There are periods in the year when the weather can sometimes seem long. Whether it is a very rainy holiday or a period of confinement, it is necessary to be imaginative to occupy the little bits. There’s nothing like teaching them how to prepare salt dough so that they can then indulge in modelling. Let’s not forget that crafting with children is an excellent way to develop their creativitytheir dexterity, and it’s always a great moment of laughter and complicity to share with the family.
Ingredients for salt dough
To prepare a beautiful ball of salt doughthem ingredients necessary are really basic, and they are necessarily in the cupboard of the kitchen. Before we begin, we find a empty yogurt pot which will serve as a measuring cup for all the components.
- 1 measure of lukewarm water,
- 1 measure of fine salt,
- 2 measures of flour.
- Set the oven to 90°C (Thermostat 3) to obtain gentle cooking,
- Monitor creations regularly. They should not swell or turn brown,
- Remove the tray from the oven when the salt dough objects are hard,
- Switch off the oven,
- Allow items to cool completely before decorating.
Preparing the salt dough
It proceeds as follows:
- In a large bowl, combine:
- Add lukewarm water to the resulting mixture,
- Knead by hand until you obtain a homogeneous, smooth and supple dough and form a ball.
She must be very easy to work. If it seems a bit crumbly, just add a small amount of warm water and mix again. If, on the other hand, the dough sticks to your hands, it is because it is too wet. In this case, add a very small amount of flour and knead again to check the consistency.
Color your salt dough
It is during the preparation that we think of adding in the paste either pretty glitter, or pieces of chalk reduced to powder, or dyes. The ideal is therefore to form several balls in order to work later with several colors. The good idea is to use natural dyes such as turmeric (ochre), paprika (red-orange), beetroot (purple), spirulina (dark green), a macerate of amaryllis petals (different pigments) or even with a macerate of pistil of lily (yellow).
Decorating salt dough objects
There are thousands of ways to decorate each object differently. We can use :
- Pulses,
- raw pasta,
- All possible seeds,
- Wooden beads…
Anything that does not withstand cooking must be glued on after removal from the oven, such as plastic beads, buttons, ribbons or even plant elements (flowers, leaves, dried plants, etc.).
Salt dough, its uses
But what can we do with this famous salt dough? Everything… or almost (it is not consumed)! Salt dough has this magic that it allows you to create a multitude of small decorative and/or useful objects. It is also a very great classic of activities to share with toddlers from an early age. But adults can quite get into the game and after gaining some experience, some make real works of art in salt dough. Here are some ideas for objects to make with this very simple preparation.
- A cast of his hands or feet,
- magnets,
- Imaginary animals or the replica of real animals,
- Pots of all kinds (for pencils, paperclips, jewelry, etc.),
- Small boxes with lids, very practical for tiny toy parts, for example,
- A piggy bank,
- Jewelry,
- Characters,
- Decorations for Easter, Christmas such as chicks, colored eggs, stars, hearts, balls,
- Frames…
If the objects are intended to be hanging or hung, you have to think about making a hole to pass a cord or fix a hanging system from the start of the workshop. We must also position a magnet before cooking to create a magnet.
Drying salt dough objects
Once the ball of salt dough is made, we can start to create objects. But be careful, it is essential to place them on a plate and let them dry for 10 to 12 hours before putting them in the oven. Drying avoids, during cooking:
- The formation of air bubbles,
- The deformation of objects modeled with salt dough.
Drying the salt dough is also useful for saving energy as it shortens the cooking time as the dough has lost much of its moisture.
Baking salt dough decorations
Finally, after this drying time, the time for cooking has arrived.
Paint and varnish your salt dough creations
Different renderings can be obtained depending on the type of paint that is then used. If very young children have to paint the salt dough objects they have made, it is of course essential to provide them with only painting suitable for toddlers. For the older ones, we can authorize thewatercolorperfect if you want to create a cameo in pastel tones, or a enamel paint which gives a shiny appearance and could suggest that they are porcelain creations.
Finally, for the finishingthe application of varnish may be necessary. In addition to adding an aesthetic touch, it protects objects against humidity (not really a friend of salt). You can use a spray varnish (to be applied by older children), a water-based varnish, a decorative varnish that little girls love because it is glittery, a crystal varnish which despite time does not become yellowish …
After these creative parentheses thanks to the salt dough, sure that time has passed very quickly. Everyone got busy, was able to express themselves through creation and will have been able to realize that family tinkering is much more constructive than remaining passive in front of the TV. Modeling is an activity in its own right, to flourish at any age. When is the next session?