This Awesome DIY Playdough Recipe takes only a few minutes, 5 ingredients (minimum) to make, and lasts for months. (makes about 1 lb. 11.6 ounces)

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

Awesome DIY Playdough Recipe

This Awesome DIY Playdough Recipe makes for hours and hours of play entertainment for your little one.

I love that it's homemade, so you know everything that is in it, just in case, you know...it gets ingested.

With only 5 ingredients (at minimum), this a great sensory activity to do with your child over vacation for whenever you have free time.

It's resourceful because it uses ingredients that you probably already in your pantry have and saves you time and money from buying Playdough from the store!

We do love Playdough in our house and have bought a lot of it but it is so much fun making it at home together.

This Awesome DIY Playdough Recipe comes really close to feeling just like store-bought Playdough and you have full control to adjust the consistency with the amount of water and color (optional) you use.

In these pictures, we used just a few drops of gel food coloring to make pastel colors yellow and peach playdough.

Tip: For optimal storage, store in Ziplock bags with the air squeezed out in the refrigerator.

Ingredients Needed for Awesome DIY Playdough Recipe

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup salt (I use Kosher salt but you can use iodized or another kind as well)
• 2 tablespoons cream of tartar
• 2 tablespoons canola oil (or vegetable oil)
• up to 1 ½ cups boiling water *use the amount you want for desired consistency
• gel food coloring *optional
• 2-4 drops essential oil *optional, we like lavender for its calming effects 🙂

RELATED: DIY Crayons

Kitchen Tools Needed for Awesome DIY Playdough Recipe

• large heatproof mixing bowl
• baking spatula
• pastry mat or large cutting board for a kneading surface
• dough scraper *optional
• zip lock bags for storing

Web Story

RELATED: Relaxing DIY Lavender Playdough Recipe

RELATED: Blue Playdough Recipe

Recipe Attribution

This Awesome DIY Playdough Recipe is inspired by a recipe that I made when I was a child and "The Best Ever, No-Cook Play Dough Recipe," from TheImaginationTree.com

Have you made your own homemade Playdough before?

Let me know in the comments below!

Latest Posts

• Nettle Pesto
• March Recipes
• Spring and Easter Recipes Collection
• 1st Birthday Cake
• Corned Beef and Cabbage

Continue to Content

Awesome DIY Playdough Recipe

Yield: 1 pound 11.6 ounces

Prep Time: 4 minutes

Active Time: 1 minute

Total Time: 5 minutes

Difficulty: medium

This Awesome DIY Playdough Recipe takes only a few minutes, 5 ingredients (minimum) to make and lasts for months. (makes about 1 lb. 11.6 ounces)

Print

Materials

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup salt (I use Kosher salt but you can use iodized or another kind as well)
• 2 tablespoons cream of tartar
• 2 tablespoons canola oil (or vegetable oil)
• up to 1 ½ cups boiling water *use the amount you want for desired consistency
• gel food coloring *optional
• 2-4 drops essential oil *optional , we like lavender for its calming effects

Tools

• saucepan
• measuring spoons and cups
• wooden spoon
• mixing bowl(s)

Instructions

1. In a large, heat safe mixing bowl, mix dry ingredients (flour, salt and cream of tartar) together. Evenly mix in 2 tablespoons of canola oil (it helps to do this with your fingers).
2. Bring 1 ½ cups water to a boil, add desired amount of food coloring (more can be kneaded into the dough later as well).
3. Gradually add the hot water to the flour mixture, stirring with a baking spatula between additions. When it comes together, turn out onto a floured surface and knead until the playdough is even in texture and not sticky anymore. As it cools, it will get less sticky. You can add more flour to the mixture as you are kneading to make it more dry and less sticky.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned #ad

• 
  Pyrex Prepware 2-Cup Measuring Cup, Red Graphics, Clear
• 
  Homestia Gold Measuring Cups and Spoons Set Stainless Steel 8 PIECE for Dry and Liquid Ingredients Engraved Measurement Heavy Duty Baking & Cooking Utensils
• 
  Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls by Finedine (Set of 6) Polished Mirror Finish Nesting Bowl, ¾ - 1.5-3 - 4-5 - 8 Quart - Cooking Supplies
• 
  Wilton Easy Flex Silicone Spatula Set, Your Go-To Tools for Mixing, Folding, Scraping, Cooking and Serving., Blue, 3-Piece
• 
  Cuisinart 719-16 Chef's Classic Stainless Saucepan with Cover, 1 ½ Quart

Did you make this DIY project?

Did you make this DIY project? If you share it on social media tag us @lifeslittlesweets and hashtag it #lifeslittlesweets - Thank you in advance!

• Author
• Recent Posts

Follow me

Sara Maniez

Owner at Life's Little Sweets

Sara is an architectural designer turned work-at-home Mom. She lives in New Jersey by way of New England and New York, with her husband and 3 kids under 8. She loves design, being creative, and spending time with family and friends. She loves checking out local businesses and eats and being apart of the local farm to table community.

Follow me

Latest posts by Sara Maniez (see all)

• Nettle Pesto - March 20, 2025
• Spring and Easter Recipes Collection - March 18, 2025
• 1st Birthday Cake - March 17, 2025