Here is an easy DIY Salt Dough recipe for making handmade ornaments, crafts, and fun kids' projects. Get creative with this versatile dough!
Salt dough is a type of homemade non-edible dough that is surprisingly easy to make, only requires three ingredients, and can be used to make many different types of craft projects.
It can be used as a malleable play dough or be baked to harden it into ornaments, figurines, jewelry dishes, and other craft projects.
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Why You'll Love This Project
- Salt Dough is a fun kids' craft that is a win-win for two reasons. First, it's easy to make so kids can help right from the beginning! Second, once the salt dough is made, it can keep kids busy for hours as they play with the dough like play-doh.
- This dough is a non-toxic, eco-friendly, cheap alternative to store-bought play doh.
- Salt dough can be used to make so many fun crafts from heart ornaments and salt dough Christmas ornaments to salt dough heart garlands, to even using it like clay and making a DIY jewelry dish.
Supplies Needed
- Flour - 2 cups of flour.
- Salt - 1 cup of salt.
- Water - 1 cup of water.
- Mixing Bowl - Big enough to fit the dry and wet ingredients in.
- Spoon - To mix the dough together.
Easy DIY Salt Dough Recipe
Step 1. Put 2 cups of flour into a mixing bowl.
Step 2. Add 1 cup salt to the mixing bowl.
Step 3. Stir the flour and salt together with a spoon.
Step 4. SLOWLY add 1 cup water to the dry mixture, stirring as you add the water.
Add the water a small amount at a time.
Add about ¼ cup or less at a time, and stir the water in before adding more.
Step 5. Stir the dough until it is completely mixed.
Step 6. Knead the dough for 5-10 minutes and let it sit for 20 minutes.
To make it easier to handle (like if you plan to cut it into shapes for ornaments), you can refrigerate it for 10+ minutes too.
From there, the salt dough is ready to be played with as a play-doh alternative, or you can use it to make ornaments and more!
Common Questions
All you need to make salt dough is flour, salt, and water!
Yes! The important thing in this recipe is the specific ratio of the different ingredients. But you can double the recipe to make a double batch, or halve the recipe to make a small half-batch.
If you want to make a double batch, you would use 4 cups of flour, 2 cups of salt, and 2 cups of water.
If you wanted to make a small half-batch, you would use 1 cup of flour, ½ cup of salt, and ½ cup of water.
Try putting the dough in the refrigerator for 10+ minutes before you handle it. That will help to reduce the stickiness and make it easier to handle.
The other thing you can try is to add a little bit more flour, particularly to the rolling pin, if you're using one to roll it out. You can also add a little flour to the outside of the dough ball.
Even if these two tips help the stickiness at first, the dough may get sticky again as the flour gets worked in and the dough warms up. If it gets too sticky again, stick it in the refrigerator once more, or add more flour.
Salt dough craft projects make fantastic kids' craft ideas because the dough is non-toxic, kids love to play with it, and once it's baked and hardened, it can easily be painted or decorated.
Salt dough ornaments can be used to capture child or pet handprints (and pawprints), and make lovely keepsakes and handmade gifts for parents and grandparents.
(Making a handprint keepsake with salt dough would be the perfect companion to a First Birthday Time Capsule on a child's first birthday!)
With an easy-to-follow and foolproof salt dough recipe, you're ready to make all sorts of fun crafts.
More Kids Crafts Ideas You'll Love
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Easy DIY Salt Dough Recipe
Materials
- Flour - 2 cups
- Salt - 1 cup
- Water - 1 cup
- Mixing Bowl
- Spoon
Instructions
- Put 2 cups of flour into a mixing bowl.
- Add 1 cup salt to the mixing bowl.
- Stir the flour and salt together with a spoon.
- SLOWLY add 1 cup water to the dry mixture, stirring as you add the water.Add the water a small amount at a time.Add about ¼ cup or less at a time, and stir the water in before adding more.
- Stir the dough until it is completely mixed.
- Knead the dough for 5-10 minutes and let it sit for 20 minutes.To make it easier to handle (like if you plan to cut it into shapes for ornaments), you can refrigerate it for 10+ minutes too.
Notes
- Add the water slowly, a little bit at a time. Stir each bit of water in before adding more.
- If the dough is too wet, add a little more flour. If it's too dry, as a bit more water.
- You can double the batch or make a small half-batch as long as the ratio of the three ingredients stays the same. (Double Batch: 4 cups flour, 2 cups salt, 2 cups water. Half-Batch: 1 cup flour, ½ cup salt, ½ cup water.)
Kay
I add 1 bottle of ground cinnamon and it turns into cinnamon dough, smells great and is dark like the cinnamon.
Laura
I LOVE that addition, Kay! Thank you for sharing!
Megan
Can this be stored and used again? Like not using the entire batch for a project at one time?
Laura
Hi Megan! I think the dough can be stored and used again, as long as it doesn't dry out. If it is kept from drying out, it should be able to be used again. But it might be tricky to keep it from drying out - you can try removing all the air from a ziploc bag and see if that helps keep it from drying out, at least for awhile. Good luck!!
Teresa
I made half a batch and then halved that and am seeing what happens when I wrap it in plastic wrap and a ziplock baggie. Storing it in the fridge.
Laura
Interesting! Let me know what the outcome is, Teresa!! 🙂
Jo
How do I make the actual ornaments? Baking instructions?
Laura
Hi Jo! You'll find all the details of making actual ornaments on this post here: https://www.lauraradniecki.com/how-to-make-a-salt-dough-ornament-with-pine-needle-embellishment/ This post is the recipe for the salt dough which some people use as a play doh alternative in its soft state. The baking instructions are 250 degrees for 2+ hours, depending on how thick the ornaments are. Good luck!
Cathy
Can self rising flour be used instead of all purpose flour?
Laura
Hi Cathy!
You know, I am not sure... I have only made salt dough using regular flour, but it wouldn't hurt to try it! Let me know if you do try it so I can answer that question for the next person!