How to Preserve Salt Dough Ornaments • Maria Louise Design (2024)

FAQs

How to Preserve Salt Dough Ornaments • Maria Louise Design? ›

The best way to store your salt dough ornaments in a sturdy and well sealed box, between sheets of wax/parchment paper. I do not recommend paper towels because they absorb moisture and cause cause warping and or molding of your ornaments. Additionally, make sure you store them in a dry, cool location.

How to Preserve Salt Dough. Decorate your baked and cooled salt dough shapes with paint, then preserve them with a craft sealer (such as Mod Podge) or spray sealant coating. Allow the sealant to dry completely before storage.

It's important to seal your ornaments once they're dried, so that they don't absorb moisture from the air. Use Mod Podge (in matte) to seal the dough and give them a more finished look.

In our experience, salt dough decorations will last for years once you've baked and decorated them, so they make a lovely keepsake. We've had decorations last over 20 years with no deterioration. To help them last longer, paint them with a layer of decoupage glue or clear varnish to seal the colours.

Dough that is too thin may crack around the edges and dough that is too thick will definitely bubble.

Salt dough ornaments should also be stored properly in a dry and well-ventilated area. They could become moldy if left in contact with moisture for a long time, for example, if hung on a cold, damp wall.

Salt dough is a great material for making basic sculptures and three dimensional craft projects. It is an all-natural alternative to commercial play dough and homemade air-dry clay. Your finished salt dough sculptures can either be air-dried or oven-dried to set.

Sealing your salt dough ornaments prevents them from becoming moldy and or cracking/crumbling. Any environment can cause salt dough to mold, even when extra precautions are taken. Once sealed, they are guaranteed to last a lifetime. This way, you can continue to enjoy your families memories, year after year.

If you take good care of them and store them properly they can last a very long time! I recently saw a post from someone saying that they had some in good shape that were 35 years old. How do you know when salt dough is done? It will be hard to the touch but still light in color on the top.

If you were like us and hadn't really experimented with salt dough, you may wish to start. It is so so easy to make, easy to mold and shape, easy to bake, and easy to paint! I had thought it was good for big kids – but it is also great for little ones.

Why did my salt dough ornaments get puffy? ›

Make sure your oven is set to 150°f. This is SUPER IMPORTANT. I have seen others use hotter temperatures but I haven't been able to do so without getting puffiness. So, plain all-purpose flour, 150ºf oven and 1/4 inch thickness = no puffy ornaments.

If you overcook them, they tend to bubble up.

Mix the flour, salt and water, add water as necessary until it's not crumbly. Knead the dough about 5 minutes until it's smooth. Add the cooking oil to make the dough soft, pliable and smoother.

Salt Dough ornaments are so easy to make and to customize to your own decorating style. And they last for ages so you can use them year after year! I like to leave them natural and add lots of spices but you can paint them as well!

Heat on the stove until most of the salt has dissolved. Stir in the flour with a spoon, then wait for it to cool a bit before kneading with your hands to get it smooth. Store the play dough in a Ziploc bag or other airtight container. It does not need to be refrigerated.

Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl, knead a little bit until smooth, that's it! You can make salt dough ahead of time and store them in airtight plastic bag or container for about 5 days or even longer.

You can choose to seal or paint the ornament if you like. Sealing is quite easy, simple dilute Elmer's glue with a little water and brush on.