Aaaah Easter! It’s such a lovely bank holiday isn’t it?
I like it slightly more than Christmas, as sometimes we’re treated to beautiful weather and it always feels like we’ve properly said goodbye to the back of winter, as spring is in full bloom!
That coupled with, eating your body weight in chocolate eggs, catching up with family and friends and having time to potter in the garden or catch up with some DIY makes the Easter bank holiday a lovely thing indeed!
Last Easter, the boys weren’t even walking! They were still chunky little babies who had no idea about the long weekend. This year, as they were slightly more aware of what was going on, I thought it would be nice to decorate the house and create a little Easter tree, so on Good Friday I made some salt dough Easter decorations.
Such a lovely simple thing to make, although the drying time means that it’s not a quick process. I made ours on Friday morning and left them in the oven for 5 hours — on a really low heat — then painted them on Saturday.
Here’s what I did…
How To Make Salt Dough Easter Decorations
Take one cup of plain flour, one cup of salt and as much water as you need to make a pastry like dough. Some recipes suggest a whole cup but I probably used three quarters.
Just use your discretion; if the mix starts to look too sticky, just add more flour.
Roll out your dough and start to cut out your shapes.
I’d bought some little egg and chick cutters but you could use bunnies, flowers whatever takes your fancy!
If you’re going to hang your decorations, remember to make a hole in each one. I used the end of a drinking straw, to make mine.
Then lay then shapes on a baking sheet and pop in the oven for 4-5 hours on a low heat. I cooked ours at 100 degrees and turned them over half way. After 5 hours, I turned the oven off but left the salt dough shapes in there, so they carried on baking with the residual heat.
The next day, when they were totally hardened and cool, we began to paint the shapes. This was the fun part! I used a mix of emulsion, acrylic and poster paints, topped off with some glitter glaze I had left over from decorating a little girl’s bedroom.
We left some of the shapes in a plain colour and painted patterns on others to mix things up a little. Then left them alone for a couple of hours and — when the paint had totally dried — I threaded ribbon through the holes.
I am so pleased with how these turned out!
They look fab on the little wire tree. We bought it especially for the little Christmas decorations the boys made at nursery. I thought it would be a lovely thing to bring out, year after year — and a great way to display the things that they’d made — but having another use for it is brilliant.
Plus it makes Easter into more of an occasion. When the boys see the little tree — and the salt dough Easter decorations being brought out — they’ll know we’ve got four days of loveliness coming up!
Do you have any Easter traditions?
Oh this is brilliant I am pinning right now for next year as I have a white tree we decorate for what ever holiday it is and this year I just bought plastic eggs so the kids could decorate it and this would be so much more fun. What a great idea. Thank you so much for linking up to Share With Me. Hope you are having a lovely weekend. #sharewithme
Aaah that’s great! So happy to have inspired :)
Salt dough is so much fun isn’t it! And how adorable are your decorations you guys! Love it. We’ve never had an Easter tree but I think Annabelle will be old enough next year to help decorate it rather than destroy! lol x
I think it’s a lovely, fun, thing to do with kids! :) And I’m really happy about having an Easter Tree tradition too! It makes me smile to think that the boys will get all excited when they see the little box of salt dough decorations being brought down from the attic! :)
I love this! Will definitely try this and do something that is not season dependent for my son! I am so excited! #sharewithme
Aaah that’s so lovely that you’re excited about making some! I’m sure your boy will LOVE it Merlinda! x
These look amazing, I will do this with the kids #TwinklyTuesday
I highly recommend it Michelle — just factor in the cooking time! 5 hours makes it quite a long, drawn out activity! ;) Nice to split it across 2 days — making the dough and cutting the shapes on one day — painting the shapes on the next!
Wow, they look fantastic! I wish I could be a bit more creative with my hands, I’m so rubbish at practical things, but I shall have to attempt these with A as I think he’d love making them! #sharewithme
I think they look a lot more — and complicated — than they really are!! It was such a simple thing to do. A lovely thing to do with little ones too x
These look fab you are so clever. I am terrible, my kids despair.
I promise you — it was easy! The hardest thing was being patient enough to wait for the blooming things to cook! They took hours!! x
They look great! You could do so many different variations too!
Thanks so much Rachel! The possibilities are endless aren’t they? x
I love the idea of an Easter tree and these decorations are just stunning, even just laying in the bowl! A I right in thinking I can spy a doggy pawprint on one of those eggs? #TwinklyTuesday
HA! Not a doggy pawprint Katie! A kitten pawprint!! That’s what happens when you leave rolled out pastry/salt-dough on the kitchen unattended for a couple of minutes!! ;) Good spot! ;) x
Oh my, such a lovely post! Your photography is lovely, and the decorations are gorgeous. :) Last time I made salt dough it was a little bubbly and not so great. I am hoping to make some more soon and hopefully things will be a bit better this time! Ray xx @ lukeosaurusandme.blogspot.co.uk #twinklytuesday
Try again using this recipe! Honestly, it was so easy! Just make sure you use plain — and not self-raising — flour! :)
I love that tree!! I would never think of making decorations for Easter. I totally failed this year and so next year is going to look like the Easter bunny has exploded all over the house! Ha! Thanks for hosting xx
Aaah — just give me an excuse to decorate the house Kate — in any capacity — and I’m there with bells on!! I love an excuse for a bit of home styling!
Caro they are so lovely and your photos are beautiful. Do you know I have never made salt dough, but when the boys were little they had every colour in play doh imaginable xx
Thanks so much Sarah! :) My mum banned Play-Doh when I was little!! She said it used to all end up in the carpet!! x
These are so cute, love them!!! :-) #twinklytuesday
Thanks Sophie :) x
What great decorations, it amazes me that Easter is becoming more and more decorated, when I was little it was all about bunnies and egg hunts, these days that is only part, it is like a spring Christmas with all the decorations etc :) I love it.
Thanks Ashley — it was really fun making them :) I think people love an excuse to decorate the house don’t they? I know I do! :) x
what a great idea! will be bookmarking the post!
Thanks so much Victoria x
Such a cute idea! Lizzy will be able to enjoy these kind of craft activities soon and I can’t wait to do them with her! #twinklytuesday
I’m going to do some more at Christmas with the boys! Such a fun thing to do! :)
II have never been ab;e tp get salt dough right, maybe I haven’t been cooking it long enough! Pinning to give it another go as these look so good!! #twinklytuwsday x
It took AGES to cook Laura — you’ve just got to be really patient with it! Even after 3 hours it was still a bit soggy! I cooked it for 5 hours but then left it overnight too, to harden x
These are really cute! I love using salt dough!
Me too! Such a fun thing to do — and cheap too! :)
Oh Caro, I love these decorations!! Wish I’d seen this last week, I’d have done them with the girls. Must remember the method for Christmas decorations. Hope you had a great Easter! xxxx
I know… I did think that yesterday!! What a shame I’m posting this after the event! Not to worry! Will definitely make some more at Christmas!! :)
they looks lovely i love making salt dough ornaments so simple isn’t it! the tree is great too can i be nosey and ask where you go it? x
Thanks Amy — I can’t believe how lovely they look! And so simple too. The little tree was from Hobbycraft at Christmas! It has tiny lights on the end of the branches and look gorgeous lit up at night! x
Lovely and effective. I love salt dough, it’s great that the kids can have a nibble if they really feel the need but also that the taste puts them off pretty quickly :-)
#twinklytuesday
It’s fab isn’t it? We’re definitely going to be making salt dough Christmas decorations this year, there’s no doubt about that! :)
I am in love with this Easter tradition, I have never heard of this, just brilliant! #Twinkly Tuesday
Thanks Mac! I’m not sure it really is an Easter tradition?! But it will be, in our house, from this year on!! :)