Do you know what it takes to make easy salt dough ornaments? With this article, you will get to know how to make delicious easy salt dough ornaments.
This recipe only requires a few simple ingredients and it’s straightforward and simple to make.
These can be made with or without holes to serve as ornaments or as blank shapes for kids to personalize. If you aren’t going to be hanging them up, there’s no need to drill holes.
Read on to know more about how to make easy salt dough ornaments that everyone will love.
Ingredients
- 4 cups flour
- 1 mug of regular salt
- 1.5 cups of water
Method of Preparation
- Toss all the ingredients into a big bowl and stir them together with a wooden spoon. If the dough gets too tough to stir, just press it together with your clean hands.
- For the less sticky dough, knead in additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time. You can add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time if it’s too thick.
- As there is a wide difference in the absorbency of different flours, this is to be expected. It needs to be malleable, so it’s not too sticky or too stiff, but it does need to be easy to deal with.
- For roughly three to five minutes, repeat this process of kneading until the dough is smooth and pliable.
- Cut the dough in half or quarters and roll it out between two sheets of parchment paper until it is approximately 1/2 inch thick. Sticking won’t be a problem as a result of this.
- Form into shapes using biscuit cutters. Place the formed items on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.
- In order to use up the dough, I decided to roll it out several times and then cut out various shapes.
Turn on the oven to 250 F. - A child’s fingerprint can be pressed into a circle that measures 4.5 to 5 inches in diameter.
- Make a hole and hang it with a skewer or a paper lollipop stick.
- If you’re making ornaments, put them in the oven for 90 minutes to 2 hours; if you’re making handprints, bake them for 3 hours.
- Check on the ornaments and handprints every 20 minutes and continue baking as necessary until they are just firm to the touch. They shouldn’t be brittle, but neither should they be soft.
- Taking handprints could take up to four hours, which is a lot more time than it takes to make a little ornament.
- Take it out of the oven and paint it in acrylic or washable tempera if you choose.
- Mod Podge can be used as a sealant once the paint has dried fully.
Equipment
- Bowl for Mixing
- Prepared with the use of parchment
- Little Molds for Cookies
Read also: Easy and Delicious Vegetarian Baby Food
Here Are Some Pointers on How to Perfect Your Salt Dough Ornament
- Knead in some additional flour if the dough is too wet and sticky to work with. More water can be added if the consistency is too thick. There is a wide variety of liquid requirements because of the vast differences in how various flours absorb water. It needs to be pliable, meaning it’s not too viscous or too firm, but it does need to be easy to work with.
- Pierce the holes with a skewer or a piece of paper from a lollypop.
- You may make handprint ornaments by using a four to five-inch circular cookie cutter.
- Adhere a piece of baker’s twine or a narrow ribbon to the top, and use them as decorations.
- Before baking, work to get the dough to a consistent thickness for the best results.
- If your decorations are still floppy after baking for the specified amount of time, keep them in for a few minutes more. A strong touch is preferred, as there should not be much give.
- Wait until everything is completely cold before painting.
- Painting the background of a handprint ornament should be done before painting the palm. Be patient and let the first color dry before adding a second. To complete the effect, some opt to paint the entire thing a bright white or creamy beige.
- Employ tempura washable paints with babies and older children, and acrylic craft paint with more experienced painters.
- Because it lasts the longest when used for DIY projects. In the case of smaller children, who are more likely to end themselves covered in paint, this is a strong suggestion.
- A coat or two of Mod Podge or a spray sealant will help your final dry ornaments last for years to come.
Methods for Keeping Salt Dough Ornaments Permanent
- A coat or two of Mod Podge or a spray sealant will assist your final dry ornaments to last for years to come. Both are good options.
- Coat or seal both surfaces, but first let one side dry before moving on to the next. If you must use the sealer, make sure to apply it in a well-ventilated area, away from any curious young minds.
- A piece of advice is to use bubble wrap to store the ornaments from year to year. Keep it in a spot where it won’t be knocked around, misplaced, or soaked.
Read also: 10 Easy Toddler Meal Ideas
What Could be Causing the Salt Dough to Expand Like This?
These could get too puffy if you use self-rising flour by accident. Furthermore, it can occur for no apparent reason at all. Continue baking at a low temp, and if this keeps happening, try baking for an even longer period of time.
