This is such an easy and wonderful project. The process is super simple and it creates a lasting memory. These make great for gifts for your loved ones or they look great hung up on a wall. If you simply double or triple the recipe you can make these every summer and create stepping stones!

Salt dough is super easy and cheap to make and lasts for a very long time once cooked. The perfect modelling material!

How to make salt dough:

1 cup plain (all purpose) flour
1 cup salt
Up to 3/4 cup water

Also needed:

1 well-fed, happy and rested #baby or child!

Method:

Simply combine the salt and flour, then add the water gradually until it forms a dough. Knead it well for a good few minutes until it combines and the stickiness disappears. If it remains sticky add a little more flour, a tablespoon at a time. If it’s a little dry and won’t form a dough, add more water just a teaspoon at a time.

Here’s what the finished dough should look like.

Next you roll it with a rolling pin until it is about 1-2 cm thick. It’s important not to make it too thick as it won’t cook evenly and may retain doughy patches even after hours in the oven.

You can form it into a very basic plaque type shape. You could also use the base of a Tupperware pot, the inside of a plate or a giant cutter to mold the shape- anything will do!

The next part is probably the most challenging of all to do alone, but with two people it is much easier! Gently press baby’s foot into the dough on one side, making sure to firmly press the toes so that they make a deep impression.

Repeat with the hand on the other side of the plaque.

If you intend to hang it on the wall you need to make two holes using a straw, one on either side. You can thread through some raffia or ribbon once it has hardened and use it to hang it with.

As soon as it is made, transfer it to some baking paper and put it on a baking tray in the oven. In the oven the dough mixture needs to dry out rather than cook, so the oven needs to be on very low (around 100 C or roughly 200 F.)

Leave them in the oven for 2-3 hours and turn once during the drying out process. If they are still doughy after 3 hours, turn off the oven and leave them in there for another 2 hours to let them harden.

Once they are cool they can be painted if you desire!