How to Make Salt Dough Pumpkins

Salt dough is not only a very easy medium to work with, but also easy to make and inexpensive. Made from ingredients found in many kitchen pantries, salt dough can be used to make countless crafts. Salt-dough pumpkins make beautiful harvest decorations, and can be painted and embellished to make them even more attractive. Whether you need pumpkins for your Thanksgiving centerpiece or to decorate your windowsill for Halloween, salt-dough pumpkins make a great impression.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• 8 cups flour
• 2 cups salt
• 3 cups hot water
• Large mixing bowl
• Paint
• Paintbrush
• Embellishments
• Spray lacquer sealant
• Toothpick

1. Make your salt dough first. In a large bowl, mix the flour and salt. Next add your hot water and knead until the dough becomes elastic. If the dough is too dry, add more water.

2. Pull off a piece from your kneaded dough, and form a ball in your hand. The size of the ball will determine the size of your pumpkin. You can make very large pumpkins or very small ones. The choice is yours.

3. With your thumb, make a smooth impression on the top of your ball-shaped dough. This is the spot where you will add the pumpkin stem. You can smooth it out with a damp finger to give it a more realistic appearance.

4. Pull off another piece of dough and form it into a cone with your fingers. Give it a slight tug to elongate it and give it that pumpkin-stem look.

5. Attach the stem into the recess you made on top of your pumpkin. It may be necessary to moisten the area with a damp finger for better adhesion.

6. With a toothpick, gently create the vertical lines of the pumpkin. This can be done by carefully running the toothpick down the pumpkin from top to bottom, skipping a section and making another line. This will give it the look of a real pumpkin.

7. Allow your pumpkin to dry thoroughly overnight. If you paint it too soon, it will absorb the paint, instead of creating a typical paint overlay.

8. Paint your pumpkin an attractive orange and the stem a natural color, such as brown or green. When the paint dries, seal it with a spray lacquer.

9. Embellish your pumpkin by adding glitter, sequins or other items that will make it stand out.

Tips & Warnings

• If you find that your salt dough is becoming too dry while you're making your pumpkins, add a small amount of water. If it is too moist, add more flour.
• Salt dough can be wrapped in waxed paper and stored in the refrigerator for later use.
• Do not leave your unused salt dough exposed to air too long, it will dry up quickly.
• Salt dough is tough when it hardens, but fragile in its beginning state. Handle with care.