Sunday Funday!

Salt Dough Sundays?

I am thinking maybe we will do a salt dough sculpture every Sunday! Salt dough is easy to make and very fun to play with.

(recipe from: http://www.artsncrafts-ideas.com/salt-dough-recipe.php)

Salt dough recipe

- 1 cup of salt - 2 cups of flour 3/4 to 1 cup of lukewarm water (the amount of water depends on relative humidity). Mix the salt and flour together in a bowl, using a wooden spatula. Then add the water until a large ball has formed. Knead at length on a lightly floured work surface (somewhere smooth and easy to clean). The quality of dough you finish with will depend on the time spent on kneading.

If the dough is sticky (too much water), add a mix in the right proportions of flour and salt.
You can also use coarser salt : mix it with water to dissolve it.

Any leftover clay will keep several days in a closed plastic bag.
Salt dough can be colored before baking, either with natural colorings, (instant coffee, curry or chocolate powder) or with food coloring.

Baking
Baking time : 3 to 4 hours at 100 celsius (212 fahrenheit) in a fan assisted oven, filling two or three of the racks. After one hour, take the models off the baking sheet and greaseproof paper and place them directly on the rack. This allows for more even baking. Bring the temperature down very low, to let the salt dough dry without losing its shape.


Since we are starting salt dough this week, we will do a simple craft and build up to more complex ones!

After creating the dough, roll it out on a floured surface. Find a favorite cookie cutter and cut out some shapes. If you want, you can make summer "ornaments" to display in the garden! Pick a bug or a flower. Or a few circles and ovals.
You can join together multiple cutouts by scoring the dough (XXXXX marks on the parts of the cut outs that are to be joined) and use a little bit of water to meld the dough together.
After you are happy with the raw product, stick it in the oven and bake at 200F for an hour, remove from cookie tray, and replace in oven for longer at a lower temp.

After it has cooked, and cooled, PAINT!! :)