Summer Star Fish Project by Amelia

For this craft project, Amelia has been baking saltdough starfish, which make a lovely decoration when lots of them are hung up together! 

And while these starfish have been left plain, you could make yours bright and colourful by painting them, or adding sparkly stickers or beads to them. (And, of course, you don’t have to stick to starfish. You could try lots of different shapes…(what about hearts or diamonds instead?)

What you’ll need:

The amounts below will make enough dough for several starfish shapes.

• 250g of plain flour
• 125g of salt
• 125ml of water
• A large bowl
• A wooden spoon
• A rolling pin
• A pointed stick
• A baking sheet, lined with parchment
• A clear sealant and a small paintbrush
• Strong string
  
  

To make the saltdough:

1. Turn your oven on to its lowest setting (Or ask a grown-up to do this for you!).

2. Put the flour and salt into your large bowl, and mix it together with the spoon.
3. Slowly add the water, mixing as you go, until it all sticks together in a ball.
4. Add more flour if it still feels sticky.  (Please don’t eat this dough - it definitely won’t taste nice!)

To make your starfish:

1. Take a small handful of flour and spread it over your worktop.
2. Put your ball of saltdough on the floured worktop.
3. Roll your dough out with a rolling pin.
4. Now, using your pointed stick, draw out the shape of your starfish, pressing firmly into the dough.

5.  Remove the dough from around your starfish shape: you can do this with your hands, or with a knife if it is easier. Shape your starfish with your hands.

6. Use the stick to make a hole, big enough for the string to go through later, in one of the starfish’s legs.

7. Use the stick to add patterns to your starfish. The remaining dough can be squished back into a ball, rolled out again and used to make more starfish!

8.  Put your finished starfish on the lined baking sheet, and put them in the oven until they are hard (this will take about 3 hours). Ask a grown-up to help you with this bit, if you need to.

9. Take your starfish out of the oven and leave them to cool.

10.  Once cool, paint your starfish with the clear sealant, and let them dry.

11.  Thread your twine through the holes in the legs of your starfish, and then you can hang them up!
    
    This video shows you every step, picture by picture!