Easy No-Bake DIY Playdough

Is your household going stir crazy yet? With COVID-19 keeping us all quarantined, you’re probably searching the web for all kinds of DIY crafts and fun things to do at home with your kids. Today we are doing a quick and easy project to help you out!

I have always found it a little ironic that I have been deemed the crafter of Forever Freckled. My mom will attest to the fact that out of the three sisters, I am the least likely candidate for this position. However, I have always said that you can take your greatest weakness and make it into your greatest strength.

Because I am not a natural crafter, when I do an art project with the kids, it must meet very strict criteria. And these criteria are even more important now that we’re practically on lockdown!

1. It has to be easy enough for anyone to do – from toddlers to tweens.
2. Convenience is key. Crafts must use ingredients that are easy to find.
3. And it has to be something that will keep your child’s interest.

Enter DIY playdough – easy enough for the whole family to make. And who doesn’t love sculpting with Play-Doh? This recipe is the easiest – just three ingredients needed – and you can even save your creations forever! So let’s get started!

DIY Crafts – How to Make Homemade Play-Doh

This project is perfect to do at home with your kids.

1. It takes just minutes to make.
2. The supplies you need are all products you likely already have in the kitchen.
3. And there is something about the children making it themselves that keeps their interest.

This recipe definitely checks all my boxes for DIY crafts with the kids. So enjoy making it, spending hours creating and pretending with it, and even save it forever with the awesome tip I’ll share at the end!

You can even use this craft as a teaching moment for primary colors and how to mix and create different colors.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup salt
• 1/2 cup water
• Food coloring or washable paint, if desired.

Directions:

1. Combine flour and salt in a bowl.
2. Slowly add in water, stirring until a ball of dough forms. If the mixture is too dry, continue adding water. If the mixture gets too sticky and wet, add a little more flour.
3. Add food coloring and mix to make different colors.
4. Play to your heart’s content!

That’s really it!

BONUS: If you want to keep your creations forever, cook them in a 200°F oven for anywhere from 45 minutes to a few hours, depending on the thickness of the dough. Just test the dough every 1/2 hour or so to see if it has hardened.

Final Thoughts

For a full video tutorial, check out Sea Lemon’s walkthrough.

Let us know how you’re holding up through this COVID-19 quarantine. And let us know if you try making your own homemade playdough or if you have other crafts and projects to keep the kiddos busy during this unplanned break from school.

~Dr. Katie