Salt Dough Handprints

This is such an easy and cheap arts and crafts project with a lot of possibilities. You can get an impression of your baby’s hand or foot. You can make your own ornaments. Or you can make dinosaur fossils on a rainy day. This dough is very easy to make, affordable and leaves room for creativity. 

If you are doing this with toddlers as a craft project just remember how expectations differ from reality. Your kid may want to just pummel things with the rolling pin, roll in the flour or run away from you when you try to get them to make a handprint in the dough. If a handprint isn’t working, try a foot or let your child make an impression of his/her favorite toy to make it fun.

Ingredients: 
1 cup flour 
½ cup fine salt 
½ cup water 
Paint 
Mod Podge (this is important to seal the finished dough)
Ribbon, optional 

Make It:
Preheat your oven to 200F. In a large bowl mix flour and salt and form a well in the center then slowly add in water. Knead into smooth dough then divide into small balls, about the size of a tennis ball. Roll them out to 1/2” thick. Take your willing, or unwilling child and press their hand firmly into the dough (bonus is it isn’t sticky and getting an impression is fairly easy also if you make a mistake just roll it out again). Once you have a good hand print, cut around it with a circular cutter or trace around a glass or bowl that covers and cut out with a knife. If you are making an ornament, take a chopstick and pierce a hole where you can thread a ribbon later. 

Place on a cookie sheet and bake in the oven for 45-60 minutes until dry. Allow to cool then paint to your liking. I recommend sealing with Mod Podge or a similar product so that you prevent any molding or water getting into the dough. Once sealant has dried, thread with a ribbon and viola!

Note:
If you are keeping the handprint in a room with a humidifier it is best to put it in a shadow box. I’ve lost some adorable prints this way by not storing properly.