Salt Dough Crafts

. 2 level cups of normal plain flour
. 1 level cup of fine cooking salt
. 3/4 cup of water

The water should be luke warm, as this warms the dough up and helps the kneading process.

Not essential - you can add a drop of cooking or olive oil to add a bit of stretch to the final dough.

Not Essential Some dough crafters add wallpaper paste or a little pva or elmers glue into their mix experiment with your own recipes

My Personal Preference Is NOT to add anything else - you really don't need to. Leaving it natural works perfectly fine, why mess with perfection :-)

Each to Their Own: Some salt dough crafters add other bits n bobs to their recipe, they even cook it all up in a pan first, usually with lumpy results from what I've seen. I love to keep things simple so you can take less time to get creative.

Check out This Range of Craft Books and Other Craft Ideas

Once you have kneaded your salt dough, it will be smooth and white, pliable and won't stick to your hands or your work surface.

Now decide what you are going to make, will it be a favorite cartoon character, a bowl, an intricate ornament or a Christmas decoration?

Do you need to color some of your salt dough before you model it?

Are you going to paint your salt dough character after you have made it?

You will find more modeling craft ideas here.

Salt dough can be colored at this stage if you want to use different colors to make different elements of your character or craft item.

This photo shows the addition of dark brown acrylic paint, which is then kneaded into the dough to create a dark brown dough, which you see has been used for the legs and ears of the salt dough sheep.

Now this can be a little messy, so you may want to use gloves. Start with a little paint, then add more, little by little, kneading into the dough as you go. If it gets too wet with paint, you can add more flour. Knead it all well.

QUESTION RECEIVED: "Can I color the dough AFTER it has been made, instead of mix the paint into the dough?" Morag

ANSWER: Yes. You can make your character or item first in plain white salt dough. Once cooked and cooled, you paint your salt dough item with any type of paint. thanks Diane

How to make a salt dough sheep character.

Mix your salt dough as per above instructions, then color some of the dough with brown acrylic paint, alternatively paint the legs and ears brown after drying.

Shape the pieces as per the photo on the right for:

• Head and body = in white salt dough


• Legs and ears = brown salt dough.


• The eyes are whole peppercorns and if you want a nose add an extra one.

ASSEMBLE

Everything sticks together perfectly well with a drop of water and a gentle push.

• To assemble, take the legs and 'pinch' the top end of each leg to flatten slightly, add a drop of water to the top side then... place the body on top of the legs, and lightly press together.
• Next.. follow the FLEECE section below

For The Fleece

Decide whether you want a long or short fleece sheep.

First, add a little water to the sheep body....

Take a garlic press and press through small amounts of salt dough. Press through to your required length

1. Cut off the length you want carefully with a knife


2. Take threads on the knife and add to the body


3. Press slightly in place, if needed, with the bristles of a small paintbrush

Continue until you have the fleece looking as you want it. Will your sheep be perfectly groomed or have that 'in the field' look?

Continue Assembly

Once you are happy with the look of the fleece, take the HEAD of your sheep and position onto the fleeced body, stick with a little water and light press.

Attache the ears into position - this can be fiddly depending upon the size. I usually use the blunt end of a small paintbrush to push the narrow end of the ear into the head, again with a little water to stick.

Dough Craft Tip: If you intend to hang the sheep, cut a short piece of wire, bend into U shape and insert open ends into the back of the sheeps body. You could also recycle an old paperclip.

Simple... now dry in the oven and varnish to seal.

Dough Craft Tip: Turning the heat up adds a golden brown glow here and there which helps to make a more rustic looking sheep.