Homemade Gift Idea: Gingerbread Play Dough

Homemade play dough is a simple and frugal craft for kids, but have you ever thought about giving it as a gift?   This year we made DIY gingerbread play dough for Christmas gifts. We packaged it up with a cookie cutter and a collection of gingerbread decorating supplies – bells, googly eyes, big buttons, and foam candy shapes – and it made a great gift for friends!  Very frugal, too – all of the supplies were found at the dollar store.

Here is the homemade play dough recipe I've been using lately.  If you have your own favorite homemade play dough recipe, use it to make gingerbread play dough by mixing in 2 tablespoons cinnamon and 1 tablespoon ginger for every 2 cups of flour.  Another idea for giving homemade play dough as a gift for Christmas is to make candy cane play dough with red food coloring and peppermint extract.

Gingerbread Play Dough Recipe

• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup salt
• 2 tablespoons cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon ginger
• 1 1/2 tablespoons oil
• 1 cup boiling water

Mix the dry ingredients.  Stir in the oil.  Slowly stir in the boiling water.  Allow to cool until the dough can be handled, then knead with your hands until it is smooth.  The mixture will be dry and crumbly at first – do not add more water!

A fun DIY Christmas project for all!