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Salt Dough Valentine Hearts

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It’s almost Valentine’s Day and my inner crafty girl is just busting to get out. While I’m seriously lacking time (and, often, sleep) I just can’t help myself when it comes to holidays. I take on more than I should, but – damn you, Pinterest – resistance is futile. 😉

So, I thought I’d share with you a really fun project I did with my kids. We made salt dough hearts for my daughter’s class; some were strung on necklaces (for the girls) and we made others into magnets (for the boys). My daughter loved coming up with different colour co
mbinations and patterns to paint on them… everything from polka dots and stripes to using an “abstract” painting technique (She came up with that. Can you tell she loves going to art museums?)

My little guy even got in on the action, painting the base coat on a few of them.
Here’s how to get started…

Make a basic salt dough recipe (see below), then roll out dough and cut out hearts with mini heart cutters. (I bought mine at Winners.)

Salt Dough Recipe
1 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
1/2 cup water

Tip: try to roll out the dough the same thickness each time so that the shapes bake evenly.

Place cut-outs on a cookie sheet

Use a straw to create holes in the shapes that will be pendants

Bake in a 200 degree F oven for 1.5 – 2 hours, or until hardened. (Ours needed to stay in longer because some of the shapes were rolled out thicker than others. Next time, we’ll know to make them thinner. 🙂
Once cooled, decorate with acrylic paints. Two base coats of paint should be enough for full coverage; then decorate with your desired pattern.

Spray with a glossy acrylic sealer once the paint is dry for a nice, shiny appearance. If you prefer a less glossy look, there are many different sealer options, from semi-gloss to matte.

Glue magnets on the back of the shapes with a hot glue gun; add ribbons to the pendants.

Let me know if you make this craft… I’d love to see your creations. Happy Valentine’s Day!!

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