I've been pretty determined to make our wedding 'us.' At first when we started planning, the details I chose were the standard items, which were not necessarily me, but more of the norm.
For example, the first invites I made were pretty traditional. They were nice, but I became frustrated with them because I didn't actually like them. It them took me a good few months to come up with the idea of using salt dough. It was like a light bulb moment, and from that point there was no going back. They are relatively easy to make, just be warned that they can be rather temperamental, and can rise unexpectedly. The way I found to help with this was to turn the heat down and bake for longer. And to mask the awful baking smell... I used a Yankee Candle which worked a treat.
Heres how to make them. Of course you don't have to make wedding invites, they can make supper pretty decorations. I have made them in a few sizes for wedding decorations, so be creative, and you never know what you might come up with.
Salt Dough
2 cups plain flour
1 cup of salt
1 cup of water
2 tablespoons of oil
This was the first time I had worked with cups for measurements rather than weight, and it turned out to be so easy. I bought simple red ones from Asda a while back, so it was also nice to finally put them to use. I'm still on the look out for some heart shaped ones though.
Step one - Preheat oven to roughly 120°C then mix all the ingredients together.
Start by mixing the salt and plain flour. Once mixed add the oil, then gradually add the water until you have a clay like consistency. Don't be afraid you get your hands dirty... it's actually more fun that way.
Step two - Next you want to roll out your dough. If you don't have a rolling pin, a wine bottle or a hairspray can works just as well. Just use your imagination. You want to make your hearts roughly 5mm thick, though trial and error, these worked out to be the best size. (always make sure to add flour to the counter to prevent the dough from sticking - this can turn into a nightmare without it)
Step three - Cut out your hearts.
Step four - Place your hearts onto a floured baking tray ready to bake. Don't forget to make your holes before baking, so you can hang them later. You then want to bake them for at least an hour, or until these dough is hard with no soft spots. Mine took two hours in the oven each time.
Step five - Once ready take them out of the oven and let them cool.
Step six - Sand all the edges, and top if necessary depending on how you want your hearts to look.
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| Preferably outside in the sun while listening to you favourite music |
The top part of one of my batches did rise, so to save them I cut off all the bubbled parts, and sanded away to create a smooth finish. Now they just look like it was my desired effect.
Now you are ready to paint.
Step seven - Paint and add text.
I chose white, but this may change as I've noticed that the paint has started to crack slightly (I'm a perfectionist when it comes to things like this.) I did make a batch for other decorations which I painted gold, and these have turned out perfectly.
Step eight - Add a coat of varnish to keep your work looking amazing and fresh for years to come.
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| Ignore the messy table - I like to keep things natural |
Mine look slightly blurred in parts, but that's only where I've edited out our wedding reception venue. This is because ours is being held at my parents house, so it's not really fare to share their address with the world.
Finally add a ribbon or some string to hang your decoration... and you're done.
I also chose to add each guests name on the back of each invitation, and I will also add a little poem to each heart tied with a bow for that personal effect.
I can't wait to show you my other salt dough creations, so watch out for those.
Hope you enjoyed this post.
Speak Soon,
Katie
x
