Salt and flour dough 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.
- Measure out the flour and water. (photo 1)
- Add the water. (photo 2)
- Stir with a wooden spoon. (photo 3)
- Keep stirring until the dough is mostly together and is hard to stir any longer. (photo 4)
- Knead a few times with hands to bring the dough together. (photo 5)
- 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.
)
- 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)
- Stamp cookie cutters. (photo 2)
- 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)
- Poke holes so you have a place for a string to hang as ornaments. (photo 4)
- Press in a hand to make a handprint, if desired. (photo 5)
- 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-ToSalt 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.
- To make this salt dough ornament recipe, you first need to whisk together the salt and flour.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the water and food coloring (or paint).
- Make a well in the flour mixture and slowly pour in the colored water, mixing after you’ve added half of the liquid.
- Knead the dough for about 10 minutes on top of parchment paper or baking mat until the dough is smooth and colored throughout.
- Roll out the salt dough, then cut it out using your cookie cutters of choice.
- Place the salt dough ornaments on a parchment paper lined baking tray, then cut a hole near the top with a drinking straw.
- 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
- Preheat your oven to 200°F.
Place the rack in the center position. - 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
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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.
We make crafts from salt dough
Salt dough is the most accessible and convenient material for children's modeling.
Salt dough is a wonderful material for creativity:
- cheap and available: can be prepared at any time;
- if it is properly kneaded, it molds wonderfully, does not stick to hands;
- soft, plastic, easy to use;
- is easy to clean and does not get dirty;
- 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 paint, food or food coloring (cocoa, fruit or vegetable juice) to the dough itself, you can make it multi-colored;
- by adding some spices to the dough itself - 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, then the craft will last for a long time;
- with ready-made figurines can be played.
Tools and materials
Small rolling pin for rolling out dough, wooden modeling board or baking sheet, bowl of water, brush for wetting the dough, cutters for dough, stacks, cup of flour; paints, brushes, cloth.
Modeling dough
0008 .
- 2 cups flour
- 1 cup salt
- 1 glass of water
Salt is dissolved in water, then flour is added and the dough is kneaded.
2nd method (harder)
- 1 glass of salt
- 1 cup wheat flour
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 0.5 cup water
The ingredients are mixed with a spoon, then kneaded by hand until smooth, just like regular dough. The dough should be cool, not sticky to your hands and not crumble.
If the dough doesn't stick well, add water. If it sticks to your hands, add flour.
3rd method (colored dough)
In order not to have to decorate products, you can sculpt immediately from colored dough.
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/3 cup salt
Dilute gouache paint of desired color in 1/4 cup of water. Stirring constantly, add the resulting solution to a mixture of flour and salt, knead a stiff dough.
Pieces of colored dough can be mixed in the same way as paints. To do this, knead 2 pieces of dough until they become homogeneous.
Salt dough modeling
Dough modeling technique is similar to modeling clay or plasticine, but there are some features:
- If you intend to dry your crafts naturally, in the air, then you need to work on a wooden plank. If in the oven, then directly on the tray.
- Before you begin to sculpt, a piece of dough is thoroughly kneaded in your hands.
- Keep the dough covered with cling film while sculpting so that it does not dry out. Each color must be kept in a separate container.
- On the test, you can put prints with various objects, but this should be done immediately after sculpting, otherwise the dough will be covered with a crust, and ugly breaks will turn out instead of prints.
- Salt dough elements usually adhere well to each other. But sometimes (for example, when one of the elements has already dried up), the junction must first be moistened with water using a soft brush.
- If after work there is excess dough left, it can be kept in the refrigerator in a plastic bag for about a week.
Drying methods
Dough products can be dried in the oven; outdoors or a combination.
Dry in the oven at the lowest temperature (approximately 75 degrees) and with the door open so that it does not crack. When the dough is a little browned, the temperature can be raised to 100 degrees.
The firing time, depending on the thickness of the product, is 1-2 hours. Keep an eye on the readiness of the product, as small parts dry much faster. Bubbles and cracks are a clear sign of overheating crafts. Reduce the temperature or move the baking sheet with the product to the top shelf.
Air drying will take much longer (about 3-4 days). It is not recommended to put crafts in direct sunlight or on a warm battery. Since the products can crack and crumble. From time to time, the parts must be very carefully turned from one side to the other.
Combined drying suitable for bulk moldings. First, the craft is kept in the air for 1-2 days, and then dried in the oven.
Coloring, glazing and varnishing of products
To do this, you can use gouache, acrylic or watercolor paints. If you add PVA glue when painting in gouache, then the product will shine slightly and will not stain your hands in the future.
Glazed. When about an hour remains before the end of drying, you can glaze the product to give it a warm shade.
To do this, every 5-10 minutes, a saline (1 part salt to 2 parts of water) or egg (1 egg to 1 glass of water) solution is applied with a brush.
Lacquered. The paint can be fixed with lacquer using acrylic lacquer. It gives the craft shine and emphasizes its color. Acrylic varnish is water-soluble, non-toxic and dries in 6-8 hours. A similar effect can be achieved by covering the product with PVA glue.
Variants of work
- Anything can be molded from salt dough. Kids can sculpt mushrooms, vegetables, fruits, numbers, letters. Older guys have more complex subjects and even compositions.
- Since salt dough is primarily just dough, it is possible to mold bakery products from it: bread, pies, bagels, muffins, cookies, gingerbread, pancakes, etc. It is advisable to use pre-dyed dough in a "bread" color.
- It is very convenient to sculpt flat objects from salt dough: a Christmas tree, a bun, a rosette, a basket (it is made of colored dough), a chicken, a pendant and many others.
others - You can also make voluminous crafts from dough: a tree, a bus, a submarine, a mushroom, a house, a shell with a pearl, a hedgehog with vermicelli thorns, a candlestick. All these crafts are molded using the same technology as from clay or plasticine.
- Stone self-made constructor. Many different round and oval parts can be molded from the dough. And then lay out the conceived objects from them. For example, you can make a giraffe from oval parts, and a caterpillar from round parts, lay out a mushroom from two ovals, little men, snowmen, flowers, animals, etc. turn out well.
9000 basis. It warms up well, blends easily and certainly doesn't stick to your hands. It does not need to be baked in the oven - the dough itself cools in the air, and very quickly.
Author of the article: Daria Koldina
1-3 3-5 5-7 7 and older leisure creativity
hobby for women and children .
Try using this raw material for beautiful salt dough crafts. We invite you to master a new female hobby, the results of which will not be difficult to find practical application. History does not know who first came up with the idea to create sculptures from flour, water and salt, but there is a version that beautiful crafts made from salt dough were invented by confectioners. Creative cooks got bored of baking quickly stale buns and, having improved the recipe, they invented a material that does not deteriorate over the years and does not lose its attractiveness. Today, testoplasty is a popular women's hobby that you should definitely try too.
- Testoplasty - a fun hobby with a serious approach
- Salt dough recipe for crafts
- Sculpting and shaping secrets
- How to decorate dough products
- Beautiful dough crafts: 9 photos for inspiration
- Shapes workshops
Testoplasty is a fun hobby with a serious approach
Salt dough is a plastic material that can be molded into crafts no less interesting than polymer clay.
Finished figurines are easy to color and decorate, turning into real works of art, which are easy to find a place not only in the home and office, but also in the museum. The presence of salt in the dough preserves the finished product and protects it from various pests that are not indifferent to flour products.
The main advantage of testoplasty is the availability of materials. The cost of finished crafts is mere pennies, and products for modeling, as well as for choux pastry for dumplings, are always in any home.
Once you master salt dough, you can make small souvenirs to sell and turn your new hobby into an extra income. Figures can be sold via the Internet, social networks or offer your masterpieces in crowded places: at train stations, in parks, on the beach.
Now in many cities open fairs are held, where everyone has the opportunity to sell what they have made with love with their own hands. Amulets, fridge magnets, kitchen decor are in great demand.
Craft Salt Dough Recipe
All-in-one DIY Salt Dough recipe requires only three ingredients: flour, salt and water.
Flour should be used only the highest grade, not containing bran and any improving additives. In no case do not buy pancake, pancake and self-rising flour - during drying, the dough made from it will begin to rise, which will lead to cracks.
Salt should also be taken plain without iodine and other additives, but clean and white. Perfect for Extra. If it was not possible to find finely ground salt, you can take pure coarse salt by dissolving it in water taken in volume according to the main recipe.
The water must be filtered and cooled before mixing. It is recommended to take ice water prepared in the freezer.
Proportions of ingredients:
- Flour - 300 grams;
- Salt - 300 grams;
- Water - 200 ml.
Video recipe from experienced craftsmen
Some crafters use additives to improve plasticity, such as starch, vegetable oil or glue.
However, for the first masterpiece, it is better to prepare salty dough for crafts according to the main recipe. It is important to consider that flour and salt are taken in the same proportions by weight, but salt is heavier than flour, so it turns out to be half as much in volume! For example, a glass of flour will require half a glass of salt!
Secrets of sculpting and shaping figures
Working with dough does not require special talents, but it is unlikely that you will be able to mold something special the first time. In the air, the mass of flour and salt quickly hardens, so you need to store it in a tightly closed jar, separating, if necessary, the right amount for sculpting a separate element. If the mass was dyed in different colors, then portions of hotel shades of different colors should be stored in separate containers.
There are many techniques for working with dough. It can be rolled into a layer, and then cut out figures and form compositions from them, like flowers from sugar mastic and cold porcelain.
At the joints, the parts are moistened and gently pressed against each other. Also, the same dough, diluted to a more liquid consistency, is used as glue.
For large three-dimensional figures, wire frames are used or put inside jars and boxes, which reduces the volume of raw materials and speeds up the drying process. To fasten the elements, you can use toothpicks, fastening the parts to be joined with them.
Finished work is dried in the open air or baked in the oven, which greatly speeds up the process of gaining the desired strength. During drying, the oven is turned on at the lowest temperature, and the door is slightly opened. At high temperatures, the craft may crack.
How to decorate dough products
You can use any available materials to form reliefs and three-dimensional figures: stencils, coins, toothpicks, sushi sticks, combs, penknives, pastry syringe, cookie cutters, vegetable and carving knives .
Figures made from undyed dough have a light beige tint, but the mass can be dyed at the kneading stage, and finished products can be varnished, acrylics, watercolors or gouache.
Colorants can be natural products such as cocoa or beetroot juice. If dyes require dilution with water, reduce the total amount of liquid indicated in the recipe.
Video: delicious strawberries for beginners
Check out a selection of beautiful crafts, maybe you will fall in love with this art and make it your hobby. For starters, try to make a simple figurine - a hedgehog according to the master class on our website or a colorful fish pendant. If you have small children, make casts of their arms and legs, in 20 years this craft will be of high value.
Beautiful crafts from the dough: Photo for inspiration
Master classes to create figures
If you are interested in this simple technique, try to start with simple crafts.
