Any ideas about how to make playdough Christmas Tree decorations?

[TeWihara]

Possibly the wrong topic, but thought this would be a great idea to do with DD:

Our first attempt was cookie cutter shapes, popped them in the oven where they swelled up hugely waited for them to cool, and they flattened a bit so we painted them, but they still seem quite soft though the edges had started to brown in the oven.

We used a normal acrylic poster paint to decorate them and it cracked as they dried.

Does anyone know what I've done wrong?

I think you might have more success with salt dough... try this Not sure that playdough is made for baking :(

Salt dough can be baked, painted and then varnished.
1 cup salt, 1 cup water and 2 cup plain flour. Don't add water all at once, add slowly. You need to kned dough for a while before but worth the effort.

Thanks!

It was a homemade playdough recipe with a fair bit of oil in, so it probably was salt dough we were supposed to be using. Oops. Never mind, I'm sure DD will enjoy having a second bash at it.

Yes playdough uses oil. I haven't brought playdough in years

I also suggest the salt dough, and my one piece if advice would be to make sure when you put the whole in (to hang the decoration) that it is a cm at least from the edge, as ours often cracked and broke especially if it was quite thin.

Also if you don't have a varnish, you could use watered down PVA to "glaze"

Lots of good tips, thanks.

Make your holes bigger than you need, they get smaller in the over. If your making a large item, dig out any extra you don't need, make drying quicker and cook evenly.

I use a straw to make the hole.

I had loads of problems with the damn things puffing up though. I think you have to cook them long and low so they just dry out rather than actually cook IYSWIM.