Create Fish, Whales, and Sea Stars from Salt Dough
Who wouldn’t agree that salt dough is a staple of childhood? Creating salt dough ornaments, handprints, and fun shapes is a great indoor art activity for children. Combining creativity and exploration, it’s a very simple project that we can do together at home. So let’s get started!
The salt dough preparation is a very easy process with three pantry staples. You will only need:
2 cups of flour
2 cups of salt
1 cup of water
Step 1. Prepare a bowl and measure out the flour, salt, and water. Start mixing the flour and the salt first, and then add the water. Mix until they are well combined. Knead for a few minutes until the dough is soft.
Step 2. Now it’s play time! Get a small quantity of dough and start molding it into a starfish, a whale, or fish shape. If you are creating a starfish, gently pull out five “blobs” with equal space between each other. Try to make them as similar as possible. Remember: you can always add more dough or take some off when needed. Another option is to place the salt dough between two sheets of parchment paper and roll it out. Using butter cutters, you can create various shapes!
Step 3. Now comes the creative part! This is where you get to color and decorate your creation just the way you like it. If you are making a starfish, you can get some creative ideas by doing a simple Google search to see all the different varieties of starfish.
Step 4. When you are ready, you can either let your salt dough creations air dry over a few days or bake them. Baking is perfect for those who are a bit impatient to see their final results. Place them in a 325 degree oven and cook until they are firm to the touch and baked thoroughly. This can take about an hour for a small creation, and can take 2-3 hours for a bigger, thicker object.
After the salt dough has cooled, you can either leave them natural the way they are, or paint them.
Acrylic craft paint is a good option since it holds up best on crafts. Beware: children and tables should be protected! For younger kids, it’s better to use tempera washable paints.
We can’t wait to see your salt dough creations. You are more than welcome to share them with us on social!
