How to make salt dough, then bake, paint and seal it

Salt dough is a modelling dough made from flour, salt and water that hardens when it's baked or dried, so you can paint it and keep it. It's a favourite with museums' family activities: the Fitzwilliam Museum and the New Orleans Museum of Art both publish versions. It costs very little and needs nothing you won't find in a kitchen.

Recipes and baking: what the sources say

Most sources use two parts flour to one part salt and one part water. They bake low and slow, and differ mainly on time, which depends on how thick the pieces are (Starlight).

How to make salt dough

1. Mix the flour and salt in a bowl.

   

   Measure 2 cups of plain flour and 1 cup of salt into the bowl and stir them together before any water goes in (Fitzwilliam Museum, Starlight).

   You should see: an even, dry mixture with the salt spread through the flour.

2. Add the water a little at a time.

   

   Pour in some of the water and mix, then add more gradually until the mixture comes together in a ball (British Ceramics Biennial). You may not need all of it (Starlight).

   You should see: a rough ball that holds together and leaves most of the bowl clean.

3. Knead until smooth.

   

   Knead on the table until the dough is smooth (Fitzwilliam Museum). If it sticks to your hands, work in a little more flour; if it cracks or crumbles, add a little water (Oxford Owl, Starlight).

   You should see: a smooth, firm dough that keeps its shape when you press a thumb into it.

4. Careful: keep every piece 2.5 cm thick or less (Oxford Owl). Thicker pieces take much longer to dry through.

   Shape your pieces and make any hanging holes.

   

   Roll the dough out and cut shapes, or model it by hand. For ornaments, push a drinking straw through near the top to make a hanging hole now: it's very hard to make one after baking (our tip). Lay the pieces on the lined tray.

   You should see: even, flat pieces with clean holes, spaced a little apart on the tray.

5. Careful: an adult should handle the oven (Starlight). Too hot an oven makes salt dough crack (NOMA).

   Bake low and slow, or leave to air-dry.

   

   Bake at about 100 °C for 1 to 3 hours depending on thickness (Starlight). Oxford Owl suggests 2 hours. If your oven doesn't go that low, use the lowest setting (British Ceramics Biennial). Without an oven, leave pieces out to dry for a couple of days (Oxford Owl, Starlight).

   You should see: pieces that have dried hard and pale, with little or no browning.

6. Let them cool slowly in the switched-off oven.

   

   Turn the oven off and leave the pieces inside as it cools: NOMA says this helps prevent cracking, and Oxford Owl says to leave them, ideally overnight, so they keep drying. Check one: it should feel hard on the underside, not soft or cool and damp (our check). If it isn't, give it more time.

   You should see: hard, completely cool pieces that sound solid when you tap them.

7. Paint with water-based paints.

   

   Once the pieces are dry and cool, paint them with water-based paints (NOMA, Starlight). Let the paint dry fully before you handle or display them (Starlight).

   You should see: even, dry colour with no damp patches.

8. Seal with PVA glue or clear varnish.

   

   Starlight suggests sealing with PVA glue or clear varnish to help pieces last longer. Brush a thin coat over the front, back and edges and let it dry. Store finished pieces somewhere dry (our tip), and up high, out of reach of pets (ASPCA).

   You should see: a clear, slightly shiny finish once it's dry.

If something goes wrong