How to Make Flowers Using Flour
Sculpting can be done using a wide variety of substances. Salt-dough clay is inexpensive and easy to mix. Once dried and painted or sealed, salt-dough flowers can last indefinitely. Slow, low heating ensures that your petals will not crack or fall apart. Use the sculpting tool of your choice to add details, and paint to imitate favorite hybrids or create an explosion of fantasy colors for your next wreath or centerpiece.
Things You'll Need
- 2 cups flour
- 1 cup salt
- Large mixing bowl
- Water
- Sculpting tools
- Cookie sheet
- Paintbrushes
- Bright acrylic paints
- Clear acrylic sealant
Instructions
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Mix 2 cups flour with 1 cup table salt in large mixing bowl. Add water 1 teaspoonful at a time to make a soft dough. "It is impossible to be precise about the addition of the water, as the gluten content of all flour varies from milling to milling batch," says crafter Pauline Weston Thomas. "For salt dough I always use the cheapest supermarket brand of household flour without raising agent."
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Pinch a small piece of dough and roll it into a ball. Flatten it into a circle with your fingers.
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Pinch the center of the dough circle to pull it into a flower shape. Use sculpting tools to add details.
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Roll a second piece of salt dough into a snake to make a stem. Attach stem to flower using a little bit of water to make the dough sticky. "To join any two pieces of raw dough together, simply moisten both surfaces with water and press together," according to the "Morton Salt Dough It Yourself Handbook." "The water acts as a glue and keeps dough from separating during baking or drying." Lay on a cookie sheet to dry.
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Bake flowers at 200 degrees Fahrenheit 30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
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Paint as desired with bright acrylic colors. Allow to dry overnight. Apply clear sealant and allow to dry again. Arrange your flour flowers in a vase.
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Tips & Warnings
Backfill the space around your flower stems with glass aquarium gems.
Do not allow your salt dough flowers to get wet. They make a gooey, moldy mess when stored in a damp place.
