My Dala Horse

Howdy y'all! 

Are you familiar with the Dala Horse? They are carved and painted by hand and are one of Sweden's most iconic souvenirs.

You've probably seen it in your travels, in shops and stores, even at Ikea! It's a darling horse with folk art flair.

When I was out treasure hunting in Brooklyn, I found this cookie cutter for $1. I just had to buy it! It was a steal and this kind of shape is a rare find.

Of course, it can be used to shape baked goods and even finger sandwiches. But today, it'll be a tool for crafting.

Add a few more essentials like a plastic board, rolling pin, offset spatula, and toothpick.

I made a batch of salt dough. 

I rolled out the dough to about 1/4 inch thickness. 

Then I shaped it with the Dala Horse cutter.

I used a toothpick to pry away the excess dough for a cleaner edge.

I stored any leftover salt dough in an airtight container to keep it from drying out.

I used the offset spatula to loosen the bottom and to transfer it to a lined baking sheet.

I released the cookie cutter and made a hole on top with a toothpick. We'll tie a string through it after baking it for two hours in a pre-heated 250 degree Fahrenheit oven.  

Here's what it looks like after baking.

After cooling, I added several coats of red paint and allowed it to dry.

Now, it's time to add detail using white paint and a fine-tip paintbrush.

Add some loops and lines.

Add a heart and a few dots.

And here is my very own Dala Horse...TADA!

I hope this inspires you to do some holiday crafting and turn "blah to TADA!"

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