We are shameless early Christmas decorators in our family. The memes you see about it being November 1st so we can talk about Christmas are about the women in my family, from my grandmother to my in-laws. We love it and it’s a trait we are happily passing down to my daughter.
Since we put up our tree the first week of November, my daughter has been asking to make “those cookie ornaments.” She’s referring to the cinnamon ornaments that decorate my old fashion tree. All of the ornaments we made last year held up nicely, so we don’t need any more. Instead, we’re making salt dough ornaments, which she also thinks are “cookie ornaments.”
Last year, my momma shared a photo of herself and my daughter making salt dough ornaments. She received several comments asking for the recipe because they hadn’t had any luck with the recipes they attempted. I thought I would share that recipe our family uses here so everyone can make precious memories with their littles this holiday season! This recipe is for a small batch of ornaments, but can be multiplied to suit your needs.
Salt dough ornaments
Ingredients:
1 cup of flour (do NOT use self-rising; the ornaments will puff up!)
1/2 cup of salt
1/2 cup of warm water
Directions:
Mix salt and flour together in a bowl, then gradually add in water. If the dough is still a bit sticky, you can add another tablespoon or so of flour.
Knead it on a floured surface for a few minutes and then roll it out to about 1/4 inch thickness. (My almost-four-year-old was surprisingly good at this!)
Then cut your shapes and don’t forget to use a straw to make the hole for hanging!
Next, put your cut out shapes on parchment paper on your baking tin and put them in the oven to bake at 200 degrees for about three hours to ensure they are dry. Flip them once during the baking process. Once they are done baking, take them out and let them cool completely before you start painting and decorating.
Everything we used for this craft was around the house. I didn’t have to buy a single thing. But, if you want them to last, spray them with shellac after you’ve decorated them and they should keep forever!
You can decorate your ornaments any way you want. Bright and colorful, muted and rustic, simple, or anything in between. The great thing about salt dough ornaments is that they work with any theme! Share yours in the comments!
