Question: What is a tried-and-true recipe for making dough ornaments?

(Posted by: Psych Lapse on 2008-12-01 08:09:53)

I would prefer the kind that has color built in, by food colors, rather than those which require painting at the end. Thank you!

Posted by: Diane B. on 2008-12-01, 13:32:56

There are various recipes for "SALT DOUGH, " clay which is often made into ornaments... here are a bunch, many with lessons: google.com/ search?q= "salt+ dough " They're basically all the same... flour, salt, water (some people add a bit of oil). No homemade dough automatically has color in it though, but you can add color *into* any "air-dry " clay before shaping and drying it by mixing one or more colors of *acrylic paint* into it yourself --I guess you could use food coloring too but it would probably get all over your hands. (Or you could always paint it after it dries.) Since air-dry clays aren't waterproof when they're dry though, they'll all need to be sealed after complete drying to make them waterproof and to keep bugs away from the ones which are grain-based** And if you've used non-permanent colorants (like watercolors, poster colors, or food colors?) to mix into the doughs, you'll also need to seal them so they won't run after the dough is dry (...if you use acrylic paints for color though, they're permanent once dry and at least won't run-bleed). The two easiest and cheapest sealers that dry clear are "permanent white glues " (like Elmer's GlueAll) and polyurethanes (water-based for easiest cleanup --these are sold at hardware stores for sealing bare wood). "Decoupage mediums " like ModPodge, etc, are also basically just already-thinned down white glues, but would be more expensive by volume. The Elmer's would need to be thinned down about 3 or 4 to 1 (water). **paper based air-dry clays (like Creative Paperclay, Makins, or Celluclay) won't be bothered by bugs There's another homemade "dough " that will make an even better clay though, and you can get much better detail with it than with salt dough clay. It's just also better handling and never stings like salt dough can. It's called "BREAD CLAY " and is just basically white bread and permanent white glue, though liquid detergent or glycerin can be added to for even more pliability. Here are some recipes and instructions for bread clay: google.com/ search?q= "bread+ clay " HTH, Diane B.

Posted by: kay on 2008-12-01, 11:26:07

Http:/ / theholidayzone.com/ recipes/ dough.html Just add food color as you work with the dough. One of the doughs of my childhood (the ornaments are still intact 50 years later) was flour and Elmer's glue all, kneaded together until the dough was of good modeling consistency. Add a little more glue and it can be piped with a frosting bag and tips.