This “DAD” salt dough picture frame is an easy kid-made Father’s Day gift that only requires the most basic supplies! It’s a keepsake that will last for years!
Kid-Made Father’s Day Picture Frame
This DAD picture frame was a spur-of-the-moment creation that I made with the girls this week to surprise my husband when he got home from work. It would be the perfect handmade Father’s Day gift, but there’s no way we were waiting that long to give it to him!
Here is what we used to make our “DAD” salt dough picture frame:
We’ve provided shop-able ad links for your convenience in re-creating this salt dough picture frame; read our disclosure policy here.
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup salt
- 2/3 cup water
- Food coloring gel (Buy here)
- Metallic silver Sharpie (Buy here)
- Reusable silicon baking mat (Buy here)
- Photographs
How to make a salt dough picture frame with Dad’s name:
A free printable copy of all the steps is available at the bottom of the post.
Add 1 cup flour and 1 cup salt to a large mixing bowl. (We only had coarse Kosher salt on hand, but it worked just fine). Slowly add water, kneading along the way until you have a playdough-like consistency. You might not need to use the full 2/3 cup water.
Add food coloring of your choice. We were going for a lime green, so we did 2 parts yellow to 1 part green.
TIP: Start with just a couple drops and work into dough. Add more coloring until you reach your desired shade.
Divide dough into three balls of even size. Roll each ball into a column and place on a reusable silicon baking mat. (These silicon mats are amazing! They only cost a few dollars and we use them over and over and over! SO worth getting!)
Shape dough to form letters — make sure the letters are touching so they will stay together (though you can always glue later if needed).
Pressing VERY gently, write children’s initials with metallic Sharpie on the letters where you will place their photos. My oldest daughter was able to do this herself after I demonstrated how lightly to touch the dough.
Bake at 200°F for about 3 hours. If your dough is still soft, you may need to cook a little longer. Check your dough regularly as it bakes, as oven temperatures and cooking times may vary.
Flip frame so bottom is facing up and bake for an additional hour at 250°.
Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. Glue photos to the back of the salt dough picture frame so your each child’s face peeks through the holes in the middle of the letters. (I used the Polaroid ZIP Mobile Printer to print photos directly from my phone…so awesome!!)
This was actually a lot easier to make than I expected and I LOVE how it turned out! My seven-year-old had so much fun making the dough and forming letters (hers actually looked better than mine!) My youngest had a blast watching and playing with a bit of the extra dough.
You could modify this salt dough picture frame to say “MOM” or other initials too. It is such an adorable kid-made gift idea! You could always show this to your significant other if he needs a little help thinking of a Mother’s Day gift! wink, wink
Printable Directions:
"DAD" Salt Dough Picture Frame
Ingredients
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup salt
- 2/3 cup water
- Food coloring gel Buy here
- Metallic silver Sharpie Buy here
- Reusable silicon baking mat Buy here
- Photographs
Instructions
- Combine 1 cup flour and 1 cup salt in a large mixing bowl. Slowly add water, kneading along the way until you have a playdough-like consistency. (You might not need to use all of the water).
- Add food coloring of your choice and mix until you have yourr desired shade.
- Divide dough into three balls of even size. Roll each ball into a column and place on silicone baking mat.
- Pressing VERY gently, write children's initials with metallic Sharpie on the letters where you will place their photos.
- Bake at 200°F for about 3 hours. If your dough is still soft, bake a little longer. Check regularly to make sure it doesn't burn.
- Flip frame so bottom is facing up and bake for an additional hour at 250°.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. Glue photos to the back of the salt dough picture frame so your each child's face peeks through the holes in the middle of the letters.
More kid-made Father’s Day ideas:
21 Personalized Father’s Day Cards for Kids to Make
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- How to Teach Kids to Read at Home - September 24, 2020
- How to Make Glow in the Dark Slime with Elmer’s Magical Liquid - September 23, 2020
knitroot says
very nice article beautiful post
EMILY PATE says
Two questions:
1. If you were just baking a large letter, like to teach a letter of the alphabet, would you bake the same amount of time?
2. Where did you get the DAD dough frame holder shown in the picture behind it, holding it up?
Stacey aka the Soccer Mom says
Hi Emily – If you’re baking a larger letter, it might take a little longer because it may be thicker. I would keep an eye on it as it bakes and check for doneness periodically. The holder is just a little metal picture frame holder that you can find at craft stores. Hope this helps!
EMILY PATE says
For the letter, YES!:-) Thank you so much! For the holder, I looked high and low in hobby lobby. I can’t figure out where one would be:-(