Saltdough
Saltdough is highly sustainable: it uses basic, readily available kitchen ingredients and requires no kiln or high-energy process to dry. It is also ideal for educational and home environments aiming to reduce waste and energy consumption.
This material is commonly used in Sharon Kelleher’s classroom in Dublin, Ireland, as part of an effort to teach sustainable art practices. It supports creativity while being environmentally friendly. The dough can be reused if stored properly and is safe for all ages. Artists can create figures, decorations, or experimental forms. Once dry, the pieces can be painted or varnished if desired. Oven-drying speeds up the process and improves durability. The saltdough aligns with low-impact teaching approaches by replacing kiln-fired clay for simple sculptural work.
Title of the Material
Saltdough
Colour
Varies — natural beige, can be tinted with food colouring
Material family
Clay
Technique / Process
Hand-sculpting. A simple, handmade dough created from flour, salt, and water. Once mixed and kneaded, the dough is shaped into sculptural forms. These can be air-dried over several days or oven-dried at a low temperature for 3–4 hours. The dough can be coloured with food dye before sculpting.
Dimensions
Size and weight depend on sculpture; recipe yields approx. 500g of dough.
Credits
Sharon Kelleher
