Creating salt dough is a fun activity for kids and it's a great material to use to create homemade ornaments, so this is like two crafts in one! For this ornament, kids can shape the dough into a simple snowman that would be a great gift to give a friend for the holidays.
What you'll need:
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 tablespoon water
- Bowl
- Spoon
- Cookie sheet
- Toothpick
- Pint: white, orange and black
- Paintbrush
- Ribbon
- Acrylic sealer spray
How to make it:
- Place flour, salt and water in a bowl and mix with the spoon. Once the dough is combined, pick it up in your hand and knead it with your fingers until smooth.
- Remove a small piece of dough for making the nose and roll the larger piece of dough between your palms to form a ball. (See photo.)
- Press the ball down onto the cookie sheet with the palm of your hand, flattening it out. (See photo.)
- Roll the small piece of dough with your fingers into a carrot shape. Press firmly but gently onto the round flattened dough. (See photo.)
- Insert toothpick toward the top of the head, but not too close to the edge. Move the toothpick in a circular motion to enlarge the hole so that it is big enough to run a piece of ribbon through. (See photo.)
- Bake ornament at 250 degrees for 2 hours. Remove from oven and let cool on a rack. (See photo.)
- When completely cool, Paint the round section white and the nose orange. (See photo.)
- Use the handle end of a paintbrush dipped in black paint to dot on the snowman's eyes and mouth. Let dry. (See photo.)
- An adult should spray the ornament with a couple of coats of sealer.
- When dry, tie a ribbon hanger through the hole in the top.
Tips:
- If you want to create a perfect circle, place dough inside a round biscuit or cookie cutter and spread with your fingers.
- Salt dough will break if dropped, so be sure to handle the ornament with care.
- The oven step can be skipped if you allow the ornament to dry overnight.
