Kids Crafts from Scratch: Salt Clay Recipe for Baking Clay Crafts

You could buy a tub of baking clay from the local arts and crafts store, or you could make your own with this salt-based baking clay recipe.

This recipe is pretty simple. It uses equal parts of salt and water, plus some flour.

Materials for the Recipe

1 empty margarine tub with cover, for storage
1 and 1/2 cups of salt - Wow! that is a lot of salt!
1 1/2 cups of water
4 cups of white flour

What you Need to Make this Recipe

one large plastic bowl - It's easier to mix dry and wet ingredients in a big bowl. You make less of a mess that way, sometimes, kids.
one wooden spoon with a long handle (why? because long-handled spoons are fun!)
one sheet of wax paper or newspaper
some great ideas for crafts

Prepare in Advance to Make the Recipe

Kids - You can Do This Part:

Cover your favorite work space - a desk, a table, the coutner, or even the floor with some old newspaper. (Tip: make sure your parents have already read teh paper first).

Any good crafter knows that you need to get your supplies out first. Having your supplies ready makes it easier to actually make the Salt Baking Clay.

Go in the cabinet and find a large plastic bowl for mixing the ingredients. Next, find a big wooden spoon. Locate the measuring cups.

Also find the flour and the salt.

Measure the water into the measuring cup.

Also measure the salt.

How to Mix and Make this Recipe

Pour the measured salt into the bowl.

Next, measured out the flour. One cup at a time and add it to the bowl. Remember to keep track of how many cups of flour you add. Or, you will soon learn that a recipe like this one needs to be exact in order to work.

Then, add the water to the dry flour and salt mix.

When the ingredients are well mixed, wash the spoon and let it dry.

Now you can stick your hands into the clay and work it between your hands to form a ball.

What? The clay won't stick together? Add a tablespoon of water and work it again. You can add a bit more water at a time if it is not sticking together.

You can use this clay to make anything you want.

Have an adult bake the crafted items for you.

Tips for Adults: Bake the clay at 300 degrees for about half an hour or until the clay items have hardened.