Fun Crafts with Play Dough

Surprisingly, playdough, as it was originally formulated, started as a wallpaper cleaner and was being used as a modeling compound for making Christmas ornaments. Play-Doh is still a modeling compound and has become a favorite toy for children. It is easy to use, non-toxic and easy to clean up. Children enjoy being able to roll it out, mash it and squash it. Play-Doh has added many colors and accessories to a child's imagination. They can make anything from flowers, animals and people to planes, trains and automobiles. Making jewelry can be a fun project for any little girl.

In addition to making earrings and bracelets they can make a copy of a pendant rather easily. Roll out and flatten the Play-Doh to the desired thickness. Lay the pendant face down on the Play-Doh. Press down to make sure there is a detailed casting. Use a plastic knife or tracing wheel to cut around the pendant and all the way through the Play-Doh. Remove the pendant. Use a fork prong to poke a hole in the top of the casting so that you can put a chain through. Let the casting dry. Another fun project would be making your own playdough. Cooked playdough recipes last longer than uncooked dough. For an easy uncooked playdough mix one cup flour, one-quarter cup salt and one-quarter cup water in a bowl.

Knead and squeeze the dough to make a clay consistency. You can also make Kool-Aid playdough. Mix two and a half cups of flour, one cup of salt and two packages of unsweetened Kool-Aid. Add three tablespoons of vegetable oil and two cups of boiling water. Wear gloves and knead for ten minutes. Store in a zip lock bag in the refrigerator. Adults have even used Play-Doh to make a replica of Thomas Jefferson's Monticello using 2500 bricks of Play-Doh.