Salt Dough

Ingredients
2 cup flour
1 cup salt
½ to 3/4 cup water
1 teaspoon oil (optional)
1 teaspoon potato starch or wallpaper paste (optional)
food coloring, kool aid, or tempera paints (optional—for colored dough)

Directions
To get an especially fine dough, that is less grainy, mix your salt and water together first and stir it for about 5 minutes with your kitchen machine or by hand. Then add the flour and starch or wallpaper paste. Some people (especially children) prefer stiffer dough, in which case, add a little more flour. Knead the dough at least 10 minutes to ensure an elastic consistency (less if you are using a kitchen machine).
Keep dough in a plastic bag away from air. If kept in the refrigerator, it can last up to a week. Small amounts of flour may need to be added into it as it will absorb water while resting. After a week the dough gets too stretchy and does not keep its shape well.
While working with the dough, only use the amount of dough needed and keep the rest wrapped up in a plastic bag. Model objects on aluminum foil and place on a cookie sheet afterwards. To attach parts to each other, wet both parts lightly and gently score. If you have parts that you want to stick up (for example: the bottom of a skirt) support these underneath with little pieces of foil.
Air-drying is best for small objects. Bigger objects will develop air bubbles on the back of the project and will not dry thoroughly. Roughly, for each ¼ inch, bake your object for 1 hour at 150. Afterwards (regardless of the thickness) bake it for ½ hour at 200, then ½ hour at 250 and then bake it for 1 hour at 300. Brown (if desired) objects at 400.
For objects made from colored dough, bake items initially at 125, gradually increasing temperature to 250 To preserve color integrity, do not cook above 250.
Objects are completely dry when if tapped it sounds hollow. If desired, objects can be painted with acrylic craft paints and should be top coated (regardless to whether painted) with lacquer thoroughly.