Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Cornflour BiCarb Soda Dough Ornaments


There are just so many beautiful white ornaments around lately.

LOVE LOVE the look, not the price tag.

Even homemade with air drying clay can be too expensive especially if you want to make a lot. Those tiny slabs of moulding clay for $5 each won't get me many.

I've used salt dough before - especially if it is the kids using the dough it's a good cheap alternative.
found here and here

But it still looks a little too homemade- ish

I came across this dough recipe that uses cornflour and bicarb soda and I think the end result is a little more professional looking. The dough seems to be a little more white clay- ish. It will cost about $5 for the ingredients and will give you 50 or so ornaments.

Cornflour Bi-Carb Dough (this will make alot. I did a half recipe and got 20 ornaments)
 
2 c. baking soda
1 c. cornstarch (cornflour)
1 1/4 c. cold water


Mix soda and cornstarch together, in a saucepan, blending well. Add the cold water and mix well until mixture is smooth. Cook on medium heat for 2-4 mins until it has consistency of moist mashed potatoes. Stir constantly. Spoon out on a plate. Cover with a damp cloth and allow to cool. Knead dough and roll out on waxed paper. Cut out designs with a cookie cutter or shape by hand. Let dry until hard, 1 or 2 days. Paint ornaments with Tempra or water colors. Dry well and coat with clear shellac or clear nail polish. Hangers may be mounted on back with glue, or pressed into dough before it dries
 
I don't have the patience to wait days for it to dry so I dried mine in the oven on very low heat for 1-2 hours. (be careful though - I know have some brown ornaments - lucky I can just paint over it)
 
 
For these I used cookie cutters. Roll out dough, cut out shapes.  Using rubber stamps, stamp in any letters or pattern you want. Doilies can even be pushed into the dough to give a dainty look.
 
I used an alphabet rubber stamp set a friend gave me {I am so blessed to know so many wonderful people who give me stuff! That and I have a lot of ex pat friends who move alot who gift me their craft supplies because they can't move it all! I don't think I have had to purchase any craft things in years! I am truly blessed!}
 
I can't wait to make more. I'm thinking people's initials for present tags, personalized gifts, cute sayings stamped into everything.
 
I'm going to make more and experiment with painting them. Something nice and sparklely.
 
Show me if you make some too!

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I like them plain white. They would look really nice on a package wrapped in brown kraft paper. I'm actually thinking that they might look nice at Christmas...star shapes maybe...great idea.

BindiM said...

My goal is to make some of these this week as Easter gifts. Hope that I can make them as nice as your ones!

Sandy M. said...

Bobbie-Jean, do these soften in the humidity of Queensland's summer? (I made Christmas ornaments out of salt dough years ago, but they softened and got a bit mouldy!) These look great, thank you!

MummyHughesy said...

Hello!! My friends and I tried this out tonight as part of our craft group projects and loved it!! Posted a link to your blog on my page www.Facebook.com/MummyHughesy - just so you know :)
Can't wait to see how they turn out, excited to do with the kids too as our salt dough ornaments could do with updating.

Emily Milling said...

I tried this tonight, worked perfectly! I rolled mine in cornstarch. Once painted, they'll be great little gifts for people coming to my Christmas party!

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