Salt Dough Creations

.
Salt dough creations are great projects for kids who love to experiment with Play-Doh.

Gather all of your supplies. You'll need two cups flour, ½ cup salt, and ¾ cup hot water to make the dough. For decorating your project, you'll need cookie cutters and either food coloring or acrylic paint. Beads, glitter, and other embellishments can also be added if desired. A small length of ribbon or yarn is needed to hang the ornament from your Christmas tree.

Mix the flour, water, and salt together in a large bowl until the dough forms. It will feel a bit drier than standard Play-Doh, but this is normal.

For very young children, add food coloring to the dough. If you're doing this project with older children, however, you can simply leave the dough white and decorate with acrylic paint after baking.

Roll the dough flat, then cut with cookie cutters into the shape of your choice. Use a pencil to poke a small hole in the top for hanging.

Place your salt dough creations on a plate and microwave for approximately three minutes. When finished, use a potholder to remove the plate.

When the ornament has cooled, use markers or paints to decorate as desired. If you're making an ornament, add a ribbon or yarn bow for hanging.

If you don't want to make Christmas tree ornaments, there are plenty of other salt dough creations to consider as well. Dangle several ornaments from a wooden rod to create your own mobile. Stick a magnet on the back of your decoration or glue it to a wooden picture frame purchased from your local dollar store. Older children can try branching out from the basic cookie cutter project to make flower pots and other decorative objects.

Want more great crafts for kids? Check out Crayon Melting Art Projects.