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Patriotic Address Sign

What you need

1 cup salt
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup water
cookie cutters (rocket, star, and flag)
acrylic paint in red, white, navy blue, antique gold, orange, yellow, and gray
paintbrushes
stylus
clear acrylic sealer (matte)
craft paint pens in red, white, and blue
10" wood sign
white craft glue (Tacky glue)
address number patterns

IMPORTANT NOTE: This recipe for salt dough makes a lot of ornaments. If you only plan on making a few, cut this recipe into fourths or in half, or you can make the whole batch and store the leftovers in a zipper lock plastic storage bag.


What you do

Preheat oven to 250 F. Mix together, salt, flour, and water until a dough is formed. Knead the dough on a floured surface until the mixture is elastic and smooth. If dough is too sticky, sprinkle with flour, continue to do so until stickiness is gone. BE CAREFUL. Do not add too much flour, this will dry out the dough and will cause it to crack before you get a chance to bake it.

THIS DOUGH IS NOT EDIBLE.

Roll out the dough to about 1/2" thick. Use the cookie cutters to create a flag, rocket, and a star shaped ornament. (The cookie cutters we used in this craft can be found here) Place the cut outs onto the cookie sheet and bake for approximately 2 - 2.5 hours. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. For best results, allow shapes to cool and dry overnight, or for at least 4 hours.

Paint the shapes with acrylic paints, using the photo as a guide. The American Flag has 7 red stripes and 6 white stripes, 4 of the red stripes touch the blue square. Paint the flagpole with antique gold. Use the stylus (or a toothpick if you don't have a stylus) to create the dots across the top of the rocket and around the sides of the star. Use the end of a paintbrush dipped in paint to make the larger dots at each point on the star. Use a blue paint pen to write the letters USA on the star and the rocket.

Paint the wood sign with navy blue paint, two coats may be required. Place a nickel sized amount of red paint and white on a paper plate, thin each color with a couple of drops of water. Dip the bristle tips of a toothbrush into the white paint. Test your splattering ability on a piece of scrap paper before doing this on your sign. Hold toothbrush horizontally and drag your finger across the bristles, causing the paint to splatter spots wherever you aim it. When you are comfortable with this method, go ahead and splatter white paint all over the sign, repeat this method with the red paint. Allow to dry completely.

Glue the flag, rocket, and star onto the sign, using the photo as a guide. Use the white paint pen to write your address number on the sign, or use these patterns. Repeat the outline of the number to make it thicker, then outline the white with red (see photo). Finish with two coats of acrylic sealer, waiting at least 15 minutes between coats.