Wednesday, January 1, 2020
Easy salt dough recipe for successful creations
Salt dough is a fun and enjoyable activity that can be practiced from an early age. It allows you to make your own decorative objects or small jewelry. But, unlike plasticine, salt dough hardens as it dries and objects created in this way can, therefore, be kept.
The salt dough recipe
Quick to make and unmissable, this salt dough recipe will form the basis of your creations. Children will enjoy participating in its preparation which requires few ingredients. Indeed, this recipe requires:
- 1 glass of fine salt
- 2 glasses of white flour
- 1 glass of warm water
Start by mixing the fine salt, flour and lukewarm water in a large container with a spoon. Once the dough begins to take on consistency, it is kneaded with the hands: the children love this step! If the dough turns out to be too liquid, add a little flour and start kneading again. The dough should look like a soft, non-sticky ball. If your salt dough sticks a little too much on your fingers, add a little salt or flour. Do not be surprised if your dough is grainy: this is completely normal, the salt dough does not have the same texture as plasticine.
You can add essential oils to your salt dough to create scented creations that will make personalized and original gift ideas.
It should be noted that a 25 cl glass will provide you with a good quantity of salt dough.
The coloring of the salt dough
It is possible to color the salt dough when it is made. You will then need as many preparations and containers as there are colors. You can opt for smaller glasses to get a lesser amount of dough for each color. You will be able to use different methods to add color to your salt dough:
- food coloring: it is preferable to use a large container for each color because the coloring must first be diluted in the glass of water before being mixed with salt and flour.
- chalks: they have a strong coloring power. You just need to grate chalks of different colors in your flour and salt mixes. Then add water to each of your preparations.
- natural dyes: they are generally found in our kitchens. So you can color your salt dough yellow with saffron, red with paprika or pink with beet
- the glitter: give a little magic and enchantment to your salt dough by adding a few colored glitters. Little girls will be delighted!
Make room for creation
Once your dough is prepared, you and your children can give free rein to your imagination. For example, use cookie cutters or a rolling pin to shape your creations. It is also possible to paint objects in salt dough if you have chosen not to color your dough. For this, prefer to use acrylic paint which, unlike gouache, will not crack.
After cooking, you can apply a matt or gloss varnish to enhance your creations.
Cooking salt dough
This is the longest step. Indeed, the salt dough takes a long time to dry and therefore to harden. To save your oven a little, we recommend that you leave your salt dough to air dry for about 12 hours. Be careful not to exceed this time too much, otherwise, your dough will crumble after cooking.
The ideal oven temperature for baking the salt dough is between 80 ° and 100 °. Cooked at a higher temperature, the dough would swell.
Cooking time depends on the size and thickness of the creations you have made. Allow 1 hour per centimeter of thickness. Thus, objects 3 cm thick will require 3 hours of cooking. Keep an eye on your oven during cooking because an overcooked salt dough tends to crack and crack.
You can also not cook the salt dough and simply let it dry the salt dough in the open air for at least 24 hours.
The conservation of salt dough
Salt dough can be kept for about a week. To do this, wrap your salt dough in a damp cloth which you then cover with plastic film or put in a freezer bag. You just have to place your salt dough in the refrigerator. Remember to take it out at room temperature at least a quarter of an hour before using it so that it is more malleable.
Salt dough is a fun and enjoyable activity that can be practiced from an early age. It allows you to make your own decorative objects or small jewelry. But, unlike plasticine, salt dough hardens as it dries and objects created in this way can, therefore, be kept.
The salt dough recipe
Quick to make and unmissable, this salt dough recipe will form the basis of your creations. Children will enjoy participating in its preparation which requires few ingredients. Indeed, this recipe requires:
- 1 glass of fine salt
- 2 glasses of white flour
- 1 glass of warm water
Start by mixing the fine salt, flour and lukewarm water in a large container with a spoon. Once the dough begins to take on consistency, it is kneaded with the hands: the children love this step! If the dough turns out to be too liquid, add a little flour and start kneading again. The dough should look like a soft, non-sticky ball. If your salt dough sticks a little too much on your fingers, add a little salt or flour. Do not be surprised if your dough is grainy: this is completely normal, the salt dough does not have the same texture as plasticine.
You can add essential oils to your salt dough to create scented creations that will make personalized and original gift ideas.
It should be noted that a 25 cl glass will provide you with a good quantity of salt dough.
The coloring of the salt dough
It is possible to color the salt dough when it is made. You will then need as many preparations and containers as there are colors. You can opt for smaller glasses to get a lesser amount of dough for each color. You will be able to use different methods to add color to your salt dough:
- food coloring: it is preferable to use a large container for each color because the coloring must first be diluted in the glass of water before being mixed with salt and flour.
- chalks: they have a strong coloring power. You just need to grate chalks of different colors in your flour and salt mixes. Then add water to each of your preparations.
- natural dyes: they are generally found in our kitchens. So you can color your salt dough yellow with saffron, red with paprika or pink with beet
- the glitter: give a little magic and enchantment to your salt dough by adding a few colored glitters. Little girls will be delighted!
Make room for creation
Once your dough is prepared, you and your children can give free rein to your imagination. For example, use cookie cutters or a rolling pin to shape your creations. It is also possible to paint objects in salt dough if you have chosen not to color your dough. For this, prefer to use acrylic paint which, unlike gouache, will not crack.
After cooking, you can apply a matt or gloss varnish to enhance your creations.
Cooking salt dough
This is the longest step. Indeed, the salt dough takes a long time to dry and therefore to harden. To save your oven a little, we recommend that you leave your salt dough to air dry for about 12 hours. Be careful not to exceed this time too much, otherwise, your dough will crumble after cooking.
The ideal oven temperature for baking the salt dough is between 80 ° and 100 °. Cooked at a higher temperature, the dough would swell.
Cooking time depends on the size and thickness of the creations you have made. Allow 1 hour per centimeter of thickness. Thus, objects 3 cm thick will require 3 hours of cooking. Keep an eye on your oven during cooking because an overcooked salt dough tends to crack and crack.
You can also not cook the salt dough and simply let it dry the salt dough in the open air for at least 24 hours.
The conservation of salt dough
Salt dough can be kept for about a week. To do this, wrap your salt dough in a damp cloth which you then cover with plastic film or put in a freezer bag. You just have to place your salt dough in the refrigerator. Remember to take it out at room temperature at least a quarter of an hour before using it so that it is more malleable.