If you think that making figures from salt dough is a new kind of home creativity, then you are mistaken. From ancient times this art was developed among the Slavic peoples. True, crafts were made not for simple decoration, but for personal luck, wealth and prosperity. Is it really so, it’s hard to say, because research by scientists on this topic has not been conducted. But one can confidently assert that a good mood is guaranteed both from contemplation of the creations of human hands, and from the process of their manufacture. Do-it-yourself salty dough painting is an excellent therapy from the blues, and for especially talented craftsmen it can become a profit. So maybe our ancestors were right?
Making salt dough
A glass of salt must be mixed with the same amount of flour, add half a glass of water and knead the dough. It is possible, but not necessary, to add a spoonful of vegetable oil to the mixture, in this case the dough will be more elastic and glossy.
Roll the dough into a ball and put in the refrigerator for an hour or two. And only after that you can begin to work.
Do-it-yourself salty dough painting can be done by different methods: from a dough of natural color and then dyed with gouache, or from a dough of color. To do this, divide the mixed mass into parts, into each of which gradually, drop by drop, add gouache until the desired shade is obtained. Now you can start making pictures of salt dough.
Master Class
We will make a fruit basket as a symbol of health, wealth and abundance.
Take a piece of dough the size of a
tennis ball. Roll it into a layer with a thickness of about 5 millimeters. Cut out the shape of the basket as shown in the photo, or as you like more. That is why the picture from the salt dough with your own hands is good, because there is always room for improvisation. Because your inner sculptor knows better about how this should look.
Using garlic cloves, make thin flagella and lay them on the handle and rim of the basket, simulating weaving.
Apply horizontal stripes with a sharp object under the rim.
Then make thin arched, almost vertical grooves.
Remember to draw the same lines on the left side.
Again, roll out a small piece of salt dough with a rolling pin. From this layer, cut 9 leaves.
Carefully stack the leaves in this way.
And now we make balls of different sizes from salt dough: 4 large (apples), 3 medium (for plums) and 25 small pieces (grapes).
Spice cloves successfully simulates in apples the place of fallen inflorescence. Insert them necessarily!
A self-made picture of salt dough is almost ready.
Before painting, it must be dried. It is best if the product dries gradually, naturally. On the windowsill, for example. This will take a lot of time, about a week, which depends on the size of the work. But it's worth it. If you dry the product in the oven, it is mandatory at the lowest temperature 2-4 hours, it will come out much faster. But there is always the possibility of burning, the appearance of cracks, if the temperature is higher than it was necessary.
After the creation is dry, you can start painting!