
Easy craft project
- 5-10 minutes
- 2 cups plain flour, 1 cup table salt, 1 cup water, paints, glitter
- 2+
Here’s a little festive tip – turn this ornament into a cute Christmas tree decoration. Make a hole in the top of the ornament before it dries, loop through a ribbon and hang it from your tree. This is one of those cute baby crafts you’ll be happy to unearth in the Christmas box every year.
Salt dough recipe
- Help your kids to put 2 cups of plain flour and 1 cup of table salt in a bowl and stir.
- Now they add 1 cup of water and use their hands to bring the mixture into a dough. (It should be quite dry.


How to make a glitter salt dough handprint
This handprint makes a cute keepsake – the perfect birthday or Christmas present for a grandparent.
You’ll need: salt dough, a rolling pin, biscuit cutters (or plastic knife), paint, glue and glitter.
- Your child rolls the dough to about 1cm thick and presses their hand into it (they have to press quite hard).
- Cut a circle around their print with an extra large biscuit cutter or a knife.
- Dry the dough. See tips below.
- Let your child choose what colour to paint it.
- Once the paint’s dry, they can brush glue inside the hand and sprinkle over glitter.
Salt dough drying tips
MICROWAVE: The quickest method to dry dough is in the microwave, but the dough will probably rise a bit. If you want a speedy technique and your kids aren’t fussy, it takes about 1 minute – check it every 10 seconds.
* Good for salt dough monsters as they can be any shape!*
OVEN: Alternatively, put the moulds into a cool oven.
Line a baking tray with baking parchment or foil. Preheat the oven to 110C / 90C fan / ¼ gas.
Bake for about 4 hours.
AIR DRY:
Or leave the moulds in a cool dry place for between 24-48 hours (thinner designs will dry quicker).
This will split the activity into two – so today’s all about making moulds and tomorrow (or next week) is about painting them.
* Best for handprints as you might lose the shape of the hand in the microwave.*
Find more top tips for crafting with salt dough on BBC Good Food