How to Make Perfect Play Dough at Home

A few months back I wanted the kids to play with the eco cutters we have available in the store, but I didn't have any play dough to test them, so I decided to check the internet to see if I could find a quick and easy recipe. 

I looked YouTube for a few minutes and decided to get to work. I tried three recipes and was disappointed each and every time. The worst recipe I found instructed to mix cheap conditioner with flour. At first it was very soft and fluffy, so I got excited and handed it to my son. He was excited too since we had already failed a couple of times. He ran with it from our kitchen to the playroom and then said, "mommy, I made a big mess." I look over and the "play dough" had crumbled apart and was all over the playroom rug. Tired from trying recipes and getting nowhere, I brought out the vacuum and gave up. 

A couple of weeks passed and I'd completely given up on making my own play dough when I came across a post by @beadiebugplay where she mentioned making dough frequently as gifts. As an account I follow, I felt confident that she was much more qualified than the YouTube videos I had come across before, and I was ready to try my hand at DIY play dough again. 

With my helper on board, we got our ingredients ready and started making our dough. He had fun making it, and this time he had fun playing with it too! I think I'm still in shock by how good this recipe really is. A few days after making it, I was surprised to see the dough was still moist. The playdough lasted a few months and to be honest, I can't wait to make it again.

Below is the recipe exactly as it was given to me from from @beadiebugplay. 

Dry ingredients:
2 cups plain flour 
1/2 cup table salt (not coarse or sea salt, it’s difficult to dissolve)
2 Tbsp cream of tartar

Wet ingredients:
2 Tbsp of oil (I use light olive oil or coconut oil)
1.5 cups boiling water
2 Tbsp glycerine (optional but it will last a lot longer)

Mixing Instructions:

Get a small person to whisk your dry ingredients, then add the wet ingredients and stir well until you form a sticky dough. Allow it to cool for 5 mins. DO NOT add extra flour at this point, even if it looks sticky. Don't touch it for 5 minutes.

Scoop the dough onto a board, knead for 2 mins. It should form a nice consistency, but if it’s too sticky then you can add small sprinkles of flour until the stickiness is gone.