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Saturday 17 August 2013

Salt Dough Hand Keepsakes

This week, Leo and I tried our hand (get it? Ha!) at salt dough ornaments. Cheap and easy!

Salt Dough Recipe
1/2 cup table salt
1 cup flour
1/2 cup water (approx)

Step 1: 
Mix your dry ingredients together in a bowl. Slowly add the water, Remembering that the measurement above is just a guide, You may need more or less. You want your dough to come together sort of like cookie dough and not sticky!



Step 2:
Knead dough and roll out until about 5mm. I still have no idea where my rolling pin is (How do you even lose something like that?) so we used a bottle of wine which left our dough uneven. Oh well!


Step 3:
Push your hand into the dough as hard as you can. Cut around handprint and make a hole with a skewer. 



Step 4:
On a baking paper lined tray, Bake in the oven at 100C for 3-4 hours. I flipped the ornaments at the 3 hour mark. Again this is all a rough estimate. They should be hard and not have any "give"

Step 5:
Once fully dry - We left our salt dough out to dry over night "Just in case" - unleash your artist and paint them using acrylic paints. 



Step 6:
String them up and admire!



We only needed 3 hand (They are Fathers Day gifts) so we played around with the remainder of the dough using a star cookie cutter, a Mickey Mouse toast press and even sculpted a tiny snake!

I think they turned out really sweet! The dads in our family are going to love them!


 

8 comments:

  1. I pinned something like this ages ago and we just never seem to get round to it - maybe this is the week seeing how you make it look so easy and fun

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    1. It really is easy and not as messy as I thought it would be. I will be doing it again.. maybe even without the little one! :)

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  2. I can not believe I have just found this post. I am sitting here trying to distract myself from the fact that my first and only Grandson is about to board a flight with his mummy and daddy to go and live in Dubai. His parting gift to me was a salt dough handprint. Precious beyond words. Yours will be too xx

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    1. Linda, this has made my heart ache for you! I can only imagine what you must be feeling. Thank goodness we live in the age of skype and internet.. I hope it makes the world a little smaller for you.
      xx

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  3. So so sweet....we did this years ago...he was two...He is now nearly 12 and I still have them...keep them safe...?

    lovely blog too...bestest from Daisy J in the sunny uk!!

    Ps found you through Mezz makes things.!

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    1. Wow! My husband thinks I'm a bit of a hoarder when it comes to my children.. I keep everything!

      I just stalked your blog and will definitely be following it!

      (I sometimes find myself wearing "Odd" pairs of things too.. and I'm 29!)

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  4. What a beautiful craft idea! My children love creating with salt dough, but we've never made keepsakes for friends or family.

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    1. How lovely is it to craft with your children... I will be following your blog for more ideas for my monster boy and I to try.

      thanks for your comment and visit!

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