Weekend DIY: How To Make Mittens On A String Bunting With Salt Dough

This post is written by contributing authors Vivid Please.

Brrr! What a chill in the air! 

Winter is one of our favorite times in the year for cozying up in wooly jumpers and indulging in some delicious hot chocolate. I've already got my mittens on a string threaded through my coat and I am ready for the snow! Perhaps it's still a little too early for that outdoors, but we can still sprinkle a little of that magic inside our home to get us in the seasonal spirit...

Let's make some mittens on a string bunting!

 

For this project we will be working with salt dough - something me and mum used to make mountains of when I was little. It is amazing! Using only salt, flour and water you can make a dough that's like clay, bakes into a solid and lasts forever if varnished... If you've never heard of it, prepare to save a fortune in crafting supplies!

To make salt dough you'll need:

• salt, 
• water,
• flour.

The measurements are:

• half, 
• half, 
• whole. 

For instance, I made a small batch at 250g, 250g and 500g water, which is more than enough for this project! Simply pop it all in a bow and kneed it together until you've got a nice big dough ball. Easy-peasy! 

You can use cookie cutters for this project, but as I didn't have a mitten shaped one I made a simple template out of some thick paper. I then used a sharp knife to cut each piece out; it's a little time consuming but totally worth it if you want some bespoke happiness in your home :D

Once you have all your pieces cut out you can add any decorating you like. I cut in a few little ribbed markings around the wrists of each mitten; simple yet effective! Remember to use a toothpick to put a whole through each piece when you're done - you'll need to do this for hanging. Once these get baked they will rise a little, which is perfect for my mittens as they will look more real!

As I mentioned, when I was little we used to do this all the time. However, my mum would have me bake all my finished pieces in the oven, which is both time consuming and a bit mean on the environment if you're only making a small amount! So, I am delighted to share that this recipe works just as well in the microwave :) Place your pieces on some parchment paper and heat on full power for around 40 seconds. If you were making something quite large, you'd need 1-2 minutes. Check it at intervals to make sure it doesn't burn.

Once they've cooled you they're ready for painting! Here I've used acrylics as that's what I have in the house, but you can use any kind of paint. The salt in the recipe will keep your creation from going moldy for a really really long time, but if you want to keep it for next year we'd recommend varnishing them too. 

When you're happy with how they look, thread them together in pairs. So cute!

To make the bunting, I used baking twine for thread as it's perfect for the season. Thread on some white pom poms as little snow balls and hang it onto your wall. Finally, wrap your mittens round the twine in their appropriate places and fall in love with your fabulous new decoration! Adorable :D

We hope you find our tutorial inspiring for the upcoming holiday season! We're already planning to make some more to go around our Christmas tree... It's so cheap and easy to do it would be rude not to!

Enjoy!

Vivid Please are known as Vicky and David when they are not together, but to be fair, that is rarely the case. Forever collecting odd trinkets and pointing at cute dogs, they believe that happiness is found in the little things. Their etsy shop stocks everything from prints and stationery to bags and accessories, everyday life has never seemed so fun! You can keep up with them by following their blog Vivid Please where they share their awesome DIYs, cool design and fashion posts and, of course, lots of snapshots from their world of wonder. Connect with Vivid Please on Twitter and Pinterest.