How to Make Dough for Crafts
Kids like to play with clay. For more lasting creative projects, homemade craft dough works better than retail, is easier to manipulate and doesn't contain any artificial ingredients.
Homemade craft dough is also easy to make and can be used over and over or baked into a permanent shape. Not only can the kids play with it, they can help make a new batch in minutes.
Things You'll Need
- 4 cups flour
- 1 cup salt
- 1 to 1 1/2 cups water
- Bowl
- Spoon (optional)
- Food coloring
- Wax paper
- Oven
- Baking sheet
- Paint
- Shellac
Instructions
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Combine the flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Add 1 cup of water and mix, either with a spoon or with your hands (kids love this part). If the dough seems a little dry, add more of the water a little at a time until the dough is moist and sticks together well.
If this batch is solely for the kids to play with, add some food coloring with the water.
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Cover the work space with wax paper so the dough won't stick and the food coloring won't rub off and discolor your table or counter as the dough is shaped. Let your imagination run wild--Christmas ornaments, pots, dragons, soccer balls and other kid-friendly shapes are all possible.
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Consider making the creations permanent. If the object is allowed to dry completely and is then sprayed with shellac or other fixative, it can last for years with the careful handling you'd give any fragile object. You can even paint the dough once it's thoroughly dry.
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Another way to preserve your dough creations for years is to bake it at 200 degrees F until the dough is a very light brown. Paint and spray with shellac as above.
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Seal the unused dough in an airtight container and refrigerate. It will last for weeks and can be played with again and again.
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Tips & Warnings
Since this dough is made of edible ingredients, it's okay if the kids decide to sample it. It's a bit salty, though.
