HOW TO MAKE SALT DOUGH ORNAMENTS

SB Magazine — Fri, 22 Dec 2023 00:28:30 +0000

How to make Salt Dough

Ornaments

Salt dough ornaments are easy to make at home! Follow these steps to start a new tradition!

Gather ‘round the kitchen table, roll up your sleeves, and get ready for an afternoon full of fun and creativity. ’Tis the season to be crafty and establish new family traditions with these salt dough ornaments! These ornaments are a lovely homemade gift and an enjoyable Christmas tradition, which you can create for the entire family or classroom with almost no effort and plenty of personalization options. Making these ornaments with your children will be a fantastic experience, and you can hang them on the tree for many years to come! This is the best salt dough recipe available, so you won’t be disappointed.

Materials

• 1 cup All-Purpose Flour

• 1/4 cup Table Salt

• \1/3 cup Water, plus 1 tablespoon

• Food Coloring or Acrylic Paint

• 1 Drinking Straw or skewer

• Nonstick Baking Spray

• Parchment Paper

• 1 roll Colorful Ribbon (1/8 to 1/4- inch wide), Twine, or String

Tools

Mixing Spoon

Rolling Pins

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 200°F. Place the rack in the center position. Prepare a large baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper. Next, line the work area with butcher paper to prevent your counters or table from becoming stained. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt until well combined. In a glass measuring cup, stir in the water and optional food coloring or paint. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and slowly pour in the colored water, starting with half the amount and adding more as needed to form a firm dough that is moist but not sticky. Stir well. Knead the dough with your hands for approximately 10 minutes (on top of the parchment paper), or until the dough has become smooth and the color is distributed throughout. If the dough is too sticky, simply add extra flour and salt in a 4:1 ratio (such as 4 tablespoons flour and 1 tablespoon salt)

Making The Salt Dough Ornaments

Firstly, place the dough on parchment paper and use a rolling pin to flatten it to a thickness of 1/8 inch. Then, use any cookie cutters you like to cut out shapes of the dough. You may also use various items to stamp the dough to create texture or personalize the ornaments with initials, last name or a year, using alphabet stamps. If there are any leftover scraps, knead them, roll them again and cut out additional ornaments. Repeat this process until all the dough is used up. Once you have cut out the ornaments, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Use a straw to cut a small hole near the top of each ornament, where you want to hang it from. Remember to discard the small circular piece of dough that you remove to create the hole.

Baking The Salt Dough Ornaments

Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake for 1 hour, or until dry. Flip the ornaments halfway through baking so that the underneath side can dry out as well. When done baking, remove from oven and let cool completely on a wire rack. After they have cooled down, you can use acrylic paint to add your personal touch. Finally, thread a ribbon or string through the holes and tie them to hang on the tree.

The post HOW TO MAKE SALT DOUGH ORNAMENTS appeared first on SB Magazine.

SB Home Midcentury Modern Preservation

SB Magazine — Tue, 12 Dec 2023 23:32:48 +0000

by Adam Bailey

A PERFECTLY PRESERVED MIDCENTURY MODERN HOME IN SOUTH HIGHLAND.

A stunning midcentury masterpiece that will captivate those who appreciate homes of this architectural significance— this modernized, three-bedroom home respects the past while modifying for the present and future.

Midcentury modern is a term that’s thrown around a lot these days. But what is it really? Midcentury modern architecture is not simply anything that was designed and built in the middle of the 20th century, but, in fact, an architectural style with a defined set of principles and influences. To this day, the style continues to influence contemporary architecture in ways both big and small. In the mid-1950s, local real estate developer Henry “Hank” Bronner began constructing a home in Shreveport’s South Highlands neighborhood. This new home was to be designed in the midcentury vernacular of the time, inspired by the likes of Frank Lloyd Wright, Richard Neutra, and Charles Eames. The house was for Bronner’s first wife, Louise, and their daughters. It would be a true testament to the midcentury style with sustainable and innovative design, clean lines, minimal ornamentation, floor-to-ceiling windows, and an emphasis on nature. Sixty-four years later, Mrs. “Cissie” Bonner Hank Bronner’s second wife—decided to put the home up for sale.

For Robert May, owner of Watertight Roofing and Construction, the midcentury style seems to be a product of specific design elements. “I think it’s really the materials,

the open flowing spaces, and the real sunny feel to them that draws people to the architectural style to this day.” Upon learning that the Bronner home was for sale, his curiosity peaked. Initially, May just wanted a tour of the home before it sold. And, since he wasn’t officially in the market for a new home, he figured there wouldn’t be any harm in looking, right? May simply walked up to the front door, rang the doorbell, and introduced himself to

Ms. Bronner. Upon passing through the front door, May was amazed that most of the original elements of the home were still intact. He was immediately drawn to the floor-to-ceiling windows, the open floor plan, the built-in storage, the functionality, and the intentional connection to its natural surroundings. “Oh, yeah,” added May, referring to the manicured landscaping. “Seeing the backyard was a huge plus. Combine that with all the interior features; this was the house for me.” So, he bought it. After purchasing the home, May knew from the start that any renovation would mean maintaining a careful balance between preservation and updates as he made decisions on what and how to move forward. Many details, as he would discover in the ensuing months, were hidden, disassembled, or reused elsewhere in the home. “Being in the construction business I knew where the line was and walked it successfully,” May says. “I wanted to approach everything I did very carefully.” And carefully, he did. Aside from a few minor cosmetic changes, which mainly consisted of painting and electrical upgrades, May stayed true to the midcentury style.

Today, the 3-bedroom, 3.5-bathroom home features the same footprint as when it was originally built—featuring the original open floorplan with large, custom floor-to-ceiling windows that bathe the space with natural light. These windows allow a ton of light to seep into the home—providing wonderful, breathtaking views of the beautifully landscaped backyard, patio, and saltwater pool area. The living area is anchored by an offset ledge stone fireplace set against a paneled wall and built-in bookshelves, creating a cozy and inviting atmosphere. A corner pole light provides some whimsy, as the room is decorated in era-appropriate accent pieces and furniture.

May handpicked many of the items that make up the home which gives it an awesome retro vibe. To say he is an avid George Rodrigue fan is an understatement. His works are seen in abundance throughout the home. “I must have more Rodrigue’s than anyone in Shreveport,” admits May. Appliances, countertops, and flooring were all carefully added to help “modernize” the home which, luckily, do not diminish the midcentury appeal. One of the things that hasn’t been updated is the original lighting that illuminates the home when natural light isn’t available.

Ranging in size, the three bedrooms all have ample closet space and generously sized windows. The master bedroom has a private patio right off the sitting area, with a unique master bath with his and her spaces. It’s like having two bathrooms in one! Likewise, there are closets everywhere. In the foyer, living room, and hallways. Walk-in closets are abundant. “I bet the whole house has over 600-squre-feet of closet space,” May admits.

The landscaping in the backyard is architecturally appealing and practical. According to May, he sees the exterior patio and yard as an extension of the living room, which looks out onto the patio. And just like the interior, the design has a good flow. The main design elements for the backyard are the saltwater pool, patio with fireplace, and multiple seating areas connecting through lavish, well-kept landscaping. “The pool is 10-feet-deep,” says May. “And, because of the depth, the water stays cool all summer long.”

For May, this midcentury architectural home remains timeless. And even though it has been decades since the home was originally built, he believes it is now a perfect blend of past and present, with room to grow in the future. “Surprisingly, the house had been really well maintained for the past sixty-four years,” May says. “It is certainly my forever home—with both old memories and new ones.”

The post SB Home Midcentury Modern Preservation appeared first on SB Magazine.

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