Here's an easy 3 ingredient salt dough recipe!
Salt dough is great for making ornaments, but you can also use it for candle holders (below), little figurines, and more. It's plastic-free, waste-free, and the ingredients are inexpensive! In fact, you might already have them in your kitchen! All you need is table salt, all purpose flour, and water.
It's quick to make (although the baking aspect takes time), easy to work with and clean up, and salt dough never seems to go bad once it's baked. We have ornaments from years ago that are still perfect! You can leave salt dough as it is, or it can be painted.
Required Tools:
- A Mixing Bowl
- Measuring Cups
- Spoon for stirring
- Rolling pin
- Cookie Cutters, a Chop Stick, String/Ribbon (if you're making ornaments)
Ingredients:
- 2 cups of all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup of regular table salt
- 3/4 cup of tap water
Method:
- Add all ingredients to your mixing bowl and stir with you spoon until it's mixed well. You can use your hands too if it's easier! You're looking for a playdough-like consistency. If it's too sticky, add a bit more flour (just a spoonful at a time). Mixing might take up to 5 minutes to get the right texture. Be patient :)
- If you're making ornaments, divide your dough into 2 sections and then roll your dough to 1/4" thickness. If you find the dough sticking, put it between 2 sheets of parchment paper and then roll it out.
- Start cutting out your shapes with cookie cutters. Use the chopstick to poke a hole in the top of your ornament for the string.
- If you're using your dough to make figurines, let your imagination go wild! There are no rules!
- If you're making a candle holder, the one we made used a brass candle holder with a beeswax candle (these are actually compatible with the celebration rings we carry in the shop). Create a shape that's big enough to press the brass candle holder into.
Baking:
- Preheat your oven to 250 degrees F/ 121 degrees C
- Line a baking sheet with parchment and transfer your creations to the sheet
- Bake ornaments 1.5-2 hours or until firm to touch.
- If your figures or candle holders are thick, they might take quite a while to bake. Check on them everything 25 minutes or so to make sure they're not burning. Up to 4-5 hours.
- Once they're no longer squishy, and they feel pretty firm when you touch them, take them out and let them cool down.
Disclaimer:
- If using to make candle holders, never leave candles unattended while burning. Keep away from flammable materials. Keep salt dough away from dogs and pets.