Home Made Gifts: No-bake Dough Ornaments and Picture Frames

Handmade gifts for family and grandparents from the kids become priceless gifts as the years go on.  Yeah, nice shiny ornaments looked really classy before the kids came around, but there is nothing that beats the feeling of pulling out those handmade ornaments year after year.

Also, what else are you going to do with all those wallet sized pictures you bought from school photo day?  This is a really great no-cook dough recipe that’s fool proof and sets pretty quickly.

Dough Ingredients

• 2 cups All Purpose Flour (bleached flour for the brightest color)

• 1/4 cup cornstarch

• A few drops of vegetable oil

• 1 cup salt

• 1 cup water

• 1/2 tbsp Cream of Tartar

• Food Coloring

Other Supplies

• Polyacrylic or Modge podge sealing spray

• Ribbon, String, or Pipe Cleaners

• Wax paper

• Magnets

• Super Glue and/or Hot glue

Instructions

Mix all ingredients (except food coloring) into a bowl until you get a smooth dough.

Divide the dough, create a crater for the food coloring, then fold the dough around the food coloring so it doesn’t get all over your hands.  I recommend a heavy dousing of food coloring because when the dough dries it will be a shade lighter than the original color.

If the dough starts drying out or is too crumbly, just add some water to your hands and knead some water back into the dough.  The dough is ready!

Roll out your dough to at least a half inch thickness – if the dough is too thin, it has greater chance of breaking after its dried.  Use cookie cutters and get creative! Use water to glue pieces of dough together For example: ornaments on a tree! Or eyes and nose on a reindeer

To make a photo frame I used 2 sizes of large circular cutters and coaxed it into an oval shape.  I also added a thick backing oval of the same shape to glue the picture on

Set creations on wax paper and use a straw to poke holes for hanging ornaments. If the dough is setting a bit too early leaving a crackly texture, dip your finger in water and gently “paint” the creation to smooth out the dough.  Let them dry for about 24 hours – if the back of the ornament is not yet dry, flip over the ornament at let it dry for another few hours. You’ll know its dry as the color will have changed to a lighter shade.

Use markers, paint, or glitter to add extra pizzazz and décor if desired.  If you made a picture frame, cut the photo down to size and glue within the recessed area of the frame (I used super glue).  Add a polyacrylic coat or modge podge spray (I happened to have a bucket of it from another project, but you can also get a spray from a craft or tool supply store) to preserve the ornament or picture frame.  I used 2 coats

Once fully dry, insert the string ribbon or pipe cleaner into the premade hole in the ornament. If you made a picture frame, super glue or hot glue magnets to the back of the frame.

Also, don’t crowd your kids creation, just make your own!! It’s really fun!!

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