric figures, as well as cut into thin slices. Children, performing such crafts, learn the internal structure of fruits. If a solid mass is required as the main color, then food coloring of the desired color can be added even at the stage of preparing the mass for modeling.

The rest of the elements are finished by hand with a brush. But this is done after drying. At the end, the work is covered with acrylic varnish.

Christmas decorations

It is interesting to make children's crafts from salt dough to decorate the Christmas tree. The children are very fond of the New Year, they are waiting for gifts from Santa Claus. One of the main entertainments of the holiday is to hang toys on branches on your own. If you invite a child to dream up and make crafts from dough, he will be very happy and will get down to business with inspiration.

The first thing that comes to mind as a New Year's decoration is a festively decorated Christmas tree. If there are molds for the test, then you can use them. If you haven't bought them yet, don't worry. You can cut any figure with a knife.

At the finished Christmas tree, you need to push dents with your finger, which are then painted with different colors. These are balls. In addition to such a toy, you can make original balls. Just cut out a circle. And then the pattern is squeezed out with different objects. This can be done with a ribbed cap of a felt-tip pen, the bottom of a crystal glass, or you can press a three-dimensional pattern from any piece of furniture.

Then they are baked in the oven and painted or tinted. Do not forget to make a hole for the rope in the finished toy, for which the child will then hang it on a branch.

Houses

These small multicolored salt dough houses are made from a single piece. The roof is pulled out of the cube by squeezing with fingers from both sides. Buildings can be not only different colors, but also different shapes. Multi-story and one-story huts made of individual logs or a castle with turrets. For children's games, you can make a lot of the most interesting buildings. For example, a store or a pharmacy, a cinema or a club.

To make colored bases, food coloring must be added during the kneading stage. Then it remains to paint the roof, windows, doors and draw small details.

Luminous house

In the form of salt dough houses, you can decorate a lamp or a night light. To do this, you will need to roll out a sheet with a rocking chair in an even layer. Then cut out the walls of the future structure of the same size. Holes-windows are cut out in several walls through which light will pour.

Then you need to fasten the finished parts together by squeezing the edges with your fingers. The bottom can not be done. So it will be more convenient to put the finished product on top of the candle. The house is not baked for long, since its walls are not thick, and the product is hollow inside. You can paint it, or you can leave it in a natural beige color.

Figurines of people

Girls love to make dolls out of salt dough. Such a figure, made by a baby, can be dressed in clothes made of fabric, sew a hat for her or knit a scarf. Kids love dynamic toys that they can do things with. But such a figure will not move, so clothing will correct this shortcoming. Her hair can be made from threads by gluing them on her head with superglue.

Such a salt dough doll, as in this photo, can be made by an older child or an adult. This angel can be hung on a Christmas tree. They mold it piece by piece. The head is made of a round ball. The mouth is pierced with a sharp stick. The stripes on the wings and cloak are drawn with a knife. It is very easy to bring your plans to life with the help of such a plastic material as dough. The main thing is to have an interesting idea. This is a real art, you need to be an artist to create figures of people.

Owl

You can try this salt dough work with a 5-6 year old child. You need to carefully follow the step-by-step instructions and look at the photo of the sequence for making the owl figurine:

  1. First, a large ball of dough is molded.
  2. Use a rocking chair to roll it into a circle with a diameter of 10-12 cm. They cover the bottom of the circle. From above they will not be visible, so there is no point in doing it.
  3. The next step is to fold the circle in the middle. To do this, visually the part is divided into three equal parts. We carry out bends on the left and right.
  4. Then the upper edge of the circle is lowered by one third and the ears are pulled out.
  5. Two eyes are squeezed out with a cap and a beak is drawn with a knife.
  6. The finished owl figurine is put on a slow fire in the oven for half an hour. It is not very voluminous, so it does not take long to dry it.

When the figurine has cooled down, you can start painting. If you want to make not an interior item or a simple craft, but use such a beautiful figurine, for example, as a keychain, then you will need to make a hole in the middle of your forehead for a ring before drying.

With step-by-step instructions in front of your eyes, it is quite easy to make any figurine from salt dough with your own hands. There are easy options for children's crafts, and there are complex multi-layered paintings that, after coloring, can be safely framed and hung on the wall.

It is very interesting to make crafts from such a light and plastic material. If you have not tried it yet, then after reading the article, you have all the necessary knowledge to be creative. After all, this does not require a lot of money or any special skills. The main thing is to want. And the rest is sure to work!

Koldina D.N. Crafts from salt dough

Scientific and practical journal
Included in the list of the Higher Attestation Commission under the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation

ISSN 1997-9657

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№2 2010

  • Author(s):

    — Koldina Darya Nikolaevna

  • Heading:

    - Country of crafts

Excerpt from article

History of salt dough

A long time ago, people began to bake bread cakes from flour and water and burn them over a fire. Then, adding salt to the dough, they began to sculpt souvenirs, medallions, rings, toys, candlesticks, frames, and even whole pictures! In Russia, in ancient times, poor people made Christmas decorations for Christmas trees from salt dough. For the New Year and for weddings, it was customary to give “salty” figurines. It was believed that salt dough crafts bring wealth and prosperity.

Salt dough is a wonderful material

  • cheap and available: can be prepared at any time;
  • if properly mixed, molds well, does not stick to hands;
  • soft, plastic, easy to use;
  • is easy to clean;
  • is safe for children if no glue is added;
  • it is easy to leave prints on the dough - with a match, a button, a juice tube, a cloth, etc.;
  • by adding food or food coloring (cocoa, fruit or vegetable juice) to the dough - you can make it multi-colored;
  • By adding a little spice - vanillin, nutmeg or cinnamon - you can give the dough a pleasant smell.
  • you can decorate the product with beads “imprinted” into it, cereals, beads at the end of modeling or glued already on the dried product using a plentiful layer of PVA glue;
  • can be dried in the oven, or just in the air;
  • the dough can be painted with any paint - gouache, acrylic, watercolor, etc.;
  • if varnished, it will last for a long time;
  • ready to play with figurines.

Tools and materials

Small rolling pin for rolling out the dough, wooden modeling board or baking sheet, bowl of water, brush for wetting the dough, dough cutters, stacks, cup of flour; paints, brushes, cloth.

Read the full text of the article in the SDO magazine

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