The Rora Project UKTRP UK

ASMR · sensory crafts

Gentle craft recipes

Five tactile, low-stress crafts you can make from things in the cupboard. Made for quiet co-regulation — squish, stretch, pour, and breathe.

Cloud dough

Recipe 1

Cloud dough

Silky, squeezable, mouldable. Perfect for quiet table time.

You'll need

  • 8 cups plain flour
  • 1 cup vegetable or baby oil
  • A wide bowl or tray
  • Optional: a few drops of essential oil

How to make it

  1. Tip the flour into your bowl.
  2. Drizzle in the oil a little at a time.
  3. Use your fingertips to rub it through until it feels like damp sand and holds its shape when squeezed.
  4. Store in a sealed container for up to two weeks.
Calm down jar

Recipe 2

Calm down jar

Shake, breathe, and watch the glitter settle. A pocket-sized reset.

You'll need

  • A clean jar with a tight lid
  • Warm water
  • 2–3 tbsp clear glitter glue
  • A pinch of fine glitter
  • 1 drop food colouring
  • Hot glue or strong tape to seal the lid

How to make it

  1. Fill the jar three-quarters with warm water.
  2. Stir in the glitter glue until it dissolves.
  3. Add the glitter and a drop of colour.
  4. Top up with water, seal the lid tightly, and shake gently to test the swirl.
Lavender play-dough

Recipe 3

Lavender play-dough

Warm, soft, and gently scented. Brilliant for winding down before bed.

You'll need

  • 2 cups plain flour
  • 1 cup salt
  • 2 tbsp cream of tartar
  • 2 tbsp oil
  • 1.5 cups boiling water
  • 1 tbsp dried lavender
  • A drop of purple food colouring (optional)

How to make it

  1. Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl.
  2. Stir in the oil and boiling water (adult job).
  3. Knead until smooth, then fold in the lavender.
  4. Cool fully before play. Stores 2–3 weeks in a sealed bag.
Kinetic sand

Recipe 4

Kinetic sand

Moves like wet sand, holds shape like clay. Endlessly mouldable.

You'll need

  • 3 cups play sand (or fine sand)
  • 1.5 cups cornflour
  • 1 tsp washing-up liquid
  • 1 cup water

How to make it

  1. Mix the sand and cornflour in a tray.
  2. In a jug, stir the washing-up liquid into the water.
  3. Pour the liquid slowly into the sand, mixing with your hands.
  4. Keep mixing until it clumps but still crumbles. Store in a sealed tub.
Fluffy stretch slime

Recipe 5

Fluffy stretch slime

Cloud-soft and satisfying to pull. A favourite stim for older children.

You'll need

  • 1/2 cup PVA white glue
  • 1/2 cup shaving foam
  • 1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 1 tsp contact lens saline solution
  • Optional: a drop of food colouring

How to make it

  1. Squeeze the glue into a bowl and stir in the shaving foam.
  2. Add the bicarb and colour, then mix well.
  3. Add the saline a few drops at a time, stirring between, until it lifts cleanly off the bowl.
  4. Knead with your hands for a minute. Store in an airtight jar.

Always supervise younger children. Check for allergies to flour, scents, lavender, latex (in PVA) and food colouring before starting.