Home-made modeling dough
Rainy day? Keep little hands busy by making craft dough using just a few simple ingredients! If you don’t have all the ingredients on hand, no problem – you can make this dough with just flour, salt and water. The vegetable oil is added to make the dough easier to work, and the alum (used in some pickling recipes) acts as a preservative. Both of these ingredients are optional. 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.
Ingredients
½ cup salt
¾ to 1 cup flour, white or unbleached
½ cup boiling water
1½ tsp alum (optional)
1½ tsp vegetable oil (optional)
Optional: Food coloring, acrylic paint
Instructions
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 the 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. 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.
How to use your modeling dough
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 color and durability.
Happy, healthy, sustainable. Subscribe to Green & Healthy Maine magazine!
Green & Healthy Maine is published by TheSunriseGuide, LLC. This article originally ran in the 2019 SunriseGuide.