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Best salt dough recipe and how to make a handprint ornament

salt dough handprint

Easy craft project

This is the best DIY salt dough recipe we've tried. Learn how to make dough with your toddler or preschooler and then create cute designs you'll want to keep! Find out which method of drying the salt dough is best for you with our oven, microwave and air dry techniques. Plus, there's a step-by-step guide to creating a fantastic handprint ornament with your dough.
  • 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

  1. Help your kids to put 2 cups of plain flour and 1 cup of table salt in a bowl and stir.
  2. Now they add 1 cup of water and use their hands to bring the mixture into a dough. (It should be quite dry.
salt dough handprint

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.

  1. Your child rolls the dough to about 1cm thick and presses their hand into it (they have to press quite hard).
  2. Cut a circle around their print with an extra large biscuit cutter or a knife.
  3. Dry the dough. See tips below.
  4. Let your child choose what colour to paint it.
  5. 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