How to Make Salt Dough Christmas Ornaments

Salt Dough Christmas Ornaments

How to Make Salt Dough Ornaments

Salt dough ornament recipe

To make this easy salt dough ornaments recipe start by mixing these 3 ingredients in a medium bowl:

• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup salt
• 1 cup water

DIY Ornaments

Now you can add food coloring to small sections of ornament dough depending on what color ornaments you are planning on making.  I used Wilton food gel coloring as it gives really rich colors without adding a lot of liquid to the dough that you will have to compensate for by adding flour.

Ornament Crafts for Kids

Note: You can just paint the ornaments instead, but I like to color the actual dough (that way you don’t miss crevices painting it). Plus it makes it more kid friendly as painting just little parts is difficult for even elementary age kids.

Easy Ornament Crafts

Ornament Crafts for Kids

This is simple enough for kids to make and versatile enough for adults to make beautiful ornaments too.

My daughter Minnie, who was just 3 when we did this activity, just cut out shapes with cookie cutters.  Goofy, who was 6, made the bear (above) by using a cookie cutter to shape the main ornament and adding different pieces of dough to personalize his creation.

Baked Christmas Ornaments

Above you can see some ornaments I made. The dough is so versatile!

I made the kids with Santa hats in front of the tree which I will later add facial features and give to my sister-in-law to represent their family. A lovely personalized Christmas gift from the heart. The gingerbread girl (right) is for my niece.

Salt Dough Crafts

Place all finished ornament creations on a baking sheet. Make sure to use a straw to make a hole for the ornament hook (don’t miss this step – you cannot do it once the ornament cooks).
Now cook the ornaments at 225 F for 3-6 hours (depending on the thickness). It is such a low temperature it won’t burn.

Note: My six year old made the slice of Pepperoni Pizza at the bottom because a tree is not complete without pizza, right =)

Paint Your Personalized Ornaments

I suggest you personalize the ornaments once they cool by adding faces, names, years, etc. You can use Acrylic Paint for the faces and permanent fine tip sharpies for names. .Don’t use the washable Crayola stuff – it doesn’t hold up as well.

How to make salt dough ornaments shiny

To give it the really polished, shinny finish you’ll see on the “professional” keepsake personalize ornaments you need to add a shinny top coat by dipping them in Lacquer.  You don’t have to, but you really want to. Besides sealing the ornaments so they don’t crack, it gives them a shiny finished look.

Dough Ornaments

All you do is put the ornament on a hook, dip in lacquer and put on wax sheet to dry. To give it a really polished look give it 2-3 coats with 24 hours between each coat to allow it to fully dry. Take a look at the picture to see the difference in ornaments not coated in Lacquer and those that are. The ones on the left have NOT bee coated in Lacquer.  The coating really intensifies the colors too!!

I used this same recipe to make keepsake handprint ornaments of my kiddos for their 1st Christmas too. My kids give some of their ornaments to grandparents and the rest they get to hang on their tree in the play room that houses their ornaments. (They decorated it themselves & they can “re-decorate” it throughout the season).

I do pull out any especially wonderful creations the kids make as keepsakes that I put on our family tree or in a box to give to them when they are older.

So flip through those personalized ornament catalogs if you need some inspiration, but then make them them yourself. Not only will you save lots of money, your kids will love to make ornaments and the ones you made with your own hands will be such precious, treasured keepsakes!

Ornament Craft Ideas

Looking for more fun and easy ornament crafts to make with your kids in December. You will love these ideas:

• Gorgeous Melted Crayon Ornaments
• Peppermint Candy Ornaments
• Easy Melted Crayon Ornaments to use up small crayon pieces
• Snowman Handprint Ornament
• Gingerbread Pirates Craft Ornament
• Puffy Gingerbread Ornament Recipe
• Stick Christmas Tree Craft
• Paper Strip Easy Ornament Craft
• Cute Christmas Bell Craft
• Star Christmas ornament crafts for kids
• Plastic Cup Snowman Ornament
• 200 Christmas Crafts and Activities
• Easy Melted Bead Ornaments
• Simple, I Spy Name Ornaments
• Colorful Pom Pom Ornaments
• Candy Cane Puzzle Piece Ornaments
• Fizzy Ornaments Christmas Science Experiments
• 31 Fun December Activities for Kids

Christmas Worksheets for Kids

• Magical How to Grow a Candy Cane Activity
• Polar Express Worksheets
• Free December Writing Prompts
• Alphabet Gingerbread Printables
• Count to 20 Christmas Playdough Mats
• Free Elf on the Shelf Printables
• Christmas BINGO Printable Game
• Christmas Around the World Worksheets for Kids
• Sight Word Christmas Coloring Pages
• Free Gingerbread Math Puzzles
• Grinch Worksheets
• Christmas Printables Word Family Activity

 

Print Recipe

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Salt Dough Ornaments

Make your own Salt Dough Christmas Ornaments for a fraction of the cost at the store. These are fun-to-make, options are endless, and these keep forever!

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time30 minutes mins

Servings: 2 cups

Author: Beth Gorden

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup salt
• 1 cup water
• Winton Gel Food Coloring
• Parchment Paper
• lacquer optional
• paint or sharpies optional

Instructions

• Mix first 3 ingredients together until smooth. Add food coloring to sections until thoroughly mixed in. Roll out on parchment paper (if iti s too sticky, add a little flour at a time). Now cut out with Christmas shaped cookie cutters and place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
• Preheat overn to 225 F. Bake ornaments for 3-6 hours depending on thickness. You want it to bake at low heat for a long time to make sure they are cooked through. Don't worry, it is such a low temperature it wont burn.
• Once your ornaments have thoroughly cooled. Use paint or sharpies to add any extra decorations. Allow to thoroughly dry / set again.
• Finally, dip in lacquer to create at truly beautiful, polished ornament that will look professional. This will not only seal the ornament, but will also make the colors look more deep and rich. All you do is put the ornament on a hook, dip in lacquer and put on wax sheet to dry. To give it a really polished look give it 2-3 coats with 24 hours between each coat to allow it to fully dry.

  ** Lacquer is a chemical and has a strong odor. Please read instructions on the side of the can and follow them carefully. Adult supervision requrired on this step!