DIY Play Dough

DIY play dough recipe This past weekend, just for fun I decided to make Play Dough. Yes, Play Dough! I found the recipe online a few weeks ago and decided to give it a try. This recipe proved easy to make, produced 2 cups of great Play Dough, and is virtually mistake proof! Someone named Kaye is the recipe's original contributor. Thank you, Kaye! Ingredients: 1/2 cup salt1 cup white flour2 tablespoons cream of tartar1 cup water (I added the food coloring to the water to make sure I got the color right)1 tablespoon corn oilGlitter (optional) Mix all of the ingredients in a sauce pan, dry ingredients first. Adding the food coloring to the cup of water before adding the water to the dry ingredients produced a richer color to the dough. I then added then oil and the water to the dry ingredients at the same time. Once you have everything in the saucepan start stirring. Initially, the ingredients create a sauce that is the consistency of a thick custard. Stir the mixture constantly, and cook gently over a low heat until the dough is pliable. When it is done the concoction will pull away from the sides of the pan and create a ball. If the burner is too hot the mixture will set up too fast. As it thickens it changes very quickly from a thick custard sauce, to a dense, pliable dough. Roll your lump of dough out of the saucepan and on to a countertop while it is still warm. The mixture will keep cooking as long as it is hot, so it is best to take it out of the saucepan while it is undercooked. The longer you let the dough cook, the stiffer it becomes. If you find your concoction has lumps in it after you've removed it from the saucepan, simply knead the dough on your counter top until the lumps disappear. I made two batches. With the first batch I had the heat on the burner a little too high and it set up very fast. Though pliable, the dough turned out stiff. I also made the mistake of adding the food coloring to the concoction while it was cooking, and I didn't add enough coloring to the mixture to give the dough a recognizable color. The first batch ended up being a muddy shade of mauve. The glitter I added was too little, too late, and there wasn't enough to tell there was really any glitter in it. By adding the food coloring to the water before adding the water to the second batch, I was able to create a play dough that was a deep shade of hot pink. To make sure there was enough glitter in the second batch, I dumped in the whole tube. This concoction will keep in the refrigerator for six months or more. Posted by Deborah McTiernanAuthor of Lilly Noble & Actual MagicYoung adult paranormal books for teenagers