One day when I was in middle school the art teacher was trying to get everyone to take home their projects. She handed me one with the initials “MH” that wasn’t mine, but when I told her that she said I don’t have anyone else with those initials. Those were my initials, and she said it had been in her classroom a long time and was probably mine and I forgot. But it was a much better piece of pottery than I had or would ever be able to make. It truly was a work of art. I know what I’m capable of making and it wasn’t that. Mine always look like a monkey made them. Middle school Madison didn’t have much interest in pottery I guess.
I put it in my locker and went on. Sometime later my locker shelf collapsed on it. And of course once it was broken to oblivion the rightful owner came to ask me about it, the real MH of this piece. He was very grace giving when I told him what happened, but I still think about that incident sometimes.
Now you’re gonna wonder why I told you such a random story. I am giving a recipe for salt dough to make ring holders, or foot print/hand prints, or whatever else you might make out of clay. Mostly I just wanted to share that story because even with it having been over 10 years ago it still pops into my head.
Anyway, salt dough is fun! It’s drying, so not the best to play with. I have play dough recipes for that, and highly recommend sticking with them over salt dough if you want to let your kids create. Salt dough is ideal for ornaments, and trinkets. I read after I made ours that it won’t last just indefinitely, but I’m okay with that. It will give our recipients an easy end. Did I mention these are our Mother’s Day presents? You didn’t read that mom and mom in law.
Salt dough can air dry which makes it ideal for at home use! We used dried flowers to decorate, but beads, sequins, paint, etc. could be used!
Ingredients
-2 cups flour (plus more for flouting surface)
-1 cup salt
-1 cup water
Combine ingredients in a bowl and mix. Once combined flip onto a floured surface and continue working. Add flour as needed to get rid of stickiness. We ended up needing about 2.5 cups of flour.
Roll out salt dough and use cutters to make shapes or wing it!
