Editor's Note: Back when I was a kid country schools once taught
salt dough crafting as an art form. Your children will be fascinated
with this basic crafting art form because of its ease of use and virtually
unlimited permutations. For starters I throw out their favorite coloring
book in front of them and invite attempts to make 3-D copies of their heroes.
Salt Dough |
Copyright © 2004
by J Black
Folk art and in particular the art of making craft objects using salt dough has become a very popular hobby in recent years.
| To get started requires only the minimum of equipment and materials most of which will already be in your kitchen. These include:
| To make your salt dough I have found the following recipe to be a good all round recipe for most projects. 2 Cups of Plain Flour (net self-raising) 1 cup Fine grained plain salt 1/2 cup water at room temperature Mix the salt and flour in a large bowl and then add the water. Knead the mixture for about 5-10 minutes until it becomes smooth and elastic. Cover with cling wrap to stop the dough drying out and let the dough sit for 30 minutes before using. |
Two other recipes that I often use, depending on the project
I am working on, include a:
Fine dough for filigree work2 Cups flour And a Firm Dough for making tiles and plates2 cups flour |
| Fresh dough is best for modeling. However, if you find you have any leftover dough it can be wrapped in cling wrap or an airtight container and stored in a cool place for a few days. To improve the elasticity of the dough add dry wallpaper paste to the basic mixture. The addition of 1-2 teaspoons of vegetable oil improves suppleness of the dough and make it easier to work with. |
Different coloured dough's can be made using... - Food colouring (red, green, blue, or yellow). Two or more food colours can be combined to make different colours and shades or for a marbled dough effect. - Add spices that act as natural dyes e.g. cinnamon, curry powder, saffron or paprika. - Add cocoa powder or instant coffee for different hues of brown. - Wearing protective gloves add a little paint to the mixture then knead the dough until the paint is uniformly distributed through the mix. The dough is now ready to use and the next step is to shape your project. For flat or rolled projects it is best to roll out the dough straight onto a baking sheet then it can be put straight into the oven. Models or larger pieces can be assembled on a piece of hardboard that has been oiled with vegetable oil to prevent it sticking to the board |
When finished and happy with your results you have
a choice of Air Drying or baking your project in the oven.
Ensuring your projects are correctly dried ensures
they will last a long time so it is important that this is
not hurried.
Air drying is suitable for flat, small pieces or for
coloured pieces where baking will alter the colour of
the finished project.
Oven drying is the most popular method and requires
careful attention to accurate temperature control to
avoid burning.
Bake for approx 2 hours using a low temperature setting
50-70C for the first half hour then increase temperature
slowly to 90-100C and cook until the piece is uniform
in colour.
While baking if any air bubbles appear pierce the bubbles
with a pin and gently depress the dough.
If the dough starts to darken before cooking is complete
cover with a piece of aluminum foil.
The dough is cooked when it hard and sounds hollow when
tapped. Turn the oven off and leave in oven until cool.
Any burns can be sandpapered off with fine- medium grade
sandpaper. An Emery board or small file can be used for
delicate or intricate sanding on objects.
Your finished projects can be left unpainted but they must be
sealed on all sides with varnish, gloss or matt for protection
otherwise they will not last long when exposed to air.
When thoroughly dry sand any imperfections.
At this stage you can paint your projects then seal with
a final coat of varnish.
Brightly coloured pieces will look more vibrant painted
with a glossy finish and neutral muted colours are suited
to a matt finish.
Using a polyurethane varnish on food coloured models
instead of water-based varnish helps to intensify the
colour.
Happy modeling
Copyright J Black. For more articles, resources and craft ideas
visit Jill online at http://www.netwrite-publish.com
Crafts do make wonderful gifts. Now I don't pretend that ANY crafty gift is precious. A star made from popsicle sticks glued together might bring yards of happiness when given from a four-year old, but look rather tacky if you are forty. The gifts you choose to make for others should spring from a craft you do exceedingly well. A good craft gift might be defined as anything you do with your hands that makes your heart sing while you are making it. When the one receiving the gift hears that singing and joins in then you will have given a gift which is priceless. Not all of us knows what a rabbet is, but all of us will have talents which give us an affinity to at least one of the crafty ideas inside this package. I invite you to check out the book marks and dig in. Don't be afraid to try any of these ideas. Each one was chosen for the author's skill in explaining the steps to take. You will probably be pleasantly surprised and how easily you acquire the skills needed for any craft idea that you like. There is a link in each craft article so that you can easily reach the author for similar material.
freebo///craftygifts.pdf is the download site.
This book will make a swell gift for all your craft loving friends. Pass it on, then take a look at what all else we have in store for you..