Lots of
doughy fun!
Aunt Annie's Crafts
Modeling Dough Recipe
What you will make:
This is a simple modeling dough that can be made in less than 15 minutes. If you don't have all the ingredients on hand, that's no problem! You can make it with just flour, salt and water. The vegetable oil is added to make the dough easier to work, and the alum acts as a preservative.
This recipe makes about 1 cup of a very pliable dough. It is easy to work into shapes that can be air-dried and painted. Or, you can use the modeling dough time and time again as a play dough, if you are careful to store it in a sealed plastic bag or container between uses.
Related craft: Use the modeling dough to make some fun and fanciful Pencil Toppers.
Caution: Recipe uses boiling water. Adult supervision is required!
Ingredients:
- ½ cup (130 grams) salt
- ¾ to 1 cup (100 to 125 grams) flour, white or unbleached
- ½ cup (120 ml) boiling water
- 1½ teaspoons (7 grams) powdered alum (optional)
- 1½ teaspoons (7 ml) vegetable oil (optional)
- Optional: Food coloring, clear nail polish or varnish, acrylic paint
This recipe is rated EASY to make. Requires adult supervision!!!
How to Make Homemade Modeling Dough
Read all of the directions before starting.
- Combine flour, salt, and alum in a mixing bowl. Start with the smaller amount of flour, and add more if needed.
- Add vegetable oil and boiling water. Stir with a spoon until dough is well blended and comes away from the sides of the bowl. Add more flour or water if needed. When the dough is cool enough to handle, knead it with your hands until it is smooth. This should only take a minute or two.
- If you want colors of dough other than white, separate the dough into two or three balls. Flatten the ball and make a
well in the center. Add 2 or more drops of food coloring to the well—2 drops for a pastel color, more for
deeper colors. Knead the dough until the color is even.
Tip: Some food colorings, particularly certain blues, make unexpected colors due to a reaction to the alum. Test a drop of the food coloring on a tiny ball of dough the first time you use it. - Store your finished modeling dough in an airtight plastic bag or container. It will keep for weeks if stored in the refrigerator. Be sure to let it warm to room temperature before using.
To use it: Pinch off as much dough as you need to make your shape, and leave the rest in the sealed container. Work the dough into any desired shape with your hands or just about any kitchen utensil.
When you have finished molding your shape, put it on a piece of waxed paper to dry. It should dry in about 24 hours to a hard finish. Pieces may be left plain, or can be painted to add durability. Small pieces can be painted with nail polish, while you will want to use varnish or an acrylic sealant like Mod Podge for larger pieces.
The shamrock, pictured to the left, is made with three small balls of green dough that are flattened with a pinch of your thumb and index finger. One side of each flattened ball is squeezed to a point to make a petal shape. The three petals are pressed together along with a stem. A dab of water can be used to glued the pieces together.
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Before you start:
- Make a place to work.
- Read all of the directions.
- Gather everything you need to make the recipe.
Are you ready?
Okay, get started!!!
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Tip: It's easy to make jewelry with modeling dough.
Poke balls of dough with a toothpick to make beads. To make barrettes,
twist two dough snakes together and shape over hair clips.
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Tip: Make animals, like this baby hippo, with the
modeling dough.
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Related craft: Make some fun and fanciful
Pencil Toppers
using Homemade Modeling Dough.