Salt Dough Ornaments

Salt dough ornaments are easy to make with these step by step instructions. Mia's fairy plaque would make a gorgeous gift for someone special.

This is the third page in a series of instructions on how to make a fairy plaque from salt dough. If you want to start at the beginning you can find the first page of instructions on our Salt Dough Creations page.

Salt Dough Ornaments Tutorial Page 3

Use the garlic press to create hair for the fairy.

Get the head very slightly damp then position the first layer of hair onto the head.

You can use a tiny piece of dough to create an ear if you want as in the photo.

Add more hair in layers over the rest of the top of the head.

I have used a small strip of dough to create a headband for our fairy.

Add a tiny piece of dough to the fairy's face for a nose.

Roll out another piece of dough as thinly as possible and cut out the fairy wings.

Fold the wings in half and position then on the back of the fairy just below and behind her arm.

Make a small hole in the fairy's face and insert a tiny colored bead for her eye.

Use the modelling tools to make a mouth.

Roll out another piece of dough.

Taper it at both ends for the butterfly's body.

Position it on the dough circle just above the fairy's hands.

Fix in place with a little water.

Make the butterfly wings slightly smaller but the same way as you made the fairy wings in step 26.

Fold them in half and position on the butterfly body as in the photo.

This is how the fairy now looks from the side.

Make a hole in the top of the dough circle so you can hang the plaque once it's finished.

Once completely dried you can paint your salt dough creations if you want.

Finish with two coats of varnish to seal the dough and stop it absorbing moisture.

Baking Your Salt Dough Ornaments

Bake in the oven at 100^oC for around 12 hours or overnight depending on the thickness of the dough. The dough should be completely solid when baked properly.

You can test a piece by trying to insert the tip of a safety pin into the bottom of the plaque, if the pin pushes into the dough easily then continue baking.

Another test is to gently tap the bottom of the plaque with your finger, it should sound hollow if thoroughly dried.