Kid’s room need a personal pick-me-up? Or maybe you’re hunting for a unique make-and-take DIY project for your kids? Try crafting your own salt dough letters!
They’re inexpensive, easy to make (you’ve probably got all the ingredients at home already), and a fun way to spend a little family time in the kitchen. Not to mention a great on-the-fly thing to do on those rainy or wintry southeast Michigan days.
We spotted this cute, customizable craft in Emma Hardy’s Green Crafts for Children. Kids will have a blast creating their first initial — or, they’re feeling super creative, entire name — with dough they can make, paint and, ultimately, display with pride.
A couple hints: Before you start, spread some newspaper on the table. And, while younger kids will love the kneading and rolling part, they may need a little help with measuring and possibly with shaping, too.
And while you’re waiting for your salt dough letters to dry, why not play some classic board games with the kids?
Materials
- 10 oz. plain flour
- 10 oz. salt
- 1/3 pint lukewarm water
- 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
- Water-based paints and paintbrushes
- Mixing bowl
- Wooden spoon
- Measuring jug
- Rolling pin
- Alphabet pastry cutters
- Non-stick baking tray
Instructions
- Put the salt into the mixing bowl, pour in the water and mix thoroughly until all the salt is dissolved. (Doing this will help to create a smoother dough than if you add the flour at the same time.)
- Add the flour to the bowl. Also pour in the vegetable oil at this time. Stir until the mixture becomes stiff; then, knead it with your hands to form a firm dough. Scrape the bowl clean and shape the dough into a ball.
- Sprinkle flour onto the work surface and place the ball of dough onto it. Roll the dough out with a rolling pin to an even thickness of about a centimeter.
- Cut out letters with the cutters (or simply shape your own) and place them onto the tray. Note: If you want to be able to string them up for decor later, be sure to punch some strategic holes in the top portions.
- Put them in an oven at 210 degrees F for one hour. When hard, turn the oven off but leave the letters inside to cool to help stop the salt dough from cracking.
- Use water-based paints and a brush to paint the letters. When the base coat is dry, add decorations. You can get glitter, stickers, buttons or beads to apply on top of the paint. Feed through some thread, if you punched holes in the top portions.
- Display and enjoy!
This post was originally published in 2011 and is updated regularly.
