Salt Dough Ghosts, Bats, Pumpkins and other things

This craft project is one your kids will quickly get enthusiastic about. Almost anything can be shaped. Once your dough shapes are dry, they can be painted and used as great table decorations or even for hanging on  trees or branches. It is cheap and uses ingredients you most probably already have in your food cupboard.

Make up a batch and let the kids have fun…and what’s great is that unlike play dough, you’ll have a home made trinket to treasure when they’re stone.

Salt Dough:

• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup salt
• 1/2 cup water
• Bowl
• Wooden spoon
• Fine-point permanent black marker

1. Combine the flour, salt, and water in a bowl. Stir the mixture with a wooden spoon until smooth.
2. Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces and shape each into a ghost, flattening the base so it will stand up.
3. Microwave the ghosts on a plate one or two at a time for 20- to 30-second intervals until the dough is fairly firm (about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes in total). Let the ghosts cool (they can get quite hot).
4. Use a fine-point permanent black marker to draw on eyes and a mouth.

To make other shapes, either create them free-hand or use cookie cutters in a variety of shapes. You really can create anything. Choose the cutter to match your theme, make your shapes and let them dry. If you are wanting to use colour, just use poster paint or acrylic in the desired colour choice. I would recommend varnishing the finished article with a little PVA glue or proper varnish. This will further strengthen your creation and give it a nice glossy finish.

Salt dough is versatile, but I would recommend keeping your shapes fairly small, like a cookie, as the dough can crack when made into larger shapes.

This salt dough recipe makes great Christmas decorations  and can be used to save tiny fingerprints or hand and foot prints.

Give it a go this winter season and see what you can create.