Making Salt Dough Ornaments

Materials

• 4 cups unsifted flour
• 1 cup salt
• water

Ingredients

With your rolling pin, thin out the dough to about 1/4 inch. Use cookie cutters, knives or other kitchen utensils to mold the dough in the shape of your wishes.

Bake at 300 degrees F for about 2 hours. Check frequently and turn oven down if project begins to brown. My preferred method is to allow to air dry. This usually takes a good 24 hours.

More uses for flour salt dough include adding them into a greased mold and pressing gently until all of mold is filled. Pop out and allow to dry. If you want to hang them add a hole made by a straw or a ornament hanger to the top of the pieces.

Once dry, paint them. Dough will last up to 2 weeks in sealed bag in refrigerator.

Source: Mother's recipe

By gem from VA

Brenda

November 28, 20090 found this helpful

Are you thinking about dough art? If so, use the following:

4 cups flour
2 cups salt
Approx 2 cups water

Mix flour & salt with fork in a large mixing bowl. Then add water. Knead dough with hands until it is fairly stiff. Work directly on cookie sheet.

Jill

November 29, 20080 found this helpful

You can tint the dough using tea instead of water, or adding a little instant coffee to the water before you mix.

I saw a lady on HGTV who appeared to be adding Hershey's cocoa powder to her ornament dough to make the color a little bit deeper.

Harriet Schipper

December 3, 20080 found this helpful

I think what you are looking for is Baker's clay...I used it often for tree decorations...gingerbread men were the children's favorite and they helped make and paint them too:) :

Baker's Clay:
INGREDIENTS:
4 c. unsifted flour
1 c. salt
1 1/2 to 1 3/4 c. slight warm water

DIRECTIONS:
Combine salt and water in bowl. Stir to dissolve salt.
Add flour gradually, mixing with hands.
If dough is too stiff, add more water, a little at a time.
Remove dough from bowl and knead 4-6 minutes. Dough should be warm, soft, and elastic, with no grimy feel.
Shape into desired ornaments or mushroom shapes for plaques, etc.
Press dough through strainer or garlic press for strings, grass, hair. To add pieces for eyes, cheeks, hair, moisten with water before putting in place.
Remember to make a holes for hanging ornaments or insert 1/2 paper clips or ornament hangers in soft dough.
Bake in pre-heated oven 350 degrees for 1/2 to 1 1/2 hours or more, depending on thickness of the piece.

jeannette

December 6, 20080 found this helpful

This is the receipe for HOMEMADE SALT DOUGH

Salt Dough

2 cups of salt
2/3 cup water
1 cup cornstarch
additional 1/3 cup COLD water
and acrylic paint or food coloring

Place salt and 2/3 cup water in small saucepan and heat until quite warm.
Remove from heat. Mix cornstarch and COLD water together, add to salt
mixture stirring constantly. Return pan to heat and keep stirring until
mixture forms a smooth mass. Turn out on a plate and cover with damp cloth
until cool. work in color as desired or leave natural. Covered (zip bag)
& refrigerated, Salt Dough will keep indefinitely.

Shape on foil covered cookie sheet and let dry (Several hours in a warm
oven or several days at room temperature). You can sand rough edges with an
emery board when dry.

Linda

December 7, 20080 found this helpful

Just a tip. One year I spent several hundred hours making salt dough bowls and plates decorated with raised elephants, lions, etc. I painted them with craft paints and they were really beautiful. However, salt dough will not last unless you seal the finish. It will absorb moisture from the air and become soft, and even mold. I brushed polyurethane on several items, and was shocked when it completely ruined the painted finish.

If you brush your salt dough with a little water before you bake them, they will get browner.

Elizabet

November 24, 20090 found this helpful

Use food dye.