Salt and flour dough

Salt and flour dough is easy to prepare and is fun to work with. There are endless possibilities for how you can use it. For preparation you need these ingredients:

• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup salt
• 1 cup of water

Optional:

1 tablespoon of cooking oil (if added the dough is easier to kindle).

To make the salt and flour dough: place the flour, salt, and water in a large bowl. Stir the mixture until it forms dough, then take out of a bowl and knead for 5 to 10 minutes. If the dough is too crumbly, add more water. If it is too sticky, add a little bit more flour.

When smooth, roll out the dough on a floured surface and cut out shapes with cookie cutters, or make your own shapes with a pointy knife, or just use it to sculpture something.

After that, put your creations on the baking try lined with parchment paper and dry it in the oven at 200 F (100 C) for approximately 3 to 4 hours, depending on the thickness. Keep in mind that It has to be dry on both sides. If baked at a higher temperature the dough will become bubbly. When baked, let it stand in the oven until cool.

Now the real fun begins. You can color it with acrylic paint, spray paint or any other kind of paint. You can cover it with a glue and glitter. Use your imagination!

The other coloring method would be to put some food coloring at the beginning of dough making. This way salt and flour dough becomes a home made  play- dough that is safe for kids even if they put it into their mouth. This play-dough can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about a week. This is good for kid’s school projects. After it is baked you can spray it with the Polyurethane spray, it makes your art stronger and shinier. If you want to color, put color before polyurethane spray, and some colors need to dry before spraying.

This photo shows a kid’s school project using salt and flour dough: illustration of the “Ricky Ricotta’s Mighty Robot” book. You can see that legs were supported with toothpicks.

Another warning: if you need some holes, you have to make them before baking!

If you use salt and flour dough to make Christmas ornaments, do not forget to make a hole with the straw before you bake it, so you can put ribbon or wire later to hang it.

Another idea is to put a safety pin before baking and make nice badge or broach. It is O.K. to add parts to your creations as long as they are metal or wood, because plastic will melt in the oven. For plastic or textile attachments you have to make holes or slots and attach it after baking, and coloring.

You can make scented ornaments and hang them in your closet. Just apply one or two drops after baking ornaments, add small ribbon for hanging.