With the holidays quickly approaching, I’m feeling a little crafty. After all, between snow days and holidays the kids are home from school so often during these winter months. So finding ways to take ordinary afternoons and make them memorable is important. And one of my boy’s favorite ways to do that is with crafts.
Earlier this week, as I was looking through craft supplies, I came across some old Salt Dough ornaments and inspiration hit me. Even though we weren’t quite ready to tackle the Christmas ornaments yet, we could still make something awesome for Thanksgiving! Plus, it was the perfect way to capture chubby little hands that are growing too fast so that I could always remember them!
What You Will Need:
1 Cup of Salt
2 Cups of Flour
1 and 1/4 Cup of Warm Water
A Child’s Hand
Assortment of Paint Colors
Clear Sealant Spray (Optional but Recommended)
Ribbon
How to Make It:
Start by mixing together your salt and flour. Then slowly add your water and knead until it is a thick consistency.
Next, roll out your dough onto a floured counter top. Note: The thicker your dough is the more likely it is to crack. This is a great place to get the kids involved and they will love rolling out the dough (although you may need to go behind them and help).
Once your dough is rolled out, you want to cut it. I simply used a cereal bowl placed upside down on the dough and then cut around it with a knife. Depending on the size of your child’s hand, you may need a larger bowl. You can measure to make sure it will work by holding your child’s hand over the bowl and ensuring there is space on all sides.
Next, have your child place their hand in the center of the dough and gently push their fingers and palm down to ensure you get a good cast of their hand in the dough.
Using a toothpick, also add a small whole at the top, right about the middle finger, so that you can hang your craft. Then place it in the oven on 325 degrees and allow it to cook for an hour. When it comes out of the oven it will look something like this:
Let your dough cool completely and then get ready to pain! Start with the body and paint it brown. Then paint each finger a different color – I recommend red, yellow, orange and green for Thanksgiving.
Next add a small orange beak, a teardrop red wattle and an eye.
Allow your pain to dry completely and then add several coats of clear sealant. This will help ensure that your beautiful work of art can stand the test of time. Once the sealant is dry, lace your ribbon through the hole and tie it at the top.
Don’t forget to add your child’s name, age and date they created their masterpiece on the back in permanent marker and then hang it on the wall for all to see!
This fun craft will bring a smile to your (and their) faces for years to come as they place their growing hand on the tiny turkey and remember holiday fun when they were little!
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