Supplies:
- 2 cups baking soda
- 1 cup cornstarch
- Rolling pin
- Parchment paper
Step 1: In a small saucepan (and on low heat), combine 2 cups baking soda, with one cup cornstarch. Mix in 1 1/4 cup warm water.
Step 2: The mixture will begin to bubble slightly, continuously stir until the water begins to evaporate. Stir until the mixture pulls away from the saucepan and resembles dough.
Step 3: Place dough onto parchment paper, and allow to cool slightly. Once you can touch it, knead the dough until it is soft and pliable.
Step 4: Use a bit of cornstarch to dust a flat surface, then roll the dough out to 1/4″ thick. *Do NOT roll thinner than that, the ornaments will break apart
Step 5: Use a cookie cutter to cut out your desired shapes. Then poke small holes in the top with a straw. Carefully remove the dough surrounding the cutout ornaments, and reserve it. Allow the cutouts to dry for about 3 minutes, then very carefully, use a spatula to move them to a flat cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
Step 6: Reroll the excess dough. If you find that it breaks apart too easily, wet your hands with warm water, and re-knead the dough. Repeat step 5.
Step 7: Allow the ornaments to dry overnight.
Tips: My first batch was a complete disaster! I rolled my dough too thin, and became impatient and moved the cutouts too early. Then, I didn’t want to wait overnight for the ornaments to dry, so I tried the oven route, but the ornaments stuck to my cookie sheet, and broke when I picked them up.
My best advice is to allow them to dry on parchment paper overnight, with minimal movement. They do fall apart very easily if you move them around too much. Also, I used the end of my straw to smooth the edges out after I used the cookie cutters. This worked very nicely!
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