Salt-dough ornaments

We used this recipe for the salt-dough, with the following modifcations:

Ingredients:

• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup salt
• 1 1/2 cups water [water should be hot or warm]
  

Be sure to read all of the comments in the original recipe. There are terrific ideas about adding spices and observations about baking time. We made WAY MORE than one dozen ornaments.

Materials:

• salt-dough (recipe above)
  
• rolling pin
  
• extra flour
• cookie cutters
• spatula
  
• cookie sheets
• cooling rack
  
• poster paint, markers, googly eyes, fabric bits, glitter, glue, yarn
• shellac or polyurethane
  
• ribbon / thread
  

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
   
   
2. Combine the flour, salt and water; mix well and knead for 10 minutes. With a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out on a lightly floured surface.
   
   Note: The oranments above are about 1.2cm (3/8") thick, which took A LOT LONGER to bake / dry then the instructions in the original recipe state. Next time we're going to make them much thinner!
   
   
3. With lightly floured cookie cutters cut into desired shapes and make holes for hanging.
   
   Note: If you want the final product to have smoothed edges and rounded corners, do this BEFORE you bake. Dough does not reshape as when baking cookies for eating.
   
   
4. For candy cane shown above, roll out a thin dough "string" between your hands. At about the half-way point begin to twist the two "strings" around each other. Shape into a hook / candy cane.
   
   
5. Bake for 30 minutes.
   
   Note: Keep checking on the progress. Ours were in for well over an hour before they were considered done.
   
   
6. Place on rack to cool.
   
   
7. Decorate with paints or markers.
   
   
8. Allow to dry and spray with clear polyurethane or shellac on both sides to preserve. Allow to dry.
   
   Note: If the shellac or polyurethane cover is not complete, moisture will get into the dough and the ornament will fall apart. If you wish to keep the ornaments for a long time, you may need to recoat them with polyurethane or shellac every year.
   
   
9. Using glue if required, add stickers, googly eyes, fabric bits or yarn for hair.
   
   
10. Use ribbon or thread to hang.

Handprint angel

(This idea came home from school.)

Materials:

• large sheet of thick paper
• at least four colours of finger paint
• smock for covering child's clothing
  

Instructions:

• decide on the colour of the angel's body
• paint child's hand with "body" colour and create handprint in middle of the page
• clean hand
• paint both of child's hand with "wing" colour and create wings on either side of the body
• let paint dry
• have child pick colours for angel's face and hair, paint same and let dry
• use "body" colour to create "shoulders" attaching the body to the wings
• have child paint eyes and mouth on face
• you now have a handprint angel!