How to dry crafts made from salt dough: a description of methods for drying and baking products

If you have to dry a craft for the first time, it will be useful to learn some subtleties. First of all, you need to understand the difference between drying and baking. It is a mistaken belief that an oven – electric or gas – is only suitable for baking. You can also dry the dough in it. It is important to know how and for how long.

There are several ways to dry salt dough:

in the sun;
at room temperature;
on battery;
in the oven;
in the microwave;
in a combined way.

Each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages.

Type of drying	pros	Minuses
In the sun	Does not require energy consumption	The craft takes a long time to dry
At room temperature	Economical	It takes a long time to dry. Indentations will remain on the product in contact with any surface.
On battery	Convenient to use in winter when the batteries are warm	The area does not allow drying volumetric figures
In the oven	The fastest way	Difficult to calculate temperature
In the microwave	Microwave cannot be used!
Combined method	Suitable for drying large crafts	Labour intensive

How to properly knead salt dough

Dough is a material that is easy to prepare. Place 1/2 cup salt and 1 cup flour in a bowl and slowly add water. You need enough water to make the dough dry and elastic. If the dough becomes sticky, you need to add more flour. The dough is kneaded and used immediately, because... after a few hours it begins to dry out and crust over.

The softness and elasticity of the material depends on how to knead the dough correctly. It is better to use fine salt and flour without any impurities. If the salt is coarse, then experienced professionals recommend first dissolving it in warm water. Some people add another spoonful of PVA glue to a glass of flour so that the dough figures hold their shape better. The dough must be kneaded thoroughly so that no lumps form. Before sculpting, it is better to knead each piece with your fingers until the dough turns into soft plasticine.

At the first stage of work, you can color the material. To do this, while mixing the dough components, pour a little gouache or natural food coloring into the bowl. This way the dough will be colored even before drying and will receive a beautiful color with different shades after drying. And if you add aromatic oils to the material, the product will get a pleasant smell.

Experienced craftsmen use a special technique for preparing dough. To do this, mix fine salt and wheat flour in a 1:2 ratio in a saucepan. Add a tablespoon of vegetable oil and cream to the mixture. You can immediately add food coloring or simple paints for painting. Then pour in water in the same volume as the flour.

The mixture is placed on low heat and stirred constantly until the consistency becomes thick. Then the dough is kneaded on the table. This material is more elastic and holds its shape well. This method is suitable for professional salt dough products.

What tools will you need?

To create dough and figures you need to prepare the following tools:

a small rolling pin;
modeling board;
small knife;
brush;
cookie cutters;
a bowl of water
decorative elements (beads, lace, buttons);
ballpoint pen refill.

How to dry dough crafts

Drying is an important step in making dough figures. The workpiece may deteriorate, crack, burst or warp due to improper drying. Drying dough products can be done in different ways.

The natural way is in the air

In summer, dough pieces can be air dried. It is better to choose sunny places. There, a millimeter of the product will be dried in a few hours. You can dry a small figurine in a day. However, items that are too thin may bend slightly. Therefore, it is better to place thick products in the sun. For drying, you need to choose flat surfaces so that the figures do not spoil their appearance or become deformed.

On the heating radiator

Dough crafts cannot dry in the air in winter, so the heat of the sun will replace the heating radiator in the cold season. The main thing is that its surface is smooth. The products are also laid out on the radiator. They dry faster than in the sun if the radiator is hot. If the radiator has a complex shape, then the dough figures can simply be hung next to each other by a thread. This is more convenient to do, for example, when drying on a radiator.

In an electric oven

The electric oven is heated to a temperature of 50°C to 150°C. At the highest temperature, a millimeter of the product will dry in 30 minutes. However, it is better to dry large items at 150°C. For small pieces, the oven should be preheated to 100°C. At this temperature, the small product will be ready within an hour.

The figures are simply laid out on a baking sheet, but you need to sprinkle it with a little flour before doing so. Place the salted dough for crafts in a cold oven. On a dark-colored baking sheet, the workpieces dry faster. In addition, it is not recommended to dry dough that is colored with gouache in ovens. Paint may change color when exposed to high temperatures.

In a gas oven

Traditionally, the dough is dried in the oven, which takes about 3 hours on low heat to prevent the dough from burning. When using this method, the following steps are provided:

1. Preheat the oven. Preheat the oven to 140°C. 2. Bookmarking figures. The finished products are placed on a baking sheet and placed in the oven for about 3 hours. This is how long it takes 0.5 cm of salt dough to dry in the oven. 3. Completion of drying. When the pieces are dry, turn off the oven. The figures need to be left in the oven to cool, because... Sudden temperature changes can damage products.

Combined method

The combined method is suitable for large workpieces. Drying a dough craft that is too thick is difficult because... Only 1-2 mm can be ready per day. Therefore, it is better to dry voluminous figures naturally, because... drying will take several days. You can dry the workpiece in the oven or on a radiator, when most of the figure is already dried. But if the figurine remains a little damp inside, then this is acceptable. Over time the dough will harden.

In the microwave

Dough dishes can be baked in the microwave. However, salt dough cannot be dried or baked in the microwave. The figures themselves will swell and become deformed. A large amount of salt is dangerous because it can catch fire.

Recipe for very flexible dough

And another recipe for a very, very soft, plastic, homogeneous and, I would even say, ideal dough! :) It is not suitable for drying and painting, but for fun games with dough it is perfect.

1 tbsp. vegetable oil

2 tsp citric acid

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan, stir, then place over medium heat. After this, we begin to actively stir the dough with a spoon until it forms a ball and stops sticking to your hands. You will need to stir for no more than 3 minutes. After the dough has cooled, you can start playing with it.

Don't neglect such a seemingly insignificant ingredient as citric acid! If you do not add it, then after storing in the refrigerator the dough will begin to stick to your hands.

You can add food coloring to any version of the dough. If you don’t have a dye to tint the dough, you can use beet or carrot juice, turmeric, brilliant green, and gouache. Well, if you divide the dough into several parts and paint them in different colors, it will be even more interesting!

Both doughs can be stored in the refrigerator in a closed container for quite a long time (several weeks).

How to determine product readiness

It is important to determine the readiness of the workpiece in time during drying. You can calculate how long it takes a millimeter or centimeter of a product to dry under different conditions, but much in this case depends on weather conditions if drying is done in air, or on temperature if the workpiece is dried in an oven or on a radiator. You can keep the items for the same amount of time, but on different days or in different devices, they will dry slower or faster.

If the figurine is thin, then its readiness is immediately visible: it becomes hard. Larger products are checked for readiness in other ways. Medium-thick workpieces are checked by knocking. It is enough to tap the surface of the figure with your fingertips or a small hard object. If the sound is clear, then the product has dried well.

It is better to check thick figures with a thin match or needle, just as housewives check baked goods. A match is used to pierce the product in a place that can then be disguised. If there is dough left on the match or it easily fits into the workpiece, then the figure is not ready yet. If the product is difficult to pierce even with a needle, then it has dried out.

Cracks often indicate that the figurine has not dried completely. They appear after starting work with the workpiece, during its painting or varnishing. Such cracks appear if the product is still damp inside, so it needs to be dried.

With mom's help, sculpt sausages, koloboks and simple figures.

And of course, in addition to simple games, you can try to sculpt the simplest figures with your child - a bun, a sausage, a snail, a bunny, etc. I will definitely write in more detail about what can be sculpted with our young sculptors in a separate article in the near future. Do not miss.

That's all for me, I wish you pleasant games together and more happy smiles on your baby's face! I would be very grateful if you share this article with your friends on social networks (there are special buttons for this at the bottom of the article).

Rules for browning products

You can beautifully brown a dough craft in a natural way, and not by tinting it with paints. To do this, at the end of drying in the oven, increase the temperature. If the baking sheet is on the lower or middle level, the thin parts of the product will brown. However, it is important not to overexpose the product so that it does not burn. Therefore, you need to monitor the process and leave the oven door open for this.

Large products are browned on the top tier. This will give the convex parts of the workpiece a beautiful brown tint. If you combine 2 types of browning, you can get an unusual product, but this can often be done by experienced craftsmen.

Methods for drying salt dough, the pros and cons of each of them

There are several ways to dry salt dough:

in the sun;
at room temperature;
on battery;
in the oven;
in the microwave;
in a combined way.

Each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages.

Indentations will remain on the product in contact with any surface.

How to bake salt dough

It is better to bake small items. Don't rush and turn the oven on high. The drying speed will decrease, but the product may crack or swell. If the product is voluminous, then it is better to use combined drying and alternate methods of drying the product: first put it in the sun, then bake it in the oven, the next day - vice versa. Also, the workpiece must be constantly turned over if it is double-sided.

You need to know not only at what temperature to bake salt dough. They start baking the figures on the top level, and then bring them a little closer to the heat source, lowering them to the middle level. It is better to leave the door slightly open so that the figures do not burn.

If the workpieces begin to crack or swell, then you need to immediately reduce the temperature. After baking the figures, it is better to cool them in place. If the products need to be removed, then this must be done with a spatula, because... hot figures are fragile.

Recipe for making three-dimensional sculptures

If you make salted play dough according to the recipe described below, it will be very strong and dense. Any figures will keep their shape well, will not deform when drying and will not spread. It's easy to do. Have to take:

200 grams of wheat flour;
fine salt - twice as much - 400 grams;
300 grams of ice water.

Unlike other recipes, this one first dissolves the salt in cold water. Only after complete dissolution should you add flour in small portions. When the dough has acquired a thick consistency, knead it into a dense and tight dough with your hands.

How long will it take to dry the craft?

Let's take a closer look at how long it will take a dough product to dry in one way or another.

In the sun or in the room. The most economical method, as it does not require gas or electricity consumption. But with this method, every millimeter of the craft will take 24 hours to dry. This will happen much faster in the sun. This option is not suitable for large figures.
In an electric oven. Time is calculated using the formula - 1 hour for every half centimeter of product thickness at a temperature of 75 degrees. Place the figurine in a cold oven. The temperature is increased every hour by 25 degrees.
In a gas oven. Here, dough products dry twice as fast. Dry over low heat with the door slightly open. The first hour it is opened halfway, the second hour - a quarter, the third - the door is closed.
Combined method. For two days, the craft is kept in the air, then sent to the oven for an hour, heated to 50 degrees, gradually increasing the temperature to a maximum of 150. This method is good for large products.
On the battery (radiator). First cover the radiator with foil or cloth. It is better to place a board or plywood so that the ribbed surface of the battery does not deform the molding. Keep until completely dry.
It is not recommended to dry salt dough in the microwave, since drying requires a very long time, which is not provided for in the software.
Drying on the grill. An effective method, since everything will dry evenly. Electricity consumption is relatively small.

Drying will be more effective if done in several stages. Dry in the oven for an hour on one side, 24 hours at room temperature, the next day dry on the other side in the oven for an hour and a half.

What should I do to prevent the product from swelling and cracking?

Bloating, cracks, brittleness. A carefully sculpted figurine can easily be ruined. Therefore, it is important to know a few secrets.

The salt dough should be dried either on a light baking sheet, or take into account the stronger heating of a dark baking sheet. In this case, the temperature must be reduced by 25 degrees.
Hot products are very brittle. They should either be cooled on a baking sheet or removed with a spatula very carefully.
The figures should not be raw. Readiness is checked in the old-fashioned way - you need to carefully tap the product with your finger. If the sound is ringing, the craft is ready; if it is dull, it needs to be dried.
An under-dried craft will soon begin to deteriorate, change color and crack.
To avoid bubbles, it is recommended to start drying with the oven door open.
Before starting drying, the oven is heated to a minimum, they begin to dry on the top shelf, after the product is browned, it is placed on the middle one.
The appearance of bubbles and swelling is a sign that the temperature must be lowered immediately, otherwise cracks will appear.
Bubbles cannot be removed from the figure, but cracks can be carefully covered with PVA glue.
Figures made from colored dough should be dried at a temperature no higher than 125 degrees so that the color does not change.
The oven cannot be heated to more than 125 degrees if the craft is to be white. For the browning effect, the oven is heated to 200 degrees.
After drying and painting, finished crafts are varnished to protect them from moisture.

The cause of cracking may be flour chosen incorrectly. It should not contain additives. You can add rye flour or 2 tbsp to the wheat flour. spoons of starch. The plasticity of the modeling dough is given by PVA glue (a tablespoon per glass of flour).

Products made from salt dough are one of the most accessible types of creativity. Sculpt with your children, dry correctly, and most importantly, as much as necessary. Enjoy the process!

Salted play dough and microwave drying

Salted play dough and microwave drying

Salted play dough

First recipe: Wheat flour - 2 cups, Extra salt - 1 cup, Water - 3/4 cup.

Second recipe: Wheat flour - 1 cup, Extra salt - 2 cups, Dry wallpaper glue - 1 spoon, Water - about 1 cup.

Pour salt into a wide bowl, add water, then flour. Mix everything well.

Place the prepared dough in a container or plastic bag. Proceed as if you were making baking dough. If the dough sticks to your hands, add a little flour. If it crumbles, pour in a small amount of water.

It is advisable to add 1 spoon of hand cream (or vegetable oil). Use a mixer to obtain a homogeneous mass.

Sculpt the figure immediately on the baking sheet or board where it will dry.

There are two methods for coloring:

either color the dough at the kneading stage, or paint the finished figurine.

Drying of salt dough figures is carried out in the oven at a temperature of 80 degrees for an hour or more (drying time depends on the thickness of the figure). Another option is to dry the salt dough on a radiator.

You can add an unusual color and pleasant smell to your dough (which will make the work much more pleasant) if you add a little spice (or any of them): nutmeg, cumin, paprika, gray and black pepper, cinnamon, curry.

Salt dough left open in the air dries very quickly, so keep the container with it closed. Place the rest of the unused dough in the refrigerator, where it can be stored for a day or two.

Play dough

Third recipe

Ingredients: 200 g wheat flour 100 g salt 2 teaspoons cream 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 300 ml. water a few drops of food coloring Mix flour, salt, cream and butter in a saucepan. Dissolve food coloring in water. Pour the solution into the flour and mix thoroughly, avoiding lumps. Place the pan over low heat and stir constantly. At first the dough will be liquid, then it will immediately begin to thicken. Continue stirring until completely thickened. Remove the dough from the heat and use a wooden spoon to transfer it to a smooth surface. Let the dough cool. Knead the dough until it is soft and workable and holds its shape well.

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