How to make a play dough?

How to make your own play dough? The art of making your own ceramic pieces to create unique creations dates back to the Late Bronze Age. Since then, making and decorating clay pieces — and with them landscapes and figures — has been one of the oldest hobbies. Today, making your own ceramic parts is still an enjoyable activity for children and adults, both for hobbyists and professionals. Learn how to prepare a ceramic mass to start making your own figures.

1. What is Play Dough?

Play dough is a fun way to create a variety of shapes, colors and textures. It consists of a mixture of natural elements such as clay, wood, cement and wax. This mixture breaks up into small particles or granules, of various sizes, when it dries. Therefore, a play dough gives the opportunity to create artistic products, from versatile and understandable materials.

How to make a play dough . Play dough is made from a variety of natural elements. For this, it is recommended to use a mixture of clay, wood, cement and wax, as well as the natural elements that are easy to find. These products are mixed with water to create the desired material. Afterwards, it is necessary to form small granules, of different sizes, to obtain a consistent product. Finally, the dough must be left to dry in the open air for a considerable period.

When the dough is ready to use, various shapes and structures can be made with it. It is recommended that an adult supervisor leads the activity, especially if the participants are minors. The supervisor must also deliver materials to the participants, according to the design to be carried out. Finally, the specific needs of each user must be taken into account, so that they can work with ease and creativity.

2. Necessary ingredients to prepare a play dough

Making play dough can be an excellent fun activity for your kids, especially in the warmer months. To do this, you need to know the ingredients needed to prepare the precious raw material.

The essential elements for preparing play dough that you must take into account are the following:

• Flour (XNUMXg)
• Water
• Food coloring
• Sugar
• Sal Island
• Purchase

A good practice is to try to add the ingredients in the same proportion, although you can also vary it to adapt the dough to the activity you are going to carry out, such as in games with shapes.

Regardless of the end result of play dough, it is important to remember that it is an inedible item and must be kept airtight, away from food. Also , be careful not to contaminate it with your mouth during handling.

3. How to mix the ingredients to prepare a play dough?

First of all, it is important to get hold of all the necessary ingredients to prepare a playdough. These include flour, water, salt and oil. It is recommended to use wheat flour to maintain the elastic texture due to all the gases generated during the fermentation process. Be sure to discard all expired ingredients.

Once the ingredients are obtained, we continue to mix them. For this we will combine the liquids with the flour. First we pour two cups of flour into the container and add two thirds of warm water. Then we add two or three teaspoons of olive oil and half a teaspoon of salt. Stir until you get a homogeneous mass without lumps.

• Now we knead the dough with the palm of our hands on the flat surface. This will help give lightness and homogeneity to the dough.
• Finally, we cover the dough with a clean cloth and let it rest in a cool, dry place for at least 15 minutes. This will allow the volume of the mixture to increase as the gases released during fermentation push the dough.

4. How to stretch the dough to play correctly?

Make sure you use the correct location. The ideal place to roll out the dough for proper play is a flat, clean and horizontal surface. For example, a wooden worktop or a work table. In this way, imperfections or irregularities in the dough are avoided which could become unbalanced.

Use a rolling pin to stretch the dough. To stretch the dough, it is necessary to use a rolling pin. This will help ensure a stable shape for the dough and also prevent it from twisting during play. If you don't have a rolling pin, you can also use an empty plastic bottle with a cork. If you use this last method, try to check in advance that the receiver is well covered, so that air does not enter and spoil the dough.

Use olive oil so that the dough does not stick. To prevent the dough from sticking to the rolling pin or your work surface, it is important that you add olive oil. This will help prevent the dough from dissolving and will also prevent an uneven result when rolling out.

5. Techniques for experimenting with play dough

Play dough is one of the best materials for creating different shapes and having fun at the same time. There are many , both simple and more complex, leading to a number of interesting results. Below are some basic working techniques to help you achieve your own results with play dough.

• Modeling: Modeling playdough consists of shaping it by hand, separating different parts of the playdough and assembling them into a unit. This technique can be done in many ways, such as lightly kneading, pressing more, rolling and rolling, shaping with fingers or specific tools, etc.
• Hollowed out: It's about making holes in the dough to give it specific shapes, as it is, for example, done with plasticine to shape characters, animals etc.
• Extrusion: Extruding the play dough consists of passing the dough through a special tool (a digger, a press, etc.) to form shapes in a simple way. Another option is to roll the dough to drag it around the extrusion tools.

Finally, a practical option to have fun with play dough is to make cutouts with cardboard. This technique consists in passing the playdough through a short die to get figures of different sizes . The carving supports various shapes, such as geometric designs, flowers, fruits and so on. The result is a fun way to customize your cards.

6. How to let mas decorate it with ingenuity?

Here's a clue to decorate creatively!

There are different ways to leave the table with creative decoration. This creative ability can be achieved through the use of a wide variety of colors, textures and materials. Natural elements, such as branches and flowers, can be used to add visual interest to the table setting. There are also store-bought products that allow you to show off your creativity. These products include candles, candles, artificial flowers and other decorative items for the home.

Platform with ideas for decorating the table

The reasons for the decoration of the table have no limit. The design chosen will depend on the purpose of the decoration, the atmosphere to be created and the theme of the party or meeting. Some good ideas to motivate the team are: add floral elements, use lighting very creatively, create a warmer and more inviting atmosphere with Christmas lights, candles or lanterns, mix and match different shades of colors, add the use of music, illustrations and PowerPoint templates to make the stands more attractive.

Resources and inspiration for decorating the table

It is important to look for resources to get inspiration. You can search online to find innovative ideas to wrap the table with the most attractive decoration materials. You can use brochures, design catalogues, trend books, magazines, forums, etc. The materials chosen for decoration are also a significant factor. These include tissue paper, silk, fabrics, pearls, stones and crystals. You can find a lot of inspiration by looking at the work of other decorators and relevant articles.

7. How to store the playdough once it has been made?

After hours of work, the dough is finally ready to start playing. Here are some tips to keep it healthy and intact:

• First, we recommend wrapping the dough in cling film or a latex bag.
• Put the container with the dough in the fridge for 1-2 hours so that it gets the right consistency before trying to handle it.
• If you want to keep the dough longer, leave it wrapped in your sealer in a cool place, like the refrigerator or cold, for up to a week.

There are also even smarter ways to preserve the dough for weeks or months. For example, it is recommended to freeze separate parts of the prepared dough to ensure a longer shelf life. It is recommended to keep them frozen for a maximum of 3 months, to ensure maximum freshness.

Finally, to thaw the dough, remove it from the sealed package and let it temper for 20-30 minutes. Then you are ready to make amazing creations!

The fun that a good play dough can add to a game situation cannot be underestimated. Carrying a rolled up piece of cloth anywhere is always useful for any occasion. Using some materials you probably already have around the house, making this dough was a fun and easy process for all players involved. So get ready to have a nice game session with something handmade with your own hands and have a lot of laughs along the way.