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White Salt Dough Recipe for Christmas Crafts

One of the questions we’ve been asked in the past is how we make white salt dough. We’ve pointed readers to our Homemade White Clay recipe as this is brilliant white but it does involve cooking so isn’t as child-friendly as classic salt dough recipes are. But, we’ve been playing around with our recipe and have a really simple way of making it white and you can air dry or oven dry the finished articles. So here we go our White Salt Dough Recipe.

how to make white salt dough pinterest image

How to Make Salt Dough White

Salt dough because of the plain flour used is traditionally an off white colour. In the past, for our snowmen Christmas tree ornaments, we have to use acrylic paints to get them white or use the homemade white clay dough recipe linked above.

But, playing around with our classic recipe a little we’ve managed to produce a bright white salt dough that is great for snowmen ornaments as well as some pretty stamped gift tags.

making salt dough white

This salt dough is much drier before you add in the white ingredient this is the exact one that we use as this will add moisture to the dough. It’s also intended for ornaments we have been working on a dough that makes it easy for hand and footprint ornaments with even pets and babies! So watch out for that one to come.

When it comes to drying this salt dough we have tried oven drying and also air drying. Oven drying took us around an hour for our 1/2 cm thick dough to completely dry so wasn’t too long and as we didn’t need to paint afterwards they were ready to go.

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a painted salt dough Christmas Tree ornament hanging on a tree branch with light behind it.

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How to Seal your White Salt Dough Ornaments and Gift Tags

Sealing your ornaments and gift tags will ensure that if you store them and bring them out year on year they won’t disintegrate or soak up moisture.

Simply coat with either PVA glue (white school glue) or use an acrylic sealer like Mod Podge so that the moisture doesn’t get in. Give each side at least one coat and allow to dry thoroughly before turning over.

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white salt dough recipe used to make gift tags

White Salt Dough Recipe

Cerys Parker
Easy recipe for bright white salt dough to make Christmas decorations and ornaments with.
4.20 from 15 votes
Activity Time 10 minutes
Oven Drying Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Video

Equipment Needed

  • Bowl
  • Rolling Pin

Materials Needed
  

Instructions
 

  • Place the plain flour and salt in a bowl and mix together
    materials for making white salt dough
  • Add in the warm water and knead.
  • If the mixture is too dry then add in a little more water.
  • Once kneaded keep the salt dough in the bowl and squirt in some white acrylic paint.
    making salt dough white
  • Knead this together. We added the white paint twice to get the desired whiteness of the salt dough.
  • Knead well until the white is thoroughly mixed then place on a surface.
  • IMPORTANT – At this point WASH your equipment and hands.
  • Roll out to around 1/2cm thick to create your Christmas Ornaments.
  • Cut out your desired shapes.
    white salt dough ornaments
  • Place on a lined baking tray.

Oven Drying

  • Set the oven to 100C.
  • Into the oven for around 1hr. Turn over and check that the ornaments are thoroughly dried if not return and continue drying.

Air Drying

  • Leave to dry in a warm dry place for around 12 hours.

Notes

You could also add some fine white glitter when you add the paint and mix this in. We did not do this as we don’t have any eco-friendly glitter at the moment.
Keyword Christmas, Christmas Crafts, Christmas Decorations, Christmas Ornaments, Salt Dough
Have you Made This?Let us know how it went!

White Salt Dough Gift Tags

Check out our Salt Dough Gift Tags that we made with this recipe.

Favourite Salt Dough Recipes

We love Salt Dough and have a few favourite recipes that we like to use.

Create simple and beautiful decorations for the home with this Christmas scented salt dough recipe and star garland idea to use them.
Scented Salt Dough Hanging Hearts Craft
Fun recipe to make some simple gingerbread scented salt dough ideal for making Christmas decorations with. Use it to create a gingerbread garland.
How to make white salt dough for Christmas Crafts
Author
Cerys Parker

Cerys is a marine biologist, environmental educator, teacher, mum, and home educator from the UK. She loves getting creative, whether it is with simple and easy crafts and ideas, activities to make learning fun, or delicious recipes that you and your kids can cook together you'll find them all shared here on Rainy Day Mum.

a painted salt dough Christmas Tree ornament hanging on a tree branch with light behind it.

Unlock the Secrets of Salt Dough Crafting!

Subscribe today and get our top-rated recipe to gorgeous craft ideas straight to your inbox. Plus an exclusive printable recipe.

10 Comments

  1. Hi Cerys. Could I use these to decorate and outdoor tree in the Midwest USA winter?

    1. I wouldn’t advise it, even coated with sealer they are still likely to absorb some moisture from the air. A polymer clay version which unfortunately has extra cost but will withstand the moisture and temperatures would probably be better suited.

  2. Can these be used as a background for a picture? If I glue a picture to it, will it stick?

    1. It will depend on the type of glue you use. I have used a hot glue gun and that has worked to attach things.

  3. how many decorations does this recipe make?

    1. We made 12 circular gift tags with it around about 5cm diameter.

  4. Hi there! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
    I’ve never worked with salt dough before…what is the longevity like? For example, can I make ornaments out of this and then store them and reuse them for years to come? I’m assuming they are breakable but do they spoil?
    Thanks in advance!

    1. Hi Amanda they will last and last – my parents still have some that I made with my mum as a toddler (40+ years ago). The best thing to do once this Christmas season is over is to store them in an air tight container with some rice or one of those packets of silica gel that will absorb any moisture. Then just bring them out again and again. It’s a great way to remember the different years.

  5. Can you paint these when they are done drying?

    1. Yes you can – we recommend using acrylic paints to do it.

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