Thought I would share a couple recipes for making Salt Dough ornaments.
I know there are a ton of recipes on the net, but these are my own tested and my "turn to" recipes for great Ornies every time.
These are easy to make and should give you a good starting point from which to generate your own ideas.
Salt Dough Recipe
What you need:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup salt
1 cup cold water
OPTIONAL
1 tablespoon of vegetable oil (makes it a little easier to knead)
1 tablespoon of wallpaper paste (gives the mixture more elasticity)
1 tablespoon of lemon juice (makes the finished product harder)
Directions:
In a large bowl, mix table salt and flour together any, or all, of the optional ingredients. Gradually add 1/2 cup of water and mix to desired consistency. Knead the dough on a flat surface for 10 minutes to help create a smooth texture. If possible it is best to let the dough stand for approximately twenty minutes
before beginning a project. , adding a few more drops of water as needed (but not making it too moist). **This should be neither too sticky, in whichcase add more flour, nor too dry, in which case add more water.
Once the dough is made, you can divide it up into small portions to roll into 1/8" thick pieces with a rolling pin. Use cookie cutters to cut out a variety of shapes, and place the shapes on wax paper or other surface to dry. If you want to make hanging ornaments, pierce the dough through with a toothpick while it's wet.
Allow the shapes to dry for a day or two, turning them over periodically to speed up the drying process. You may need to re-pierce the hole several times during the drying process. After the shapes dry, you can use a fine grit sandpaper to gently smooth any rough edges.
Baking Alternative
Instead of allowing the dough shapes to air dry, you can bake them in the oven at 200 degrees F until hard. Baking times varies depending on oven and dough thickness. Make sure the dough is completely baked. You can cover the dough with aluminum foil if it starts to darken before completely baked through. Be sure to turn your shaped over when baking :)
*Unused dough can be stored in the fridge, in an airtight container or cling film, for up to a week.
Primitive Cinnamon Dough recipe
(I love this one)
what you need:
1/2 cup ground cinnamon
1/3 cup applesauce
1 Tbsp. Tacky glue
Mix in bowl and stir until well blended. Work mixture in hands for three minutes to form
a ball. If it is too dry, add applesauce, if too wet, add more cinnamon.
Knead ball on cinnamon-sprinkled surface until it holds together well.
I roll this out and use cookie cutters for the shapes. I also use a drinking straw to cut a
hanging hole.
These can be air dried for 24 to 48 hours.
Turn several times.
They can also be baked in a oven on LOW.
EASY Apple Cinnamon Ornie recipe
What you do:
COMBINE 3/4 CUP OF APPLESAUSCE AND 1 1/4 CUPS OF GROUND CINNAMON.
BLEND WELL.
WORK DOUGH WITH HANDS TO A SMOOTH, CLAY LIKE CONSISTENCY.
DUST WORK SURFACE AND ROLLING PIN WITH CINNAMON.
ROLL DOUGH TO 1/8" THICK.
CUT WITH COOKIE CUTTERS.
MAKE HOLES FOR HANGING WITH A TOOTHPICK OR STRAW.
BAKE ON COOKIE SHEET (I FIND IF YOU VERY LIGHTLY GREASE YOUR PAN
THE DOUGH DOES NOT STICK TO THE PAN) AT 170 F FOR 1 HOUR.
TURN OFF HEAT AND LEAVE SHAPES IN OVEN 5 HOURS TO COOL SLOWLY
IF YOU WISH YOU CAN SEAL COOKIES WITH 3 COATS OF CLEAR ACRYLIC
AND DECORATE WITH COLORFUL ACRYLIC PAINT
Have fun making and decorating your ornaments!
Merry Christmas!
Psst... IF YOU MAKE SOMETHING I WOULD LOVE TO SEE YOUR ORNIE!
