Aleene’s Favorites: Vintage Bread Dough Technique with Tacky Glue
Did you know that you can make “clay” from a slice of white bread and Aleene’s Original Tacky Glue? This vintage bread dough technique was created by Aleene herself for the Creative Living Magazine in the ‘80s. Check out our blog to see Aleene’s daughters Tiffany Windsor and Heidi Borchers recreate their mother’s most popular craft recipe!
Supplies Needed:
Aleene’s Original Tacky Glue (2½ tablespoons for each batch)
White bread (3 slices for each batch)
Cornstarch
Cold cream
Food processor
Bowl
Plastic zip bag
Craft stick
Paper towels
Vase with textured finish
Parchment paper
Marker (for indentations)
Small round paint brush
Small flat paint brush
Small knife (for indentations)
COLORSHOT Premium Spray Paint: Vintage Lace, Matte Clear Sealer
Cardboard, drop cloth, or other protective surface cover
Acrylic paint: light blue, light yellow, pink, olive green, brown
Step 1: Prepare the bread
To create Aleene’s Bread Dough, cut the crusts off your slices of white bread and discard. Place the bread pieces into a food processor and pulse for approximately 20 seconds until breadcrumbs form.
Step 2: Mix breadcrumbs and Tacky Glue
To prevent Aleene’s Bread Dough from sticking to the bowl, rub cold cream on the inside of the bowl. Add breadcrumbs and 2 ½ tablespoons of Aleene’s Original Tacky Glue to the prepared bowl, then mix with a craft stick until a ball of dough starts to form. More glue can be added if the bread dough is too dry.
Step 3: Knead the bread dough with cornstarch
Rub a small amount of cold cream onto your hands, then pick up the ball of bread dough and knead for 5 minutes. If the bread dough is still sticky, add a small amount of cornstarch. Continue kneading and adding cornstarch until the bread dough is smooth and supple. Place the bread dough into a container with a lid or a plastic zip bag until ready to use.
Step 4: Prepare vase for bread dough
Lay out a piece of parchment paper for your bread dough. Roll and place 6 large pea-sized balls of bread dough, ½ teaspoon of Tacky Glue, and ¼ teaspoon of cornstarch. Select a vase to upcycle for your project and ensure it is clean and dry— one with a textured pattern makes a beautiful base for this vintage technique!
Step 5: Glue bread dough onto vase
Dip a ball of bread dough into the glue and press onto the vase. Repeat with 4 more balls to create a flower shape. Dip the end of a marker into cornstarch to keep it from sticking to the bread dough, then press into the center of each ball to create textured flower petals.
Step 6: Build your floral design
Glue a bread dough ball in center of flower petals and use end of paintbrush to press indentations into center. For the stems, roll several pieces of dough into narrow rope shapes. Glue onto the vase to create a flowing vine pattern. To create leaves, roll a leaf shape, dip a knife into cornstarch, and press onto the leaf to create a vein pattern. Glue onto the vase along the stems and around the flower.
Step 7: Continue to embellish as desired
Shape buds from bread dough and glue into place and create indentations with the end of a paintbrush. To create a bee, create a leaf shape for the body, flatten the bread dough balls and shape for wings and a ball for the head. Glue in place. Use the knife dipped into cornstarch to create the patterns for the body lines and the wing texture. Continue adding bread dough pieces until you’ve completed your desired design, then allow the bread dough to dry completely.
Step 8: Spray paint the bread dough vase
Set up an area to spray paint the bread dough vase in a well-ventilated area. Protect your work surface with a drop cloth, cardboard, or other surface cover. Be sure to shake the can of COLORSHOT Premium Spray Paint for at least 1 minute before painting! Apply spray paint to the entire vase in smooth, even strokes. Let the paint dry to the touch before applying additional coats as needed.
Step 9: Paint the bread dough vase
Use acrylic paint and a small paintbrush to paint all the elements of your design as desired. To give the bread dough vase a vintage antique look, mix brown acrylic paint with water at a 1:1 ratio and apply to the entire bread dough vase with a soft paintbrush. Dab with a damp paper towel to remove any excess paint. For a darker antiqued effect, apply a second coat of diluted brown paint. Allow the acrylic paint to dry completely.
Step 10: Seal and display!
Return your painted vase to the protected spray painting area and apply a coat of COLORSHOT Matte Clear Sealer to your project. Allow the paint to cure completely, then your floral bread dough vase is ready to display!
How will you use Aleene’s Original Tacky Glue for your vintage-inspired projects? Show us your bread dough DIYs and tag us on social media @AleenesDIY!
Check out these links and get ready to celebrate 75 years of creativity with Aleene’s!
