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Thank-you to the seven people who passed along recipes for dough Christmas
ornaments. I have listed the recipes below;

Baby's Playdough:  2 c. powdered dry milk, 2 c. smooth peanut butter, 1 c.
honey.  Mix all ingredients together and have fun playing or eating.  Not
for children under 12 mo. due to honey.

Soap Clay:  1 c. Ivory Snow, 1 -2 Tablespoons warm water.  Mix soap and
water with electric mixer in a large bowl until soap has the consistency of
clay.  Soap clay may be molded into objects that harden as they dry.

Salt and Cornstarch Clay:  2 c. salt, 1 c. boiling water, 1 c. cornstarch,
cold water.  Stir salt into boiling water.  Mix corn starch with enough
cold water to make a mixture with the consistency of gravy.  Add the gravy
mixtrue to the salt and water, sitr rapidly until thick and transparent.
Tint with food coloring, if desired.  Put on wax paper to cool.  Keep in a
tightly covered container until ready to model or it will dry out too much
to handle easily.

Applesauce/Cinnamon:  for a dozen - 4 oz. ground cinnamon, about 10
Tablespoons applesauce.  Blend cinnamon and applesauce with a spoon, knead
into a ball.  It should have the consistency of cookie dough and should
roll out easily without cracking; if too thick, add more sauce, a teaspoon
at a time.Next, divide dough in half and roll each section into a 1/4 inch
thick, 10 inch diameter round; if dough sticks, sprinkle some cinnamon onto
your work surface.  Cut shapes with cookie cutters or a knife, keeping
ornaments less than 4 inches long (larger ones tend to break).  Punch hole
near the top of each ornament for hanging.  To bake:  slip ornaments onto
baking sheet with spatula.  Bake at 200 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes,
checking occassionally;  if ornaments cook too long, edges curl.  Remove,
transfer to wire rack, and let cool.  To decorate:  accent with acrylic
paints.  Thread ribbon or yarn thro hole for hanging.  To store:  keep
ornaments in tissue lined box in a cool, dry, pest-free place.  They should
last several years.  (and smell great)

Play Clay

1 c. Cornstarch
2 c baking soda
1 1/4 c cold water

Stir together baking soda and cornstarch in a pan.  Add water and cook
over medium heat, stirring constantly. When mixture is the consistency
of moist mashed potatoes, turn out on a plate and cover with a damp
cloth. When play clay is cool enough to handle, gently pat until it is
smooth. Form into shapes. Store any unused portions in a tightly
sealed plastic bag in the frig. Bring to room temp before using again.
Can be baked at 250 F for 1 1/2 hours. Color may be added as the clay
is being made with a few drips of food coloring to the water. or
pieces may be painted after they have hardened. to protect your
finished opjects use a coat of clear varnish, shellac, liquid plastic
or clear nail polish.  **OR** 1 c cornstarch 2 c baking soda 1 1/4 c
water combine ingredients into saucepan. cook over low heat about 15
min,stirring constantly when it looks like mashed potatoes remove from
stove ,cool to touch,roll and cut with cookie cutters,let harden for
24 hours

***Be sure to varnish well.  These will last for years, but will
dissolve if allowed to get wet.

Recycled Paper:  As in Woman's World, the December 16 issue.  On page 6 is
a picture of a lady and some ornaments on the tree - the article is called
"She gives junk mail a holiday makeover" and it describes (sort of) how she
puts some water in her blender, then takes her junk mail (colored and plain
white paper) and puts it in the water.  Turns the blender on high.  Then
drains the mixture in a colander.

Then she transfers the paper-machier mush into a mold, pushing it in with a
towel to shape it and remove the excess water.

Then she pops it into the microwave for a few minutes.  (Obviously the mold
was not metal.)  Out comes a beautiful ornament.

Elise A. Gorseth
Medford, MA