Salt dough decorations

Wow it's the 7th of December already! I have been crocheting and felting away in my spare time like a busy little bee and have made Lyra a pretty hat, an e-reader cover for my dad, a couple of felted brooches and more significantly some absolutely stunning salt-dough decorations with my children. It's amazing how something so simple can be so effective and give us all so much pleasure. Though there are countless tutorials out there here's my contribution;

Ingredients;

1 cup table salt
2 cups plain flour
1 cup cold water

Preheat the oven to a very low heat; 100-125*C

1. Mix the flour and salt together in a bowl

2. Add the water gradually, mixing as you go, until the mix forms a soft dough. If its a bit sticky don't panic just add a little more flour until it looks right; a soft, smooth dough that you can knead. I don't usually usa all of the water.

3. Roll out on a floured surface until it is even and about half a centimetre thick and cut into festive shapes. Lay these out on a baking tray

4. Place in the oven and bake for 3 to 3.5 hours until they are dried out. Leave to cool.
5. Decorate in beautiful colours, using ample glitter and sequins. Leave to dry.
6. To make the decorations last longer you can laquer or varnish the decorations. They can keep for years this way if you store them in a dry place.

And here you can see the finished masterpieces my lovely family made;