Christmas

'It's beginning to feel a lot like...'  

This year I decided to try out cornstarch decorations for my tree as part of my blush pink theme. I really love how these have turned out, cheap to make and has kept the shape really well without it puffing up. These make a lovely addition to your home if you fancied taking up a festive project. 

How to... 

1.  Mix 1 cup of baking soda and 1/2 cup of cornflour with 3-4 tablespoons of water in a saucepan. On on a medium heat stir until the mixture resembles mashed potato (2-3 minutes). 

2. Set aside in a clean bowl to cool down for around 30 minutes. 

3. Knead the mixture in the bowl till it comes together like a dough. You might need to add a little water or oil to the mixture. It will be slightly crumbly when kneading- so don't worry too much if at first it doesn't come together, just keep at it. 

4. Roll out the dough 1/4 of an inch thick, too thick and the mixture will crack in the oven. Dip a cutter in some cornflour and place unto the mixture. I've used a range of cutters and stamps here but just a cookie cutter like the 'peace' one above works just as well. 

5. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and place each decoration gently unto the paper. Use a chopstick or in my case a pen to make a hole at the top. One thing I realised with my first batch is to make sure to exaggerate the hole and move the pen around on both sides as it tends to close up during the baking/drying out process. 

6. Place on the bottom shelf of the oven at 100 degrees. After 25-30 minutes turn the decorations to dry out the back for a further 25-30 minutes. 

7. Leave to cool then decorate as desired. I used a mix of acrylic and opalescent paint that I found from Poundland. 

8. For threading be creative. I've tried to highlight my theme by using a range of string and colour coordinated ribbon.  

One thing I love about this craft activity is its a great one to make with the family. So, bring the kids or the grandkids and have some fun making your very own decorations. If you make these or anything else in my blog, please tag me in it so I can see all your festive creations. 

On another note... 

This dough can be used for making all sorts of decorations. Could be a fun way of decorating a bedroom, make templates of individual letters of your name, (card or cereal box cardboard is fine for this) two holes in each letter at the top. Bake till dry, decorate (optional) and thread through and hang.  

Enjoy! XO