Here is a fun Christmas craft, which is low cost and durable. Old fashioned salt dough makes for a great kid’s craft, and you get some very inexpensive holiday decorations, to boot. Kid’s can even make gifts for the family. Due to the high salt content, once dry the dough is hard and resistant to mold, decay & bacteria, so creations can be displayed for years.
Recipe for Old Fashioned Salt Dough
2 cups flour
1 cup salt
1 cup water
1 tbs. lemon juice (this can be omitted, if you don’t have any)
Mix all ingredients. Knead dough for about 10 minutes, then let stand for about 20 minutes. Now you are ready to model the dough.
Get creative, anything you could make with modeling clay or play dough, can be made with this, only these Christmas creations will last for years not hours. Try making Santa, candy canes, reindeer & Christmas trees, maybe you could make a whole manger scene. Cookie cutters & kid’s play dough equipment will work fine with the salt dough, but you will find your hands work best of all.When you have finished modeling your holiday creations, they need to dry. Either set them out in a warm dry spot for 2-3 days, or bake in the oven for 3-4 hours at 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Once hardened, paint with inexpensive craft paint, then varnish or lacquer once the paint is fully dry. After the varnish dries, your Christmas craft is ready to display or gift.
