# Paper Play Dough
> Fold mashed, water-soaked crepe paper into a batch of homemade play dough to make a smooth, colorful dough with a spongy, speckled paper texture inside. It works well as a follow-up to a crepe paper painting activity.
- URL: https://www.funlittles.com/play-dough-recipe-paper-play-dough/
- Ages: 3–6 yrs · Difficulty: easy · Mess: medium
- Time: prep 20 min, activity 30 min
- Works for: one-on-one, small group, whole class
- Skills: sensory-exploration, fine-motor, creativity
- Cautions: wheat-gluten, corn, food-dye, ingestion-risk

## Materials (one batch)
- 1 cup Crepe paper, soaked in water and mashed
- 0.5 cup Flour (household)
- Other ingredients from your favorite homemade play dough recipe (household)
- Boiling water (household)
- 1 tsp Corn syrup
- Food color
- 1 piece Mixing bowls (household)

## Safety
- Adult handles the boiling water and does the mixing while the dough is hot. Let the dough cool before kids knead it.
- Not for eating. The dough contains paper and play dough ingredients, so supervise children who still put things in their mouths.
- Wet crepe paper and food color bleed dye and can stain hands, clothes and tables.
- Supervise sensory play at all times.

## Before you start
- Soak torn crepe paper in water, one bowl per color. You can reuse the paper from a crepe paper painting activity.
- Crunch up and mash the soaked paper, then measure about 1 cup per batch.
- Have your favorite homemade play dough recipe ready. The author used her fresh flowers play dough recipe, which uses boiling water.

## Steps
1. Soak torn crepe paper in water, one color per bowl.
2. Squeeze and crunch up the colored paper until it is mashed. Measure about 1 cup.
3. Set out the play dough ingredients, using half as much flour as paper (1/2 cup flour).
4. Mix the dry ingredients well with a bit of food color.
5. Adult: add the boiling water from your play dough recipe and stir.
6. Just before the dough starts becoming a ball, add the mashed crepe paper. Keep folding until the mixture is uniform and smooth.
7. Add 1 tsp corn syrup and knead once the dough is cool enough to handle.
8. Cut or pull open a ball of dough to see and feel the spongy paper texture inside.
9. Squish, pinch, cut and play!

## Tips
- For about 1 cup of crepe paper, take half the amount of flour.
- A tsp of corn syrup (for half a cup of flour) made the play dough smoother, and don't worry, it did not make it sticky at all.
- Once you start cutting or opening the play dough you really see and feel a VERY different texture inside. The colored crepe paper creates a spongy look.
- Those tiny paper specks add character.
- Don't skip the boiling water. The base recipe still needs it. (from readers)

## FAQ
**Do I still add the boiling water from the play dough recipe?** Yes. The author says she followed the same recipe as her fresh flowers play dough, and it needs boiling water.
**Will the corn syrup make the dough sticky?** No. The author says it made the dough smoother and did not make it sticky at all.

## The original post by TurkeyMom (2013)

Recently we shared an easy [**crepe paper sensory painting activity**](https://www.funlittles.com/art-activities-kids-crepe-paper-paint-homemade-liquid-watercolors/). On that day we extending the activity by creating something else with the mashed [**crepe paper.**](https://www.funlittles.com/easy-art-project-for-kids-just-add-water-art/) You can use any of your favorite homemade [**play dough**](https://www.funlittles.com/category/play-doh/) recipe. I used the same ratio I used in our [**fresh flowers play dough**](https://www.funlittles.com/fresh-flowers-play-dough-play/). But remember one small thing.. For about **1 cup of crepe paper I took half the amount of flour** and made the play dough. Once I had all my dry ingredients together I even added a tsp of corn syrup ( for half a cup of flour) It made the play dough smoother and don't worry it did not make the play dough sticky at all.



Once the [**art activity**](https://www.funlittles.com/category/art-projects/) was over, I crunched up the colored paper and set out the ingredients needed for making [**homemade play dough.**](https://www.funlittles.com/fresh-flowers-play-dough-play/)  I added the dry ingredients and mixed them well with a bit of food color. Just before it started becoming a ball I added the mashed up crepe paper and kept folding the mixture until it turned uniform and smooth. With a tsp of corn syrup I started kneading the mixture and we got these beautiful looking play dough.



Once you start cutting or opening the play dough you really see and feel a VERY different texture inside. The colored crepe paper inside creates a spongy look.



Those smooth and shiny play dough with a really funky and unique texture inside looked so wonderfully inviting. Those tiny paper specks add character don't you think?



Now with this new paper play dough it is time to play and play some more.

Thanks for reading



If you are a play dough lover like us, then this book is great for you.

The book filled with simple, easy, homemade play dough recipes with a variety ranging from cooked version, no- cook version and bunch of simple doughs you can make right at home. Think about all those finger muscles getting a great workout while squishing, pinching and cutting play dough. Play dough can more that strengthening finger muscles! Talk about encouraging creativity and independent thinking!

This book with its wide variety of homemade play dough recipes and other great ideas for loose parts play will come in handy.

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