At what temperature is salt dough baked? Drying salt dough crafts

Drying is a very important stage in the manufacture of salt dough products. Imagine: you conceived and created something wonderful from it. And suddenly - as a result of hasty or incorrect firing - the product cracked and everything went down the drain! This is truly a big disappointment!

Outdoors at room temperature

You can dry the craft outdoors in a dry place. The thicker the product, the longer it will take. But this method is the most economical.

However, keep in mind that air drying will create indentations on the surface of the product that is in contact with the table.

When air drying, moisture evaporates slowly, so it takes 1 day of drying to dry every millimeter of product thickness.

In summer, use the heat of the sun to dry: place the product ready for drying in a sunny place.

Drying time in an electric stove oven

1 hour - at t 50°C
1-2 hours - at 75°C
1 hour - at t 100-125°C
0.5 hours - at t 150°C

Larger pieces will require more time to dry.

You can also use another calculation formula: drying time in an electric stove oven is 1 hour for every 0.5 cm of thickness at a temperature of 75°C. Further, regardless of thickness:

• 1/2 hour at 100°C
• 1/2 hour at 125°C
• 1 hour at 150 °C
• Browning - at 200°C strictly under supervision!

Note . The black baking tray heats up more, and at all stages of drying the temperature is reduced by 25°C.

It is difficult to calculate exactly the time it will take to dry crafts in the oven. All ovens are slightly different. Therefore, to reduce the frustration of ruined work, make several samples, for example, make cakes of different thicknesses and dry them in your oven, changing the temperature.

After drying the salt dough figures in the oven, cool them. While the items are hot, they are very fragile, so handle them with care.

When drying in the oven, first turn on only the top heat and dry the product on it until its surface begins to brown. After this, the product is no longer deformed. Then place the baking tray on the middle level oven. If you want to give the product a beige tint, use the top heat a little longer.

If a slight bulge appears on the product or the product bulges slightly, the temperature in the oven is too high, in which case cracks may form on the back of the product.

In the oven (gas or electric stove)

Drying a product in a gas stove takes half as much time as in an electric one.

Example . A wreath in an electric stove is dried until ready in 6 hours, but drying the same wreath in a gas stove takes only 3 hours! By slightly opening the oven door, you can adjust the temperature in the gas stove (on the lowest heat):

• 1 hour - door half open
• 1 hour - for a quarter
• 1 hour - door closed

To brown the product until brown, add gas and constantly monitor the product so as not to burn it.

To dry the finished product, carefully, using a wide knife or spatula, transfer it from the work table to a baking sheet sprinkled with flour, being careful not to damage it during transfer.

Dry the craft for two days, first in the open air, then in the oven at a temperature of 50°C, gradually increasing the temperature, but not higher than 150°C. If the temperature is too high, the product may swell, sometimes even cracks appear. Swollen crafts cannot be fixed, and cracks are easy to cover up. To do this, dilute a little flour with water, add PVA glue, mix well and apply this mixture to the crack, then rub the mixture into it with a stick or your finger.

The product should not remain damp. Its readiness is determined by its sound. By knocking on finished product finger, you will hear a ringing sound. If the sound is dull, the product needs to be dried.

For large items, you can use combined drying: first for several days in the air, then in the oven.

Note. If you start drying the product with the oven door closed, bubbles will form on the surface.

On the heating battery

This method is very convenient to use in winter, when the central heating radiators are well heated. Place the craft on foil or cloth and leave it on the radiator until completely dry.

Combined drying

First, the product is air-dried for several days, and then dried in the oven. This method is especially suitable for bulky items, such as wreaths.

Hot air drying in the grill

Salt dough products can also be dried and fired with hot air in special ovens. Electricity consumption in this case will be insignificant, since several baking sheets can be loaded at once. The grill is also suitable for drying dough products, especially since it will require less energy than an electric stove.

Microwave

The microwave oven is not suitable for drying salt dough products.

How to determine if items are completely dry

Tap the product with your index finger. If the sound is muffled, it means that the inside of the model is damp and it needs to be left in the oven for a while. If the sound is ringing, it means the product is dried. If you have already taken the product from the baking sheet, place it on an oven mitt and tap it on the inside.

Browning

Once you are sure that all the products in the oven are completely dry, the temperature in it can be increased to 200°C. Do not leave the oven and watch until the product acquires the desired shade of brown. After varnishing the product, the brown color will be even more saturated. If parts of the product become too dark while browning, cover them with aluminum foil while the entire product continues to brown.

Advice . If you are in doubt about how long you need to fire the piece to get the desired color, brush the light and dark areas with a brush dipped in water and you will see how the browned piece will look after varnishing.

1. To ensure that the crafts are well preserved, after they are dried and painted, cover them with transparent liquid varnish. This will reliably protect them from moisture. If you don't like mirror shine, then use matte varnish.

2. ATTENTION! Products made from colored dough, except those to which cocoa powder has been added, should be dried at a temperature not exceeding 125°C, otherwise their color may change.

Since I am not a creative person, I sculpt products from salt dough I didn’t study, and there was no suitable opportunity. After the birth of my daughter, there is not much free time, but when I have it, I want to occupy myself with something interesting. On the Internet I looked at many pictures depicting casts of children's paws. Such a charm remains for a long time, and the child will probably be interested in seeing his little footprint in the future. So I decided to give my daughter a present for six months. I made salt dough and casts of my daughter’s legs and arms. I dried everything, painted it, varnished it. After some time, I noticed a crack in the product. This upset me very much, and I decided to find out why this unwanted crack had formed. It turns out this is due to improper drying. Let's try to figure out how to properly dry crafts made from salt dough.

Let's consider several options where and how possible dry salt dough products.

1. Outdoors.
Drying salt dough products outdoors is the most labor-intensive, as it takes a large number of time. You should observe those places of the object that are in direct contact with the table; during drying, indentations appear in these places. Also keep in mind that the thicker the product, the longer it will take to dry. Moisture is released from them very slowly and it should take a whole day for each millimeter of thickness.

2. In the oven.
The salt dough product can also be dried in the oven. To do this, place it on a baking sheet previously sprinkled with flour. Moreover, you should not immediately close the oven door, as bubbles will form on the product. Drying time and temperature should also vary. We start drying at a temperature of 50 degrees with the door open for one hour. Then close the door and continue drying at a temperature of 75 degrees. Drying time is 1 – 2 hours. Next, dry for about an hour at a temperature of 100 - 120 degrees. And finally, half an hour at 150 degrees. But you shouldn’t overdo it with drying either, as the products may swell or crack. Cracks can be covered with a prepared mixture of PVA glue, flour and water. We won't be able to remove the bubbles.

3. On radiators.
This method is used in winter, if there is no interruption in heating. Products made from salt dough are transferred to foil and dried on batteries until dry. The negative thing is that the battery area does not allow for drying large items.

4. Mixed (or combined) drying.
This method of drying dough products is useful for those who perform voluminous work with large parts of the product. The essence of drying is that the product is first dried in the open air for several days, then it is dried in the oven. Using this method, you can confidently say that the product will not remain dry.

5. Hot air drying.
Salt dough products can be dried not only at room temperature, but also with hot air in special ovens. they contain significantly less. Another advantage of them is that you can dry several large items at the same time, unlike the oven. You can also dry it with hot air in a grill.

So there are several ways drying salt dough products. Choose the one you like and the drying conditions of which allow you to dry the item at your home. Please follow all established rules. And then you will be sure that your products will not crack, and will delight you and those around you with their beauty for a long time.

Before we start making gifts from salt dough, we need to answer the question:

What do we need to work with salt dough? Before start kneading the dough prepare:

1. rolling pin;
2. scissors for making uneven surfaces;
3. a plastic knife or a stack can be used - a tool for modeling clay and other soft materials;
4. sharpened stick or pencil.

Everything is included - buttons to make textured prints, curved manicure scissors, various seeds and cereals (you can use them to make an ornament), fabrics, twigs, dried flowers and embossed fresh leaves (geranium, for example), a knife, a wooden kebab stick, wire to create a frame in large products, baking foil, “Moment” type glue, paints, brushes, stacks for working with clay or plasticine, varnishes are highly desirable.

Once our tools are ready to go, we begin preparing dough:

1) Take 1 dining room spoon of flour with a handful and the same spoon of salt(best fit extra salt, but if it is not there, then ordinary salt can be used after sifting it through a sieve). Mix, add 1 tablespoon spoon of water And vegetable oil .

The water should only be cold.

After you knead everything well, the dough should be soft, elastic, but in no case liquid. Look at your dough and add water or flour if necessary. If you need a larger quantity of dough, the specified components increase by the same number of times.
2). Let's put ready dough in a plastic bag.

Before we start sculpting, let's salt dough lie in the refrigerator for a while - at least half an hour. In general, the dough can be stored in this way for a long time. If before modeling you find that the dough has softened, add flour to it and knead thoroughly.

When your product is small - up to 1 centimeter thick, it can be dried at room temperature.

Products with a thickness of more than 1 cm are better dry in the oven at the lowest temperature - 5-8 hours or more.

Since in this case the advice is generally general, based on the situation, look at how much time your product has to “get ready”.
We highly recommend take your time when drying salt dough products. By heating the oven too much, the dough will simply swell from the high temperature and the product will lose its shape.
After baking the product in the oven, you can paint with watercolors or gouache.

And after complete drying, it is advisable to coat the product with colorless varnish.

1 step Prepare the dough.
Mix 1 cup salt and 1 cup flour in a bowl. Add half a glass of water and 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Knead like regular dough.
If the dough is too soft, add salt and flour to it at a ratio of one to one until the dough becomes more dense.
Place the dough in a plastic bag and place in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours.

Now color the dough. For this you will need a set of gouache or acrylic paints. The paint should be soft. If it is dry, add water to it.

Take a lump of dough and roll between your palms. Add some paint. Your hands will get a little dirty. To prevent the dough from sticking to your hands, grease them with sunflower oil.

Add paint gradually and continue rolling the piece of dough until it becomes uniform in color.
After rolling out a long sausage, fold it in half and roll again. All “marble” stains should disappear.

Prepare a set of colored mass in this way. Part of the uncolored dough will act as white.

To achieve the desired shade, you need to take 2 pieces of dough and knead them together until the dough becomes homogeneous.

blue + white = light blue
white + red = pink
blue + pink = purple
blue + yellow = green
yellow + red = orange
green + red = brown
green + blue = emerald

Now prepare your work area for modeling. You will need a table, polyethylene to cover the table, a brush, a modeling board, and a glass of water.

Finished dough products need to be fired in the oven. The firing time depends on the thickness of the product. The temperature should not be too high to prevent the product from burning. Set the electric stove to the lowest heat setting. If you have a gas stove, open the oven door slightly.
You can dry the product and on the battery, and in the sun, but they will dry out no earlier than in a week.

Step 8

After this, the dough products can be painted and varnished. For coloring you can take acrylic paint or gouache with a little PVA glue added.

For varnishing, use acrylic varnish. It is water soluble and dries in 6-8 hours.

Modeling appeared many centuries ago, and now it is impossible to say with certainty who exactly was the discoverer.

In Rus' it was customary to give salt dough crafts on New Year(then celebrated on September 1) and for weddings as a sign of satiety, fertility and prosperity.

Nowadays, handmade things have become very popular, especially if they are also environmentally friendly. Unfortunately, during the First and Second World Wars, due to food shortages, people completely forgot about this type of art. testoplasty. Yes and in Soviet times, salt dough molding was not particularly popular.

But today, bakery products have received a chance for a rebirth. Masters have appeared who have reached unprecedented heights in modeling salt dough; their hands create real masterpieces.

Modeling from dough is very interesting and quite simple. The most important thing is to apply a little patience and imagination. Testoplasty will not require almost any material costs, because all you need is salt, flour and water.

Often, in addition to the main components, additional components are added, such as starch, vegetable oil, glue, etc.

It is imperative to remember that salt should be finely ground, for quick dissolution. Otherwise, crystals will appear in the finished product and it will not be possible to make the surface smooth.

If you only have coarse salt on hand, then before you start kneading the dough, you need to dilute it with the amount of water specified in the recipe or grind it in a coffee grinder. The water must only be cold. It is better to take inexpensive varieties of flour, without raising agents, emulsifiers and other additives.

Let's look at the basic recipe, on the principle by which everyone else prepares.

Mix in a deep bowl two cups of wheat flour with one cup of salt and add about 2/3 cup of water.

The amount of water depends on the type of flour. Knead the dough thoroughly; its density should resemble softened plasticine. If it sticks to your hands, add a little more flour. To make it more elastic, wrap it in oilcloth to prevent it from drying out and put it in the refrigerator for several hours. Now you can get to work.

For large products, a slightly different recipe is used. The dough consists of four parts salt, two parts flour and one part water.

Small parts when sculpting, require special care, in this case, it is better to combine 200 g. salt, 300 gr. flour, 3 tablespoons of glycerin and 2 tablespoons of wallpaper glue diluted in 125 ml of water. Glycerin will give the dough good plasticity and softness, and the glue will be strong.

There is also a recipe for salt dough with added starch. Mix 1 cup flour, 1 cup starch, 1 cup salt and 2/3 cup water. The result is soft, airy and pliable dough, which is a pleasure to work with.

If you do not want to color the finished product, but are thinking of giving it the natural color of baked ruddy bread , then for kneading, take half of the rye and wheat flour from the amount indicated in the recipe.

Use only rye flour This is undesirable, as the dough will be inelastic, hard and will crumble when working. Also, it’s a good idea to add a tablespoon of vegetable oil or rich cream to the main ingredients.

There are two ways to work with the dough. You can roll out the layer and cut out various flat figures from it. But if you want to add volume, it is better to sculpt individual parts, and when they dry a little, combine them into the intended composition and bake. When working with vertical three-dimensional figures (figurines), a wire frame is used.

Drying of finished products is carried out in the oven.

If, according to your idea, the color of the product should remain white , then place the figurine on the top shelf of the oven and set the temperature to no more than 100 degrees.

In case of overheating, bubbles and cracks appear. Keep the door slightly open. Bake for 1.5-2 hours until the dough hardens and browns, but it is not advisable to overbake.

There is another, longer method - drying in the open air. The moisture evaporates very slowly, and the figurine dries by about 1-2 millimeters per day.

Products made from salt dough can also be dried on a radiator, but in this case there is a high probability that they will crack and become deformed.

Coloring occurs either at the kneading stage, or finished, dried products are painted.

When making dough it is best to use natural dyes (juice of beets, carrots, parsley, etc.) or food (previously diluted in water).

If already dry figures are painted , then immediately after cooling, you need to prime the surface with white gouache and then paint it, as your imagination dictates.

After the paint has dried, coat the work with clear varnish. After baking, salted dough absorbs moisture very well, and in order to prevent it from getting soft, you should not delay varnishing.

If you do not have time to use all the dough, wrap the remaining piece in a plastic bag or oilcloth and put it in the refrigerator. This storage method makes it possible for the dough not to deteriorate or dry out for several months.

Salt dough recipe: - 1 part fine salt- 2 parts flour - half a cup of warm water

Mix all ingredients thoroughly until smooth. The result should be a nice, pliable dough that does not stick to your hands and holds its shape.

Workplace

It is best to sculpt on a large, level table.

It is better to cut figures from salt dough immediately on the surface where they will dry, otherwise, when transferring the raw dough, the figures may lose their shape.

If you are going to dry the salt dough figures at room temperature, then, for example, a large flat dish wrapped in foil is suitable for this. Foil, unlike parchment paper, does not allow the figures to “shrink” and stick. If you are going to dry the crafts in the oven, you can immediately cut them out on a baking sheet by placing a piece of cardboard on it and covering it with foil.

Making salt dough: how and with what?

For warming up, or if you are sculpting with small children, you can start with simple-shaped products: balls, sausages, cakes, etc.

The thickness of the figures should be from 0.5 cm to 1 cm.

A wide variety of objects can be printed on the surface of such figures, such as buttons, pasta, cereals, beads - then the products will acquire interesting reliefs, and the more relief the figures are, the more interesting it will be to paint them.

To prevent the objects you use to make imprints on the salt dough from sticking to it, they need to be lubricated with vegetable oil.

More complex figures - for example, Christmas trees, snowmen, houses, animal faces - can be sculpted either as separate elements or as one whole (whichever is more convenient for you). Carefully cut out the parts of the toys; If you have problems connecting parts, moisten the joints with water using a brush.

How to dry salt dough products?

There are two ways: fast and not so fast.

Not good quick way is that toys made from salt dough are dried at room temperature - this takes 2-4 days. An indicator that the product has dried is that it easily “moves away” from the foil.

The second method, much faster, is drying in an electric oven at a minimum temperature, for example at 50 degrees. With this method, the products will dry in a few hours.

A little trick: for the first hour you can dry the products on both sides (top and bottom) until a white coating forms, and then switch the stove toBottom heating mode only.

After our decorations have dried, we can start painting.

Found it There are a lot of recipes online, I chose the simplest one:
- a glass of flour
- half a glass of fine salt
- a teaspoon of PVA glue
- oh, and of course, 100 ml of water (125 turned out to be a lot)

I kneaded it, separated half and mixed blue paint into the white dough.
The result is an amazing blue color

Interesting experience)
Of the pros and cons:
- the dough dries out quickly (but, again, you can slightly wet it with water and revive it))
- my products are quite thin, so when drying in the oven, they tended to become deformed (I had to constantly turn them over) and this was with minimal heat and a completely open oven lid
- for the next batch, I decided to dry them first in the sun, the same garbage - it twists, so the turning process was saved
- it takes a long, long time for this whole thing to dry...(

With polymer clay, the whole process would take a maximum of a day, but here it’s 2.5...
But still, I was satisfied with the result)

About varnishes separately.

Dough products absorb moisture very well and tend to deteriorate over time, so they are varnished to preserve them. In this case, the varnish must be thick enough, otherwise it will be absorbed and stains will remain on the product. Boat varnish is best suited for this purpose. But there are different varnishes - matte or glossy. It's different for every case.

So, the tool is there, and so is the desire. All that remains is to prepare the dough. I will give several dough recipes and strongly advise you to follow the proportions. This will help avoid disappointment in the future. You may sometimes need to add a little water depending on the quality of the flour.

Salt dough recipes:

Dough for simple models:
200 gr. flour
200 gr. salt

125 ml water

Strong dough for large products:
200 gr. flour
400 gr. salt
125 ml water

Strong dough for tiles and boards:
200 gr. flour
400 gr. salt
2 tbsp. glue for simple wallpaper
125 ml water

Dough for fine work:
300 gr. flour
200 gr. salt
4 tbsp. glycerin (can be purchased at a pharmacy)
2 tbsp. glue for simple wallpaper + 125-150 ml of water, pre-mix

For all types of dough (except for dough for delicate work), the glue is first diluted according to the instructions indicated on the packaging and is measured ready-made.

It is better to use a mixer for kneading - this will simplify the task, and the dough will turn out better..

The next stage is the modeling itself. The main advice is to never, under any circumstances, restrain your imagination. Use everything you can use - from toothpicks and shells to guipure and cobblestones.

The dough can be immediately colored by adding various dyes (coffee, cocoa, water-based paints). Or paint ready-made dough.
—If you want to create something based on the board(picture, sign), it is better to first roll out the dough to a thickness of 1-1.5 cm, cut out the required shape from it and let it dry for several days. After this, apply the remaining parts to it, using glue diluted to a mushy state, the same thing salty dough.

— Fresh parts are held together with a brush and water

— In large volumetric products (such as my hedgehogs), a tightly formed ball of baking foil is placed inside and tightly covered with dough. There should be no holes or cracks left. In this form, the product will not deform during drying, less material will be spent on it and the product will dry faster.

— To create hedgehog spines, nail scissors with curved ends are used. Light cuts are made in a checkerboard pattern. And for the eyes, black peppercorns are used.
- Garlic is used to create hair and grass
- Use toothpicks to attach the doll's head to the body.
— Form the product on a piece of foil - this will simplify the work
— To prevent dough from sticking to the tool or object from which you want to make an imprint, wipe it with a cloth lightly soaked in vegetable oil.

Drying salt dough products

I prefer to dry salt dough products without using an oven. using heat from batteries or solar heat in summer. Dried products thus retaining their white color. This drying process takes quite a long time (it all depends on the thickness of the dough). 1 mm - 1 day.

Oven drying possible. But even with this method, the product must first air dry for a couple of days. You cannot bake the product!!! It should dry at the lowest temperature with the door slightly open. Electric ovens with a fan are good in this regard.

When the product is dry, painted and varnished, it can be attached, for example, to a frame covered with burlap inside, or to a balsa wood slab. Or it will hang on its own by the glued loop. You can make it yourself from strong tape or a large paper clip.

Then you can complement the composition with fabric (a doll’s dress or a curtain), beads, shells or dried flowers (they should be pre-treated with aerosol varnish).

And lastly, remember that handmade products take on your energy, so always sit down to work only in a good mood.

I found a useful article a long time ago, unfortunately I don’t know the author. Recipes and tips for making salt dough

What do you need for work?
For the dough General recipe:
Flour - 2 parts,
“Extra” salt – 2 parts,
water (necessarily cold) – 1 part,
plastic bag for storing dough,
Eat different recipes salt dough. For example, in one of them vegetable oil is added to the dough. However, in this case the products leave greasy marks. Some recipes suggest adding vinyl glue to the dough. You need to be very careful with dough prepared according to this recipe, especially if you are working with small children. After all, glue is toxic, and kids love to try everything. Our recipe consists of 100% environmentally friendly and therefore safe materials.
It should be noted right away that to work with salt dough you need a certain temperature regime in the room. The optimal air temperature is 20°C. If the temperature is higher, the dough dries out quickly, making it difficult to process and join the parts.
To work with the test you will need:
a jar of water to wet your fingers and brushes,
stacks,
plastic knife,
modeling board,
rolling pin for rolling out dough,
brushes,
paints,
toothpicks,
spadefoot (for styling “hairstyles”)
nail scissors with rounded ends.
You may also need many other useful things, such as cocktail tubes, food foil, transparent pill boxes, beads, black peppercorns, felt-tip pen caps, and more.
First recipe

Wheat flour - 2 cups
“Extra” salt - 1 glass
Water -3/4 cup
Second recipe

Wheat flour - 1 cup
Salt - 2 cups
Dry wallpaper glue - 1 spoon
Water - about 1 glass

Pour salt into a wide bowl, add water, then flour. Mix everything well. Or mix the salt and flour well, gradually adding cold water until smooth. The prepared dough should not stick to your hands or crumble. The dough should be elastic and quite stiff. Place it in a container or plastic bag to prevent it from drying out.
It is undesirable to store the finished dough for a long time, because in this case its original color is lost: it becomes grayish. Although such stale dough can be used to decorate parts of clothing or small decorations.
Adviсe
If the dough crumbles during kneading, add a little water. If it sticks to your hands, use a little flour.
Salt dough left open dries very quickly when exposed to air, so keep the container with the dough closed. Place the rest of the unused dough in the refrigerator, where it can be stored for a day or two.
Advice
Don’t rush to buy everything at once; the bare necessities are enough to get started. Gradually, more and more tools and various devices will appear. The most important and main tools will be your skillful hands!

HOW TO DRY A CRAFT FROM SALT DOUGH

Outdoors at room temperature
You can dry the craft outdoors in a dry place. The thicker the product, the longer it will take. But this method is the most economical.
Air drying is convenient in the summer, for example at the dacha. However, keep in mind that air drying will create indentations on the surface of the product that is in contact with the table.
In the oven (gas or electric stove)
To dry the finished product, carefully, using a wide knife or spatula, transfer it from the work table to a baking sheet sprinkled with flour, being careful not to damage it during transfer.
Dry the craft for two days, first in the open air, then in the oven at a temperature of 50°C, gradually increasing the temperature, but not higher than 150°C. If the temperature is too high, the product may swell, sometimes even cracks appear. Swollen crafts cannot be fixed, and cracks are easy to cover up. To do this, dilute a little flour with water, add PVA glue, mix well and apply this mixture to the crack, then rub the mixture into it with a stick or your finger.
The product should not remain damp. Its readiness is determined by its sound. By tapping the finished product with your finger, you will hear a ringing sound. If the sound is dull, the product needs to be dried.
For large items, you can use combined drying: first for several days in the air, then in the oven.
Drying time in an electric stove oven

1 hour - at t 50°С
1-2 hours - at 75°C
1 hour - at t 100-125°C
0.5 hours - at t 150°C
Larger pieces will require more time to dry.
It is difficult to calculate exactly the time it will take to dry crafts in the oven. All ovens are slightly different. Therefore, to reduce the frustration of ruined work, make several samples, for example, make cakes of different thicknesses and dry them in your oven, changing the temperature.
After drying the salt dough figures in the oven, cool them. While the items are hot, they are very fragile, so handle them with care.
On the heating battery
This method is very convenient to use in winter, when the central heating radiators are well heated. Place the craft on foil or cloth and leave it on the radiator until completely dry.
Adviсe
1. To ensure that the crafts are well preserved, after they are dried and painted, coat them with transparent liquid varnish. This will reliably protect them from moisture. If you don't like mirror shine, then use matte varnish.
2. Using a microwave oven for drying is not recommended.
MODELING PRODUCTS FROM SALT DOUGH
It is convenient to connect the parts using a brush and water. Water in this case plays the role of glue. Apply a small amount of water with a brush to the surfaces of the parts to be joined and gently press them together, being careful not to crush them. If there is too much water, the dough may spread.
There are several basic sculpting techniques. The production of almost all elements is based on a ball and a sausage.
To decorate products made from salt dough, many different small elements are used: flowers, ribbons, berries, leaves, braids, etc.
To make leaves, you need to roll out the sausage, cut it into equal parts - cylinders, which should then be rolled into a ball. The ball should be flattened into a cake and a sheet should be formed with the thumb and forefinger. The veins can be drawn using a toothpick.
Roses can be made from thinly rolled ribbon carefully wound around a toothpick. At the same time, the desired size and shape of the flower is formed.
When making figurines of people, the basis is a sausage, which must be given a cone shape. To sculpt the head, use a dough ball of the required size. It is better to cut out more complex flat elements or figures from rolled dough using a pre-made template.

Taken from the Internet.

If you have to dry a craft for the first time, it will be useful to learn some subtleties. First of all, you need to understand the difference between drying and baking. It is a mistaken belief that an oven – electric or gas – is only suitable for baking. You can also dry the dough in it. It is important to know how and for how long.

There are several ways to dry salt dough:

• in the sun;
• at room temperature;
• on battery;
• in the oven;
• in the microwave;
• in a combined way.

Each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages.

How long will it take to dry the craft?

Let's take a closer look at how long it will take a dough product to dry in one way or another.

• In the sun or in the room. The most economical method, as it does not require gas or electricity consumption. But with this method, every millimeter of the craft will take 24 hours to dry. This will happen much faster in the sun. This option is not suitable for large figures.
• In an electric oven. Time is calculated using the formula - 1 hour for every half centimeter of product thickness at a temperature of 75 degrees. Place the figurine in a cold oven. The temperature is increased every hour by 25 degrees.
• In a gas oven. Here, dough products dry twice as fast. Dry over low heat with the door slightly open. The first hour it is opened halfway, the second hour - a quarter, the third - the door is closed.
• Combined method. For two days, the craft is kept in the air, then sent to the oven for an hour, heated to 50 degrees, gradually increasing the temperature to a maximum of 150. This method is good for large products.
• On the battery (radiator). First cover the radiator with foil or cloth. It is better to place a board or plywood so that the ribbed surface of the battery does not deform the molding. Keep until completely dry.
• It is not recommended to dry salt dough in the microwave, since drying requires a very long time, which is not provided for in the software.
• Drying on the grill. An effective method, since everything will dry evenly. Electricity consumption is relatively low.

Drying will be more effective if done in several stages. Dry in the oven for an hour on one side, 24 hours at room temperature, the next day dry on the other side in the oven for an hour and a half.

What should I do to prevent the product from swelling or cracking?

Bloating, cracks, brittleness. A carefully sculpted figurine can easily be ruined. Therefore, it is important to know a few secrets.

• The salt dough should be dried either on a light baking sheet, or take into account the stronger heating of a dark baking sheet. In this case, the temperature must be reduced by 25 degrees.
• Hot products are very brittle. They should either be cooled on a baking sheet or removed with a spatula very carefully.
• The figures should not be raw. Readiness is checked in the old-fashioned way - you need to carefully tap the product with your finger. If the sound is ringing, the craft is ready; if it is dull, it needs to be dried.
• An under-dried craft will soon begin to deteriorate, change color and crack.
• To avoid bubbles, it is recommended to start drying with the oven door open.
• Before starting drying, the oven is heated to a minimum, they begin to dry on the top shelf, after the product is browned, it is placed on the middle one.
• The appearance of bubbles and swelling is a sign that the temperature must be lowered immediately, otherwise cracks will appear.
• Bubbles cannot be removed from the figure, but cracks can be carefully covered with PVA glue.
• Figures made from colored dough should be dried at a temperature no higher than 125 degrees so that the color does not change.
• The oven cannot be heated to more than 125 degrees if the craft is to be white. For the browning effect, the oven is heated to 200 degrees.
• After drying and painting, finished crafts are varnished to protect them from moisture.

The cause of cracking may be flour chosen incorrectly. It should not contain additives. You can add rye flour or 2 tbsp to the wheat flour. spoons of starch. The plasticity of the modeling dough is given by PVA glue (a tablespoon per glass of flour).

Products made from salt dough are one of the most accessible types of creativity. Sculpt with your children, dry correctly, and most importantly, as much as necessary. Enjoy the process!