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!
  

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Valentine, you amaze me!

[Download the PDF for this Heart Maze.]
[Download the PDF for Heart Maze Valentine's Day cards.]

The code for this doodle and other doodles you can use on your blog can be found at Doodles.

Stained glass light catcher

Materials:

• scrap tissue paper
• 2 sheets of construction paper (letter size printer paper shown)
• scissors
• tape
• white glue
  

Instructions:

• take one sheet of construction paper and fold it in half lengthwise
  
  
  
  
  
  
• cut out the centre piece (which includes most of the folded edge), leaving a 3cm (1.25") frame
  
  
  
  
  
  
• open out the frame
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• take the second sheet of construction paper and cut several 2cm (0.75") strips lengthwise
  
  
  
  
  
  
• begin arranging the 2cm strips over the frame, cutting as required to fit your design
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• tape the strips down to secure them to the frame and to each other (this is the back side of the frame)
  
  
• cut tissue paper big enough to fit over each of the holes in your frame, dry fit them (overlay them on the back side of the frame to make sure they're the right size, but don't glue them until you're sure they are!)
  
  
  
  
  
  
• glue the tissue paper to the back side of the frame
  
  
  
  
  
  
• let dry overnight
• hang on a window and enjoy!
  

As you can see from the photo below, if you use lightweight paper such as printer paper, the frame will be translucent. For best results, use thick opaque construction paper for the frame elements.

An advanced method (for adults) of doing this, would be to use a single sheet of paper for the frame and an X-Acto knife to cut out the "window" parts of the decoration.

Stained glass bell

(This idea came home from school.)

Materials:

• waxed paper
• different coloured tissue paper cut into small rectangles (approx 2cm x 3cm)
• white glue
• construction paper
  

Instructions:

• layout a sheet of waxed paper
• have child glue pieces of tissue paper on the waxed paper (it's okay to have the tissue paper overlap)
• leave overnight to dry
  
  
• have adult cut out the shape of a bell out of the construction paper, and then cut out the inside leaving a 2-3cm outline of a bell (make sure the overall size of the bell is smaller than the sheet of waxed paper covered with tissue paper)
  
• trace the outline of the outer part of the bell onto the dried sheet of waxed / tissue paper
• glue the construction paper bell outline onto the tissue paper covered side of the waxed paper
• let dry
• hang on a window and enjoy!