DIY Salt-Dough Menorah
Channel: Congregation Beth Hatikvah, Summit, NJ
Date: 06/12/2020

A DIY menorah you can bake and use!

Salt Dough Recipe for Menorahs and Crafting

Prep Time: 10 minutes   Creative Time: as much time as it’s fun Cook Time: 1-2 hour    

Salt dough is a fun craft to do with the kids! Mix up a batch of our salt dough recipe for making menorahs, dreidl jewelry, handprints, or other salt dough crafts.

Ingredients
• 4 cups all-purpose flour 
• 1 cup table salt 
• 1 1/2 cups warm water 
• Paints, markers, glitter, etc.
• Nuts (the metal ones for screws) are optional but help the candles stand straighter – make sure you measure them so that they fit the kind of candle you use
• Polyurethane spray or liquid (then you need a brush), Modge Podge and a brush, even Future floor wax works – this is for preservation 

To Make Dough
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Slowly stream in the water while stirring until it comes together. Finish mixing together with hands. Knead until dough is soft, about five minutes.

To Bake Pieces
Preheat oven to 200-250°F.  Check them while they are cooking they will get dry and solid 

Directions and Helpful Hints
1. Use parchment paper so it doesn’t stick to your counter.  You want the pieces to be ¼ to ½ inch thick approximately.  If they are much thicker they will take a lot longer to try and skinny pieces may get too dried out or burn.
Make your menorah on a piece of parchment paper.  Transfer the parchment with your menorah to a baking sheet or build it on the parchment paper on the cookie sheet to begin with.  If you have lots of people working at the same time it’s easier to transfer the completed pieces instead of all crowding around the cookie sheet.
2. Using a candle, poke 9 indentations (don’t push too hard you don’t want to make a hole) OR you can use 9 nuts and put them in the candle locations
3. You can air dry your menorah for a while if you want or put it right in the oven.  If you want to do more later or tomorrow it’s fine to leave them out to air dry until you’re ready.  Remember to flip them over every few hours so they dry out on the bottom too.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour, or until hard.  It may take up to 2 hours.  If possible you want to flip the piece over a couple of times so the bottom dries out too.
5. Once cooled, decorate using glitter, markers and/or paint. To make sure the menorahs last a long time, spray with a light coat of polyurethane spray or Modge Podge even Future floor wax. 
With extra dough you can make other shapes and turn them into gifts – anyone for a dreidl necklace?