Boo! Salt Dough Ghosts

Evie is really into Halloween this year. Of course, she remembers that you dress up and get candy. We've already purchased her costume, one that she's declared is "too scratchy." The tags have been removed, though, so she's wearing it if it kills us both.

Our neighborhood really decorates for this holiday. Evie keeps her eyes open for all the "soopy" (in English: spooky) sights. We see pumpkins and lights and spiders, skeletons and goblins and GHOSTS. She is fascinated by the ghosts - especially the big blow-up decorations on lawns. At night, we find ourselves driving her around to see the best houses, just to watch her excited reaction!

Yesterday, I found instructions on how to make salt dough ghosts. (Or "ghostes" if you ask Evie. She even corrects us if we say "ghosts.") We can't get a break from the cold and rain, so it was the perfect day to mix up this dough and bake our little ghosts in the oven. And don't you think they turned out well? So cute! Evie was even able to form some of the ghosts herself. (Hers are the three smallest.)

After they were finished, Evie played with them for a long time. Then she put them on our bookshelves, on the entryway table, and in her room. We even had enough to stick a couple on the mantle. It's beginning to look very soopy in our house!

Salt Dough Ghosts
1 c. salt
2 c. flour
1 c. water

cookie sheet
fine point Sharpie marker, black

(This dough is not edible. It won't hurt you, it's just way to salty to taste good!)

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together salt, flour and water until a dough is formed. Turn out onto counter and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic. If dough is too sticky, sprinkle with flour, and knead again. (Don't add too much flour, though. You don't want to dry out the dough and have it crack before you even bake it!)

Roll the dough in your hands into a short, fat tube. Stand the tube on a cookie sheet to form a ghost with your fingers, making the head smaller than the rest of the body. Use the tip of your finger to create waves at the bottom of the ghost, by pointing your finger straight down on the cookie sheet and tapping gently into the dough to make dents.

Bake for about 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Check the bottom of your ghosts for wet spots. If still wet, continue cooking in 20 minute increments until dry. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Using a fine-tip marker, draw faces on your ghosts.

(I can't remember where I found these instructions, so I'm not giving proper credit. Sorry. You can also visit this link for a microwave version of salt dough.)