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A stack of colorful balls of homemade play dough.
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Homemade Play Dough without Cream of Tartar

A soft and squishy dough that is quick-to-make, endlessly interesting, and inexpensive. This is a wonderfully relaxing activity for both children and adults alike. With only a few household ingredients, you can mix up a batch in no time and enjoy for hours.
Course Craft
Keyword art, craft, playdough
Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 1 Cup
Author Gina House | World of Vegan

Equipment

  • 1 Medium Mixing Bowl
  • 1 Rubber Spatula
  • Plastic Wrap or Damp Cloth Towel
  • 1 Sealable Container (plastic zip bag or silicone bag)

Ingredients

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
  • ¼ cup table salt
  • ½ cup warm water
  • 3-6 drops vegan-friendly food coloring, gel, or paste
  • 2-4 tablespoons cornstarch
  • ½ teaspoon fragrance or essential oils (or 40-50 drops) (optional)

Instructions

  • In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt, and oil well with a rubber spatula or your hands.
  • Add the food coloring to the warm water and mix well. 
  • If using a scent, add approximately ½  teaspoon (40-50 drops) of scent or essential oil to the water mixture.
  • Slowly add the colored water to the flour mixture in the bowl. Start out slowly and mix thoroughly to avoid adding too much water. 
  • Once the dough becomes malleable in your hands (it may be a tiny bit sticky), sprinkle on 2-4 tablespoons of cornstarch onto the dough and knead well until desired texture. It should be springy, smooth, and very slightly dry to the touch.
  • To store, wrap the finished dough in plastic wrap or a damp cloth and store in a sealed container or bag for up to a week or so. Keep in the refrigerator if you would like it to last longer. The salt and the refrigeration will help to keep it fresher longer.

Notes

  1. Double, triple, or quadruple this recipe to make multiple colors of dough. Or, if you’d like less of each color, just reduce this recipe by half. It’s incredibly exciting to mix up colors and create your own personal set of homemade dough!
  2. Consider adding eco-friendly glitter, marbles, magnets, beans, foil, beads, dry pasta, mini figurines, popsicle sticks, pipe cleaners, nuts and bolts, faux flowers, corks, legos, yarn, seashells, rocks, etc. So many options!